#46 Cinder Cone National Natural Landmark

Cinder Cone National Natural Landmark is a series of lava flows in the Mojave National Preserve. Surrounded by 32 small volcanoes known as cinder cones, this natural landmark has been erupting for 7.6 million years with the most recent occurring only 10,000 years ago. The lava cooled and emptied leaving behind a cave called a Lava Tube.

Today, a stairwell descends into the tube allowing the visitor to explore this geologic wonderland. The Lava Tube can be accessed by a 5 mile drive on Aiken Mine Road. Use extreme caution as this is a rough gravel road. 4 wheel drive recommended.

 

#45 Tunnel Log

Tunnel Log is a fun attraction in Sequoia National Park along Crescent Meadow Road in the Giant Forest. After falling from natural causes in 1937, this Giant Sequoia was 21 feet wide by 275 feet tall and was estimated to be more than 2,000 years old. Today vehicles can drive through this gentle giant.

 

#44 Mission Santa Inés

Mission Santa Inés, established in 1804, was created to help convert the Chumash Native Americans to the Spanish way of life. Being the 19th established Mission, it served as a link between Santa Barbara and Lompoc. The Chumash revolted this new way of life in February of 1824. They fought for their freedom which eventually led to them fleeing into the mountains. The Mission system ended in 1833 after Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821. Today, Mission Santa Inés has been beautifully restored against the rolling green backdrop of the Santa Ynez Valley in Solvang.

#43 Getty Villa

The Getty Villa is an extension to the J. Paul Getty Museum. Located on the coast in the Pacific Palisades, this art museum displays art from ancient Greece, Rome & Etruria. The collection contains more than 44,000 pieces dating from 6,500BC to 400AD. Beautiful exhibits and galleries surrounded by courtyards overlook the Pacific Ocean in this 64 acre art institution.

#42 Port San Luis

Port San Luis Harbor District is a recreational harbor and pier for the people in San Luis Obispo County. Steamboats first sailed into the wharf built here in 1837. The railroads then carried goods inland. Whether boating, fishing or strolling, everyone is welcome at Port San Luis. Even the California Sea Lions have made themselves home.

 

#41 Oxnard Heritage Square

Heritage Square is an historic district in Downtown Oxnard on the Central Coast. Fifteen Victorian structures have been beautifully restored bringing to life the early days of Ventura County. Neighboring Henry T. Oxnard Historic District includes 139 buildings and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Architecture ranges from Victorian to Mission/Spanish Revival and California Bungalow/Craftsman.

 

#40 Solana Beach

Solana Beach is a great sandy stretch of coast in San Diego's North County. Located below a series of cliffs, you enter a world of ocean vistas for endless miles. Although a rather small and new community, incorporated in just 1986, Solana Beach has had quite the history of inhabitants. From the San Dieguito hunters of bison, mastodons and camels living 11,000 years ago to the memorial services of Desi Arnaz, energy is in the air. Sunsets are a must in Solana Beach.

 

#39 Mormon Rocks

Mormon Rocks also named Rock Candy Mountains are a series of sandstone boulders located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. These giant rock formations lie directly in the San Andreas Fault Zone. Part of San Bernardino National Forest, these rocks were named for the settlers moving from Salt Lake City, Utah to Los Angeles in covered wagons in the 1800's. These beautiful formations are along historic Route 66 in today's Cajon Pass.

 

#38 Dana Point Headlands

Dana Point Headlands on the beautiful Orange County Coast is named after author Richard Henry Dana, Jr. who wrote Two Years Before The Mast in 1840. Mr. Dana considered this stretch of coastline "the only romantic spot on the coast." Dana Point became an important trading harbor for nearby Mission San Juan Capistrano. Today, the peaceful Dana Point Harbor has shops and restaurants as well as trails leading up to the headlands. The area has also been designated as a California Historical Landmark.

 

#37 The Arboretum

The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden is one of the most beautiful gardens. Located in Arcadia in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, this 127 acre garden is a feast of color and botanical heaven. The historical property resides on Native American land and the site of former Rancho Santa Anita. From South American gardens to the Madagascar Spiny Forest and the Tropical Orchid House, the gardens are constantly changing with the seasons making each visit one to remember.