Despite being a California native, I've never been to a California Welcome Center, despite living…read moreto much closer ones. We wanted to stop by for a restroom break and to stretch our legs and eat some of our snacks before making our final voyage to San Diego and we saw the welcome center when we turned out of the freeway. Definitely stop here over a regular rest stop or fast food joint. We came in around 15-20 minutes before they had to close and all the ladies working there were super friendly, welcoming, answered all of our questions. Restrooms are super clean and smells nice too. They have a sign in sheet for visitors, lots of brochures for nearby attractions, an entire car inside for photos, lots of neat bits and pieces of history of the area and sights to see including info about pro-skater Tony Hawk, the surfboard museum or something nearby, and much more. Lots of neat gifts and trinkets for you to take back on your trip too. There's also books, and goods made by local artists. My friend from Texas got a cute kitchen towel with the art of all the animals and such from California. Cute! There's a discount corner and everything is reasonable and affordable. At the side there's also someone posted there to assist you with booking hotels and I'm sure other things like tickets to events or attractions, I'm sure. Going here has inspired me to eventually visit the other Welcome Centers too!

One of the things I love to do when traveling is to visit the local welcome center and I find…read moremyself always looking got them when away from home, so I was super excited to find that Oceanside has a Welcome Center! Yippee! The last one I went to was in Ventura and that was also fabulous! This Welcome Center is smaller than the one in Ventura but it was very solid! The two ladies that helped me today were sweet and knowledgeable. Since it's gonna hella rain the next couple of days, I asked for some indoor suggestions and they both were well prepared to answer my questions! One lady even pulled out a handout that had many rainy day activity sessions! I was pointed to go visit the Mission San Luis Rey, which I promptly did later and it did not disappoint but also got plenty of indoor suggestions like a vintage market to check out, go to the mall and go to the movies (I will probably do all of these things and more!). I also loved that they had very informative magazines, brochures for North Coast, and all of Cali and other states too! I was in heaven with all this information! Definitely give this place a visit if you like doing research on your travels! I loved it!

One of four visitor centers for Joshua Tree National Park, each having a slightly different name,…read morethis location is in downtown Joshua Tree, surrounded by other city buildings. It is the one fronting the West entrance to the Park, which is the more popular of the two. It is located before having to pay the park entrance fee. It was manned by two friendly, quite busy volunteer rangers, answering any questions about your visit. We didn't have time to visit the park itself, so took the opportunity to learn a bit more about the park from displays and presentations. As I learned, it is crowded inside (shoulder to shoulder). There is a dedicated parking lot, along with street parking, and a small gift shop. My wife's mom ended up buying a tote bag (or two) to take back home. We didn't get to go inside the park this time, but was able to see plenty of Joshua trees real close, which are only endemic to this area.

Drove from Las Vegas to Joshua Tree and I recommend it. It's a 3 hour drive and scenic. You drive…read morethrough the Mohave Desert and see landscape, and vegetation, existing only in that area. This should always be your first stop. You'll be able to speak to a Park Ranger, pick up a park map, see examples of wildlife that you might encounter, and even pick up food at their small eatery called, Roadrunner grab & go.

Neat little spot in the San Clemente Outlets mall!…read more This little center functions as both a "California Welcome Center" AND the customer service desk for the outlets. You can pick up free and informative brochures for all sorts of fun points of interests/travel spots throughout California. There's sections for Norcal, Socal, the Bay Area, Yosemite, Monterey, etc. There's also a small selection of California postcards, keychains, and other little trinkets for purchase as well. I didn't know this initially, but the friendly clerk shared with me the points program the outlet has to offer. You get 10 points for every $1 you spend at any of the outlet's stores. Once you reach a certain amount (I forgot how much since I rarely shop for myself) - you get access to their VIP Lounge upstairs. She was nice enough to let me take a peek - it was practically empty, but had a nice view of their center courtyard with all the Christmas decorations. It's a nice and quiet refuge from the hustle and bustle of the mall down below. Cleaner restrooms in their VIP lounge too. Legit, one of the nicest restrooms I've seen at a mall. I signed up for their free program, and picked up more than a number of brochures for future travel destination planning!

Located inside the San Clemente Outlets off Avenida Vista Hermosa, and the 5 freeway. CWC is a…read moregreat place to stop in and gather information about all the activities' California and Especially South OC has to offer. Since its off the freeway is a great location to stop and stretch your legs, visit the restrooms located across the Center, grab some food inside the Outlets, and walk around to do some shopping. Since its an outdoor Mall, you can bring your floof and have them walk around and enjoy the fresh air as well. They have information on recreational activities from hikes, to shopping, to tourist attractions LA, OC, to SD with coupons inside pamphlets . A hot tip, if you sign up for their rewards program, for each dollar that you spend while at the Outlets, you can provide your email and phone number inside the Welcome center and can add those to your account. Watch those points rack up and you can redeem for fun stuff. Keep an eye out for emails that give updates on special sales, discounts, promotions and events happening around the center or at the Outlet itself. 10/10

As California's largest State Park, Anza-Borrego is another spot everyone should have on their…read morebucket list. They have some great trails, camping, star gazing, and a bunch of giant statues that are fun to check out. The visitor's center was fun with a friendly staff. Don't forget to ask about the Junior Ranger Program. We saw two coyotes outside the visitor's center. We did the Palm Canyon Trail. It was an easy and short trail that was perfect for kids. We walked past 4-5 bighorn sheep. That was very cool. Keep in mind there are certain areas that can only be reached if your vehicle has AWD. The town of Borrego Springs is nice with a couple restaurants, shops, and places to stay. Looking back, it would have been nice to spend the night to stargaze. Don't forget to hiking smart: sun protection and plenty of water. Stay on the trials. Leave no trace. And have fun.

