11 Ideal California Destinations for a 3-Day Weekend in 2024
California, also known as the Golden State, is best known for Disneyland, the San Diego Zoo, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Yet this “golden state” is the home of a plethora of small towns that possess a similar amount of excitement without the hustle and bustle of cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. The state of California has some of the best national and state parks, like the Anza Borrego Desert State Park in Borrego Springs, as well as some of the best beaches, like Carmel River Beach in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Here are eleven of the most ideal destinations in California for that perfect 3-day weekend.
Carmel-by-the-Sea
The quaint town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, known simply by the locals as Carmel, is the perfect California coastal town for that 3-day weekend retreat. Between the famous 17-mile scenic drive along the coast, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, and a visit to the Carmel Mission, which was founded in 1770, there is something for everyone in this picturesque coastal town. Carmel-by-the-Sea is also home to several fairytale cottages, the first of which was built in 1924 by Hugh Comstock. There are also a variety of great dining and comfortable lodging choices in Carmel, including Flying Fish Grill, Treehouse Cafe, and the Vagabond’s House, which is only a mile from Carmel Beach City Park.
Borrego Springs
Another excellent choice in the range of great 3-day weekend escapes, Borrego Springs is home to a variety of outdoor activities. The Anza Borrego Desert State Park, aptly known as the largest state park in California, offers everything from exploring slot canyons, viewing wildlife in their natural habitat, and experiencing desert anomalies like the wind caves. Several unusual attributes also await the avid traveler in and around Borrego Springs, including Ghost Mountain, the Eight-Foot Skeleton, and the Carrizo Wash. The 8-ft Skeleton, aka Peg Leg Smith, is said to have been seen in the Superstition Mountains from time to time. There are several great places to lodge in town as well. Borrego Valley Inn offers breakfast in the morning and cookies in the afternoon.
St. Helena
Located in Napa County, as well as in Napa Valley, St. Helena is best known for its wine. V. Sattui, Merryvale, Pride Mountain, Beringer, and Duckhorn are just a few of the vineyards and wineries that call St. Helena and the surrounding area home. There are also a wide variety of festivals and events in St. Helena, like Street Food Napa Valley, Broadway & Vine, and Taste of Howell Mountain, which includes wine tasting from fifty different specialty wineries. This small town of just over five thousand people has some excellent dining experiences as well. Violetto offers a refined dining experience and Gott’s Roadside serves a tasty hamburger-milkshake combination. There are also several comfy places to spend the night, like Wine Country Inn and Meadowood Napa Valley, both offering a great breakfast the next morning.
Solvang
The picturesque town of Solvang, located between Santa Ynez and Buellton, is that special Danish treat without having to travel all of the way to Denmark. Home to several cultural, historical, and architectural attributes, including six different windmills, at least four Danish-themed restaurants and bakeries, and several buildings that cater to the Danish style, this tiny taste of Denmark on the West Coast of America is a great destination for a 3-day weekend. A multitude of other activities near Solvang are perfect for outdoor enthusiasts, like the 80-foot waterfall in Nojoqui Falls Park. Even though camping is not available at the park, Solvang does offer several choices downtown, like Mirabelle Inn, which has its own fine dining restaurant.
Ferndale
The town of Ferndale, known for being the gateway to the Lost Coast as well as the gateway to the Redwoods, is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts looking to get away for a long weekend. From taking a scenic drive along the coast to checking out the severe heights of the famous California Redwoods, there is something for everyone in this town of just under two thousand people. Downtown Ferndale also offers visitors several attractions, like the Ferndale Museum and the Historic Cemetery, and a pleasant stroll through the Victorian Village. Dining and lodging are also available in Ferndale. VI Restaurant and Tuyas serve some tasty local treats, while the Shaw House Inn and the Gingerbread Mansion offer both lodging and delicious food.
