Within a four-hour drive of Los Angeles, you can find hands-on museums for toddlers, mountain adventures for tweens, beach towns packed with festivals, cultural events teens will actually remember, and sophisticated escapes for empty nesters. The trick is matching the destination to the people with whom you are traveling.
Where to Go With Toddlers This Summer
Adventure City, Anaheim
Adventure City is the starter park families with young kids actually need. It is smaller, less expensive and far easier to navigate than the major theme parks nearby. The rides include mini roller coasters, a kiddie Ferris wheel, a Thomas the Tank Engine play area and a game zone. Nobody is overwhelmed and nobody is bored.
Need to Know
- Tickets start at $32 for ages 1 and up
- Ideal for ages 2 to 8
- Parking is free
- Stroller rental available on site
Pretend City Children’s Museum, Irvine
Pretend City is a child-sized city where kids can grocery shop, work at a farm, visit a doctor’s office, explore a marina and learn through play. Everything is designed around early childhood development, but it feels like fun rather than learning. It is one of the most thoughtfully built toddler environments in Southern California.
Need to Know
- Ages 1 and up; designed for children under 8
- Located in Irvine, easy day trip from anywhere in Los Angeles County
- Open 10-4, Tuesday-Sunday
- Admission is $22 for adults and kids
Where to Go With Tweens This Summer
Big Bear
Big Bear in summer is a different mountain than the one families visit in winter with plenty to do and fun places to stay.
Summer Tubing: The same slopes used for snow tubing in winter become slick tubing lanes in summer. Riders race downhill without needing snow, skis or any experience. Pricing starts at $10; must be 42”
Floating Water Park at Pine Knot Marina: A la American Ninja Warrior, there are climbing obstacles, slides, balance challenges and splash zones that float directly on Big Bear Lake. Prices start at $19.95/pp
Big Bear Speedway: Drivers race against the clock on SODI RT8 go-karts that look like miniature Formula 1 cars and reach speeds up to 30 mph. Races are purchased separately at the track. Prices start at $15; must be minimum 62” and 14 years old to ride.
Big Bear Ropes Course: More than 30 aerial obstacles suspended 12 to 35 feet above the ground. Price $12pp: Kids 42”-48” must be accompanied by an adult 18+.
Need to Know
- Big Bear Cabin rentals are available in all shapes and sizes
- Package prices start at $40 for snow tubing + ropes course + speedway
Where to Go With Teens This Summer
Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, City of Industry
The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo is not a typical rodeo. It combines bull riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, trick riding and live entertainment with the genuine history of Black cowboys and cowgirls who helped shape the American West. Junior and peewee riders also compete, which adds a layer most teens do not expect. Now in its 42nd year of traveling around the US, it is the “greatest show on dirt” and one of the most culturally memorable events in Southern California.
Need to Know
- Los Angeles dates: July 18 and 19
- Adults $50, kids $35
- Workshops available
Oceanside
Super Girl Surf Pro returns August 21 to 23. Professional surfing runs alongside concerts, fitness classes, skateboarding, beach volleyball, artists, female entrepreneurs and interactive experiences. It is the kind of event that feels like a festival and a competition at the same time.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Skip the parking and avoid traffic. I take the train when I visit Oceanside. The station is in the center of town and everything is walkable from there: restaurants, hotels, beach.
Summer Festivals in Oceanside: Throughout the summer, Oceanside hosts a wide range of cultural events and most of them are free to attend:
- Oceanside Samoan Cultural Festival (July)
- Inter-Tribal Powwow at Mission San Luis Rey (June)
- Filipino Cultural Celebration (June)
- Heiva San Diego Tahitian Festival (August)
- Pride by the Beach (June)
- Noche Mexicana (September)
California Surf Museum: The current exhibit, Hawaiian Royalty’s Gift to Surfing, explores how Hawaiian royalty introduced surfing to the world. I liked it because it’s not a typical museum, I saw it more as a celebration of surfing.
Vintage Shopping Downtown: Sea Hive Marketplace, Captain’s Helm, Ransack Vintage and several other shops along the main street make Oceanside one of the best beach towns in Southern California for treasure hunting.
Need to Know
- Super Girl Surf Pro: August 21 to 23, free to attend
- Most summer festivals are free
- Amtrak, Pacific Surfliner, Coaster, Sprinter and Metrolink trains all stop in downtown Oceanside Long Beach
Long Beach Waterbikes: Explore Alamitos Bay and Naples Island on a pedal-powered hydrobike from Long Beach Waterbikes. The watercraft float above the surface and move fast enough to feel like an actual adventure. At night the bikes light up with colored LEDs, which makes the evening version fun too.
Retro Row on 4th Street: One of the best vintage shopping districts in Southern California. Expect vintage clothing, records, collectibles, coffee shops and independent boutiques. Hollywood costume designers shop here regularly for film and television productions.
