Sunset Magazine named five California beaches as 2025 West Coast standouts. Avila Beach and Pismo Beach earned praise for scenery and outdoor activity mix. Judges evaluated hundreds of destinations ...

A brilliant, enduring moment can happen to anyone, any time, anywhere. But if you’re giving me a choice, I’d rather go looking for that moment at dawn on the salt flats of Death Valley. Or at the base ...

Old towers, big horizons, short(-ish) approaches. Some of these lookouts are still staffed in summer, some are historic shells, and a few are observation towers in parks that scratch the same itch.