Hello everyone!
I’m Alli Cherry, a YouTuber from southern California.
My channel is linked in the description for you. Today, I’m guest vlogging for the EF channel.
I know many of you are interested in studying abroad
and maybe some of you are interested in studying right here in California.
I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me to share some of my favorite -
actually, my five favorite weekend getaways for students that are close to L.A. ,
but far enough to feel completely new.
This is not to say that L.A. has nothing to offer. It’s quite the opposite, actually.
It’s an incredibly diverse and interesting city with tons to do and see,
but, if you’re staying for a while,
a day or weekend trip to one of these five places might be a great change of pace for you.
Up first, we have Joshua Tree.
Joshua Tree National Park is located in the California desert,
150 miles from EF’s L.A. campus and roughly three hours by car.
I’m sure some of you won’t be able to drive when you’re here,
or won’t have a car when you come to L.A.,
but maybe you can rent a car or travel with a friend who has a car or can drive.
I know that the EF school also offers excursions out of town in busses or minivans,
so that could be a good option for you, too.
Joshua Tree is higher and cooler in temperature than its neighbor, the Mojave Desert and
because of this, the Joshua trees thrive there. These trees, mixed with the huge bolder piles,
create an otherworldly expanse of landscape that’s just incredible to explore.
Keep in mind that there’s no food or running water inside the national park itself,
so you’re going to want to stock up at one of the local places on 21 Palms Highway before you head in.
Also remember to check out some of the local art installations or galleries there, too.
Up next is Laguna Beach, around 56 miles and just over an hour away from the EF campus.
You may be familiar with Laguna Beach because of the MTV reality show in the early 2000s,
but I can assure you, it has so much more to offer than what was portrayed on that show.
The coved beaches in Laguna are what really make it unique.
There are technically close to 20 of them and each has its own unique tide pools and views
and they’re just absolutely incredible.
The beaches in this area feel much more private than other beaches in California,
which is pretty interesting.
There’s also a lot to see there other than beaches.
For example, the Laguna Art Museum, which is close to the beach, has a huge,
permanent collection of California art and it costs only 7 dollars to get in there.
The city also has a vintage-inspired trolley service
that you can hop on and ride around to different shops and restaurants.
Another beach city that you might be interested in is Santa Barbara.
It has more of a sweet, small-town feel and there’s an EF school campus there, too.
It’s located up the 101 freeway, about 106 miles or just over two hours away from Los Angeles.
Santa Barbara has really unique shopping and eating, and beautiful seaside hiking trails.
State Street is a really popular area for shopping because you’ll find both local and chain stores.
If you’re able to drive up north a little bit, maybe 30 minutes,
you’ll find El Capitan State Beach.
It’s a great area to walk around in and just enjoy the scenery,
and maybe spot some wildlife, like sea lions, dolphins or migrating whales.
My hometown, Long Beach, is the next destination on my list
and it happens to be the home of another seasonal EF school.
It’s only 16 miles and about 32 minutes from L.A., but, once you get there,
you can pretty much get around by bike, depending on which neighborhood you’re visiting.
Long Beach has really cool bike-sharing kiosks located around the city,
so, once you drive down there, you can just park and rent a bike for the day, which is really cool.
One of my favorite areas in Long Beach is the East Village Arts District,
specifically on East Fourth Street between Cherry and Junipero Avenue.
This area is dubbed “Retro Row”
because it has tons of incredible vintage shops and really unique places to eat.
The Queen Mary Aquarium and Shoreline Village are also great spots with a more touristy vibe,
but still really fun if you’re in the area.
Keep in mind that because the break water, which is about a mile off shore,
keeps waves from coming in, the beach isn’t really a beach,
but there’s so much to see and do there that you won’t miss it anyway.
The last stop on my list of weekend getaways is Idyllwild Pine Cove.
It’s 125 miles or just over three hours east of Los Angeles
and it’s a great place to relax and let your stress melt away.
It’s a quaint little mountain town,
much calmer and more laid back than Big Bear or Mammoth, which both have ski resorts.
Those are great places to visit, too, obviously, but I prefer Idyllwild
because there really isn’t much more to do there than enjoy nature, hike, and spend time in a cabin.
Speaking of cabins, there are tons of affordable cabins
that you could rent if you wanted to spend a weekend or a couple of days there.
I recommend getting a group of friends together and just chilling out and enjoying time in nature.
Then, when you drive home,
you can drive the backway down the mountain and stop in Palm Springs.
That’s it! Those are my top 5 weekend getaways for students near Los Angeles.
Spending time outdoors is so important for our physical and emotional wellbeing,
but it doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment.
I hope this video inspires you to get out there
and explore some local spots or the neighborhoods near you.
Have you been to any of the places I mentioned in this video
or do you have any ideas of other weekend getaways?
Make sure to let me know in the comments below and thank you so much for watching.
Bye!