Avalon
Situated on the southeastern side of Catalina Island, the coastal town of Avalon is a perfect example of an ideal California destination. Wrigley Memorial & Botanicals offers stunning views of a variety of cacti and other desert plants, and the Green Pleasure Pier is home to the Catalina Island Visitor Center and relatively near to a wide variety of great restaurants and mom-and-pop shops like Earl and Rosie’s Seafood Place, Corsario Ocean Adventures, and Eric’s on the Pier. There are also many architectural and historical sources in Avalon, including the Catalina Museum for Art and History, the Catalina Island Conservancy, and the Catalina Island Casino, which opened in May of 1929.
Sausalito
Sausalito is situated across Richardson Bay from Tiburon and across the Golden Gate from San Francisco. This town of barely seven thousand people is a hidden gem when it comes to being an ideal California destination. Some of the natural attributes are Black Sands Beach and Rodeo Beach, the Sausalito Boardwalk, and Waldo Point Harbor. Its cultural values are more in line with some of the more homestyle lodging choices, like Cavallo Point, which offers a great view of San Francisco’s most famous bridge. There is a vast array of historical aspects in and around Sausalito, including the Ice House Museum, Battery Spencer, and Fort Baker, which was first built at the beginning of the 20th century.
Mammoth Lakes
The town of Mammoth Lakes is a hidden gem within the depths of Inyo National Forest. Known best during the winter for its skiing and snowboarding options and during the summer for its hiking, fishing, and camping opportunities, this town of just over seven thousand is a natural beauty. In fact, there is a vast variety of natural attributes in and around Mammoth Lakes, including the Devil’s Postpile, Rainbow Falls, and Convict Lake, which is a perfect place to camp out and cook up some freshly caught Rainbow trout. There are also several choices in town for that perfect lodging and dining experience. Mogul Restaurant is famous for its prime rib, Skadi serves an international flavor, and the Holiday Haus Inn offers a tasty breakfast the next morning.
Ojai
Hidden amidst a conglomeration of other towns within Ventura County, the town of Ojai is perfect for that 3-day weekend destination. Several hiking trails await the avid adventurer, like Rose Valley Falls, which begins in the Rose Valley Campground. There are also a variety of natural aspects to the town of Ojai, like Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve, Sespe Creek, and Ojai Meadows Preserve. In town, the heritage and culture of Ojai can be seen through museums like the Ojai Valley Museum of History and Art and art studios like the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts. There are even some great lodging choices in downtown Ojai. Chantico Inn offers free parking, free wifi, and a free breakfast the next morning.
Solana Beach
One of the best places in California, not to mention all of America, Solana Beach is the epitome of an ideal weekend destination. From exploring Annie’s Canyon Trail, the Harbaugh Seaside Trails, and the Coastal Rail Trail to checking out the theaters, art galleries, and shopping outlets, there is something for everyone in and around Solana Beach. Several parks also call Solana Beach home, including Fletcher Cove Park, which is also close to some of the best cuisine and most comfortable lodging choices in Solana Beach. The Solana Beach Kitchen serves a tasty Mediterranean fare, while Sand Pebbles Resort, less than a tenth of a mile away, offers a great night’s sleep and a free breakfast the next morning.
Nevada City
Situated 150 miles northeast of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, Nevada City is a small town with barely three thousand permanent residents. Yet, this town is ideal for getting away from the hustle and bustle for the weekend. Home to a variety of natural attractions, like Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park and the Crystal Hermitage Gardens, as well as being on the edge of Tahoe National Forest, Nevada City is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. There are also several sources of historical value in Nevada City, including the Firehouse Museum, the Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, and Bourn House, which is preserved from the gold rush days and is one of the more popular attractions within the Empire Mine State Historic Park.
In Conclusion
Though the “golden state” of California is best known for being the home of fabled attractions like Disneyland and iconic locales like the Golden Gate Bridge, the eleven small towns listed above reflect an inner passion for adventuring in ways that cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco seem to miss. Whether it is a national or state park, a restaurant or bed & breakfast inn, or even a museum or historic building, there is something for everyone in these eleven small towns that makes them the ideal California destinations, especially if it is for a 3-day weekend.
