Holiday Area: CA

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Things to Do in Los Altos Hills, CA

Los Altos Hills may not have a lot going on – guides to the town always highlight the fact there is only one business, a bookstore – but there is a reason some of the highest-paid individuals in the country call it home. Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the wooded hillsides of this town afford visitors expansive views of the San Francisco Bay and a peek at rural life in Silicon Valley before the industrial revolution.

Picking Apricots

In the 1800s and 1900s, Santa Clara County was a major producer of dried apricots, due to its perfectly dry summers that allowed apricots to be dried naturally outdoors. The only remnants of this empire today lie in the orchards preserved through bequests, stands of a few dozen trees scattered around town. But one 70-acre orchard still is in operation and produces bags of dried apricots for purchase: the former home of Hewlett Packard founder David Packard. Named for the Taaffe apricot ranching family who owned the entire area of present-day Los Altos Hills, Taaffe House and Orchard at the end of Taaffe Road pays homage to the original kings of Los Altos.

Hiking

Whether you’re looking for a strenuous mountain hike or a casual stroll through nature, Los Altos Hills’ numerous public and private reserves offer so many trails, it would take years to explore them all. The area is full of low-profile trails for easy hikes, such as the Canyon and Bella Vista trails at Black Mountain, and the Arastradero Preserve and Hidden Villa loop trails. Serious hikers should head up the 2,800-foot-high Black Mountain, laced with a variety of trails from the Black Mountain Trail summit hike to the Ewing Hill, Hostel, and Creek Trails that connect to the Hidden Villa area.

Organic Farming

Even though Los Altos Hills is replete with wooded areas and protected open spaces, Hidden Villa still comes as a surprise. As you drive down a residential road and turn into the driveway, it’s as if an entirely new – and decidedly different – valley unfolds before you. Once home to the pioneering Duveneck family, who dedicated their lives to protecting people in need -- including Japanese-Americans during WWII and Cesar Chavez -- and local natural resources, the entire area was willed as a permanent wildlife sanctuary. Today, Hidden Villa’s activities center around educational programs exposing urban and suburban families to nature and farm life.

Poor Clares Convent

Part of the order named for St. Clare, the female companion of St. Francis who established an order of nuns that reject materialism and live in communion with nature as St. Francis taught, the Poor Clares of Los Altos have operated a monestary in Los Altos Hills since 1921. After securing $3 million in donations to rebuild their crumbling home in 2002, the Clares opened a visitors’ room chapel allowing visitors to take part in their six daily prayers from the other side of a wall, preserving the nuns cloistered existence. Through a small door in the wall of the visitors’ room, you can submit prayers to the nuns, who pray for and respond with a written letter to each inquiry, or purchase their handmade blankets, quilts and greeting cards.

Free Things to Do in Solvang, CA

Solvang, California, is known for its proud display of Danish cultural influences as well as for the hundreds of wineries that seem to be everywhere throughout the Santa Ynez Valley. The small town was established early in the 20th century by Danish teachers, and the Danish heritage is honored today, clearly evident in festivals, architecture and unique food. Seasonal celebrations are often free, and many museums, parks and wineries in Solvang or around the valley charge no admission. Solvang is about 125 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Stroll Through Town

The architecture, landscape, interesting shops and friendliness of the people of this small town make for a pleasant stroll along the streets of Solvang. For a good overview, start your walk at the corner of Mission (Highway 246) and Alisal Road, head south on Alisal, turn west on Oak and north onto 5th, where you'll meet Mission again. Along the way look for the four windmills in the village, a tower and the half-timbered buildings and brick structures. If you decide to spend a little, stop in the downtown shops that sell both Danish and American goods, or visit a restaurant offering Danish specialties. Don't miss trying the ebelskivers at one of the bakeries in town; they're Danish-style filled pancakes sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Explore the Culture

Explore the Danish heritage of Solvang with a visit to the Elverhøj Museum of History and Art. Wander into the Book Loft, an independent bookstore downtown, and go to the third floor where you'll find the Hans Christian Andersen Museum. Photos, memorabilia and stories describe the life of this famous author. At Old Mission Santa Ines in town there is an admission charge, but visitors can study the architecture of the mission, walk the surrounding grounds and attend the parish church for free. The site has life-sized stations of the cross, and the lush landscaping includes roses, cactus and mature palms with the valley, hills and mountain range in the distance.