Need to Know
- Long Beach Waterbikes: check longbeachwaterbikes.com for current rates and hours
- Retro Row is on 4th Street between Junipero and Termino avenues
Where to Go as a Young Adult or Couple This Summer
San Diego Zoo and Safari Park
The San Diego Zoo has built out a set of experiences for adults that go well beyond a standard zoo visit:
- Early Morning with Pandas: One hour access to Panda Ridge before the general crowds arrive. ($96+). Starts at 8:30am.
- Bear Crawl (21+): Guided animal experiences paired with beer and wine tastings ($92+, includes 2 drinks)
- Nighttime Zoo: Live music, performers and extended evening hours through the summer ($78+, ends August 9, 2026)
- Safari Park Roar and Snore: Overnight glamping experience overlooking the savanna at the Safari Park ($255+ for adults only night)
- Deluxe Wildlife Safari ($124+)
- Parking is $16-$20 at Balboa Park
- Surfliner train stop is a 4 minute walk to the zoo
SheBuysTravel Tip: Visit the new Elephant Sanctuary. It is a uniquely immersive experience.
Need to Know
- All tour experiences book up early; reserve as soon as your dates are set
- Bear Crawl is 21 and over
- Safari Park Roar and Snore requires a separate Safari Park ticket
Big Bear Stargazing
Romantic, educational and genuinely different, Amid the Stars tours on Big Bear mountain begins with a walk through a scale model of the solar system, then settle into a guided exploration of the night sky using professional-grade telescopes. An astrophysics-trained guide walks you through what you are seeing: planets, nebulae, star clusters, distant galaxies. The two-hour experience includes reclined seating and telescope photography, and Big Bear offers some of the darkest skies within a reasonable drive of Los Angeles.
Need to Know
- Tours run approximately two hours
- Reclined seating and telescope photography included
- Dress warmer than you think you need to; Big Bear nights are cold even in summer
- Price: $100pp
- Big Bear Mountain hosts several stargazing events throughout the year
Skyline at Sundown at Snow Summit: Skyline at Sundown combines a chairlift ride and a mountaintop dinner with unbeatable views, great food, and live music.
Where to Go as an Empty Nester This Summer
Pasadena
Pasadena is culture-rich, walkable, full of delicious restaurants and feels genuinely far from Los Angeles even though it is not.
The Huntington’s world-famous gardens and galleries, architectural landmarks like the Gamble House and Castle Green are just a few of the gems in Pasadena.
Mount Wilson Observatory hosts afternoon summer concerts beneath the iconic 100-inch telescope dome. Old Pasadena is known for boutique shopping, wine bars, and excellent restaurants.
Stay at The Langham Huntington Pasadena, the beautifully restored five-star property that has been the backdrop for numerous films such as Saving Mr. Banks and shows including Westworld and Modern Family.
Need to Know
- The Huntington: check huntington.org for current hours and admission
- Gamble House tours available Thursday through Sunday
- Pasadena Playhouse: pasadenaplayhouse.org for current summer schedule
- Mount Wilson Observatory concerts run select summer evenings; check mtwilson.edu
- The Langham Huntington: hotels guests get free tour of historic hotel and gardens on Thursdays
Santa Ana
On the first Saturday of every month, Downtown Santa Ana runs its Art Walk. Galleries stay open late, artists set up along the sidewalks, musicians perform throughout the neighborhood and the energy is genuinely local rather than manufactured for tourists. It is one of the most vibrant creative communities in Southern California and most people outside Orange County have not discovered it yet.
Food is a serious reason to visit on its own. Santa Ana’s Michelada Trail features inventive takes on the classic Mexican beer cocktail across multiple stops downtown. It is the kind of thing that becomes the whole afternoon.
Need to Know
- Art Walk runs the first Saturday of every month
- Free to attend
- Downtown Santa Ana is walkable; parking is available in city structures
- Michelada Trail map available through the Downtown Santa Ana business district
Where to Go With Multiple Generations This Summer
Lompoc Lavender Festival, Santa Rita Hills
The Lompoc Lavender Festival is one of the few summer events that genuinely works across generations without anyone having to compromise. And it’s the perfect backdrop for a family photo.
Toddlers can run through 8.5 acres of blooming lavender fields. Teenagers can browse artisan vendors and food trucks. Adults can do the wreath-making workshops or the essential oil demonstrations. And there are so many things to do in and around Lompoc: wineries, Jalama Beach and rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base are nearby.
Need to Know
- Dates: July 11, 18 and 25
- Hours: noon to 5 p.m.
- Admission: free
- Parking: free
- Wreath-making workshops: $55 per person, book in advance
- Lompoc wine tasting is available throughout the Santa Rita Hills appellation nearby
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