Recreation

Surfing, sailing, and skiing are just a few of the recreational activities enjoyed by Southern Californians who can reach the mountains, deserts, and nearby Channel Islands in less than two hours.

From the rugged beauty of the Santa Monica Mountains to the windswept cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Southern California offers its ocean-loving residents amazing vistas from miles of biking and hiking trails that are open year round.

Theater and music enthusiasts will enjoy superb productions hosted by the Hollywood Bowl, the Music Center, and the Staples Center perhaps beginning their evening in one of the city's hundreds of fine restaurants. Art lovers will find one of the world's most diverse and opulent collections at the Getty Center Museum, and a glimpse of the City of Angel's historical origins can be had by strolling through downtown's Olvera Street and Chinatown.

There's more to Southern California than Disneyland. If you'd like to explore a few more of the sights and sounds that make Southern California great, click here http://www.southbaycalendar.org

Los Angeles has some of the most beautiful and diverse beaches along the California coast, which offers a wealth of activities to enjoy, many of which are readily accessible from California's Pacific Coast Highway.

California promises the ski slopes beyond the coastline and invites residents and visitors to take to the white-topped mountains in the San Bernardino National Forest, the Inyo National Forest, San Gabriel Mountains and the Sierra Nevadas.

In 1768, fearing that Russia or Britain would establish outposts in California, the Spanish formulated a plan of colonization by founding missions, forts and pueblos to secure the land for the Spanish crown. Father Junipero Serra officiated the founding of the first establishment in San Diego. Eventually, a chain of 21 California missions would extend from San Diego to the San Francisco area. Communities have developed around most of the missions, but each, in its individual way, continues to perpetuate the flavor of the Spanish era.

Every mission has its distinctive architecture and restful gardens. Many have rooms and even formal museums filled with picturesque artifacts which help visitors visualize the era when the missions were California's only points of Western European-style civilization. The missions are open to the public. Some offer individually guided tours while others provide self-guided literature. Nominal admission charges or donations are requested.