Visit Surrounding Countryside

Follow a babbling brook at Nojoqui Falls Park, up a short, gradual climb where you'll cross a bridge and come to a 100-foot waterfall that varies in flow -- from a trickle to a full waterfall -- depending on the season. It pools at the bottom at about 8 feet across in spring. Dogs are allowed on the path and in the park where you'll find ball fields, a playground, restrooms, barbecue grills and picnic tables. Follow Alisal Road south of town to the park. The country roads around Solvang are pleasant to drive and in spring you'll be treated to a native wildflower show. Try heading north out of Los Olivos -- a town about 5 miles north of Solvang on Highway 154 -- onto Figueroa Mountain Road. Fields of purple lupine and orange California poppies spread out across the valleys, surrounding massive, mature oak trees set against jutting red-rock formations.

Taste the Wine

You don't have to pay a fee to visit the wine-tasting rooms or admire the art of wineries located near Solvang. Wander among ivy-covered bridges and rose-covered archways, enjoy the public lawns and gardens, then seek a picnic table where you can rest or have a bite to eat. At Buttonwood Farm Winery outside town, meandering gravel paths lead past lavender, a vegetable garden and a fruit orchard. Take time to appreciate the architecture of buildings that house tasting and production rooms. The Villa at Sunstone Winery in Santa Ynez adjacent to Solvang is worth a stop; the 8,500-square-foot Tuscan-inspired center is constructed of reclaimed limestone and artifacts from France. It's usually OK to take a quiet walk through winery vineyards as long as you don't disturb the vines.

National Park Camping Nearest to Orange County, CA

For those looking to camp inside a national park and still be close to Orange County, California, there are many options. The location of Orange County affords a camper an array of options in just about any direction, and almost always within a half-day’s drive. For those who seek to enjoy the diverse beauty of California, the choices range from deserts to islands and mountains.

A High Desert Paradise

The rocks of Joshua Tree National Park are a climber's paradise.

Located about 120 miles east of Orange County is Joshua Tree National Park. Set in the high desert north of Palm Springs, this park straddles two separate deserts: the Mojave and the Sonora. The granite rocks found on the western side of Joshua Tree attract rock climbers from around the world. Camping is best found within the interior of the national park, including Jumbo Rocks or Hidden Valley campgrounds. Hidden Valley can accommodate RVs 25 feet or smaller, and there are no hookups. Both areas offer expansive views of the rock formations and high desert plains filled with the park’s namesake tree.

Unspoiled California Islands

About a 100 miles north of Orange County is Channel Island National Park, encompassing five of the eight California Channel Islands. Accessing the islands can be done by boat or plane, mostly by national park concessionaires that work out of Oxnard and Ventura. Limited camping is available on all of the islands, and all sites are walk-in only -- there are no vehicles on any of the islands. Perhaps the most accessible is Anacapa Island, about 12 miles off the coast of California. There are seven windswept campsites here, about a half mile from the boat landing. There are no concessions on any of the islands. However, there are wide-open vistas and unspoiled California coastlines that look the same as they did thousands of years ago.

The Hottest Place on Earth

There is a variety of landscapes in Death Valley National Park.

Death Valley is located about a four-hour drive northeast of Orange County, home to Furnace Creek Campground, which sits 196 feet below sea level. There are 136 campsites here, many with full RV hookups. There is a full array of concessions here, including the iconic Furnace Creek Resort. Camping is available year-round, but given that summer temperatures can reach 120 degrees, winter is the best time for those who like to hike the park’s canyons, salt flats and dunes.

Among the Giants

Some giant sequoias are thought to be more than 3,000 years old.

Located on the western slope of the Sierra Nevadas -- about a five-hour drive from Orange County -- is Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. This park is home to magnificent giant sequoias, the largest living things on earth. The park’s largest campsite, Lodgepole Campground, has 214 sites, some of which are accessible for RVs, though there are no hookups. Lodgepole Campground is located near General Sherman, the largest tree in the world, as well as several groves of sequoias. For campers who crave the granite peaks and high-country lakes, many trailheads leave near Lodgepole Village and head into the Sierra Nevada backcountry.