Spectacular desert views just a short drive from San Diego or Los Angeles yet it feels like you're…read moreon another continent. Try a late March trip to see the desert floor ablaze in springtime flower colors, or the "secret" Dinosaur Trail, or searching for ancient Pictographs in the Blair Valley section of Coyote Canyon. Anza Borrego never disappoints for those seeking adventure right here in Southern California!

This review is long over due however, very necessary for me to write about Big Bear Lake Visitors…read moreCenter. Big Bear at large is close to my heart because its easy for me to get to from LA County proper. I ski at Big Bear (Or Snow Valley or Snow Summit) when the snow permits. It's an easy drive for me to and from LA. But lately, over the past 3 years, I've been so in love with Shadow and Jackie, the Bald Eagle celebrity natives. OK- here is my story: My travel buddy and I drive from LA and made a couple stops along the way (One was in Ontario for a party we attended) and the second was Snow Summit to check out the ski conditions. However, my main purpose was to visit and get a real live view of Shadow and Jackie, the bald eagles. The Big Bear Lake Visitors Center was the place to gather your information. They gave us the best times to look for Jackie and Shadow but more important, they have their volunteer rangers who set up long range telescopes over at Fawn's to view the magnificent birds. There is a board at the entrance which lists all activities around the area; for hikers, bikers, eagle viewers alike. Merch for sale Informative with respect to the native animals, birds and the li,e Ample parking Clean restrooms

We just popped in to see what was inside as we were visitors in big bear and were pleasantly…read morepleased with what we found! That was neat. They had a display on the eagle nest, as that is such a popular thing with people, that included a live feed. The folks behind the information desk were very friendly and helpful. We really enjoy the photo area, you can have your picture taken and put over three different backgrounds, with choice of emailing or having the picture printed out right there for you to take with you. Kind of nice to have a physical picture for a change as everyone seems to just provide digital these days. Great place for information for any visitor to big Bear!

We are on the east side of the lake! This is a very quiet area! Not much to do as it's more of a…read moreboat lunch area!

Beautiful place to visit during wildflower season!! I would recommend getting there a bit earlier…read morein case of a warmer day and to beat the crowds. The day that we went, the parking was very full. You have to pay for parking/entering. The views around the lake were lovely and I would recommend checking it out!

When in Old Town Temecula, be sure to stop by the visitor's center! We just happened upon this…read moreplace and it was well worth a look see. While we wanted to explore the town in general, there were some beer and wine enthusiasts amongst us. Since we heard it through the grapevine that Temecula was becoming a popular wine tasters destination, we inquired within to see what their recommendations were. A nice woman greeted us and was extremely helpful in giving us some listings of nice places, complete with the short driving directions to take us there! The services they offer had lots of information on wine tasting bus tours, sights to see, entertainment, and upcoming events. There were videos we could watch, pamphlets, and handouts on just about any venue a tourist or local would be interested in, including restaurants, bars, night life and concerts. If you happen to end up in Temecula, don't just drive by, head to the Temecula Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau first, or you just might miss out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGvi5KCOaJ4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09OpdAGsKwA

I live across from the park and I will state that the trails are amazing. There are trails for…read moreeveryone with different types of difficulty. Go early in the morning or after 5ish as it gets very hot in the summer. Happy hiking!

I was excited to discover this park recently, and had a fun time checking out the Visitor's Center…read more(mostly the outside as it closes at 5 pm and we arrived a few minutes before on our first visit) .We took a short hike nearby (the Visitor's Loop, about 1.5 miles). This park encompasses a mind-boggling 6,000+ acres, with 43+ miles of trails...the rugged, hilly landscape is pretty amazing. We're looking forward to hiking some of the other trails, one near a historic dam (Old Mission Dam) and a lake or two (or more). There is a campground somewhere. I'd bring water and sunscreen and a hat, as there isn't a lot of shade. There are several places I think you can park but it's confusing...I'd start with the Visitor's Center parking lot. There was construction going on when we last visited. Most of the parking lots closest to the Center and nearest the trailheads close at 7 during the summer (earlier during the winter months, check out the website for accurate hours). I'm only giving the park four stars for its limited and confusing parking after hours and lack of helpful information provided when I was at the visitor's center on a subsequent visit. There is no parking or entrance fee, though, so that is a plus....

I stopped in last Sunday for some bus information and schedules. The woman working (Peggy?) was so…read morefriendly and eager to share her knowledge about everything that Laguna Beach has to offer. I grew up a few miles up the coast and visit several times a year and will now stop in each time to see what's new and happening in Laguna. Thank you for your help and cheerful smile!

From the owner: Laguna Beach travel information, hotel bookings, restaurant recommendations and reservations,…read moreattraction and activity suggestions, area maps, and more.

I was staying at the Aviara Resort and really appreciated how the shuttle drops you off at the golf…read morecourse which is right next to the lagoon. I had a wonderful morning walk on this trail maintained by the foundation. The QR codes contained interesting information along with signage along the well marked path. Please stay on the path! The birds and wildlife were amazing and it was nice to see others enjoying the beauty. The access to the lagoon is free and the nature center accepts donations.

I still love this walk. It pretty flat and easy. It was a bit muddy a few days after the rains but…read morewe managed to walk around the edges. In the summer months it's best to go early because there isn't much shade and it can get hot. It wasn't that crowded even on a weekend day and parking wasn't bad. We started on the Gabbiano side but I usually start on the opposite side. Both are nice. The visitor center is a cool spot to check out and it has lots of info on the area. They also do presentations you can attend.