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Here's your plan for relaxing desert stays with fire pits, soaking tubs, pool, sauna, and stargazing. Watch the video 👇  
https://www.stayreset.com/welcome

Reset Hotel is the first new hotel built in the Joshua Tree area in 15 years, made for a slower, more intentional desert experience.

Joshua Tree’s New Boutique Hotel 🌵

Stay at RESET Hotel in Twentynine Palms for a peaceful desert escape. Enjoy private patios, fire pits, a pool, sauna, stargazing, and more near Joshua Tree.

Relaxing hotel stay

✅ Before you go
• Book early for weekends
• Bring layers for cold nights
• Limited stores nearby, so pack what you need
• Check the hotel’s welcome guide for details on amenities and hours
https://www.stayreset.com/welcome


💪 Pro tips
• Spend time enjoying the property
• Use the pool, hot tub, sauna, and cold plunge
• Watch sunset from your patio or fire pit (firewood and s’mores kits available by request) 
• Explore the Moonpad art installation for stargazing at night  (borrow binoculars from the front desk)


Stay at RESET Hotel

If you're planning a trip to Joshua Tree,

Reset Hotel is just minutes from Joshua Tree National

Park and is designed for a quiet desert reset.

Rooms come with private patios and fire pits and some have outdoor soaking tubs.

It's the kind of place you go to slow down and unplug.

Here's your plan for relaxing star gazing, cozy tea, and tasty treats in Glendale. Watch the video 👇

Spend a quiet and peaceful afternoon exploring Glendale College’s planetarium and end the afternoon with a cozy warm drink and treat at the Americana on Brand 

Star Gazing and Treats in Glendale 

Enjoy peaceful meditation sessions at Glendale College Planetarium every Monday and Wednesday afternoon, perfect for relaxing and stargazing in a tranquil setting.

Meditation Session

✅ Before you go
• 3 dollars for all day parking available on campus 
• open to the public on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30 to 1:00pm. Calendar can be found here: https://www.glendale.edu/students/campus-resources/planetarium

💪 Pro tips
• leave yourself some time to get to the planetarium as the parking is on the other side of campus 


Free Meditation Monday at the Planetarium 

Sip on thoughtfully brewed teas and unwind at CHAGEE Americana, Glendale’s newest tea house—perfect for a relaxing, cozy treat after stargazing.

Tea House Visit

✅ Before you go
• parking available at the Americana
• No big lines, quiet and easy walk in! 

💪 Pro tips
• ask the employees about their favorites and suggestions 🫖
• they do not have coffee 


Cozy tea and newest Tea House

Enjoy a fresh Italian treat at DELUCA'S ITALIAN DELI, perfect for a quick lunch or snack by the window. Warm up your pastry for extra comfort.

Bakery treat break

✅ Before you go
• perfect for grab and go lunch 
• offered me parking validation 


💪 Pro tips
• ask them to warm up your treat! 🍪


Grab a little treat and window seat at Delucas 

Here's your plan for a fun ferry ride, shopping, dining, and enjoying iconic frozen bananas. Watch the video 👇

Take the ferry from Newport for fun day of shopping, strolling and snacking 

Balboa Island Day Trip 

Hop on the Balboa Island Ferry for a quick, scenic ride from Newport Beach—walk or drive aboard for just $2 and start your island adventure.

Ferry Ride

✅ Take a 3-5 minute ferry ride from Newport to Balboa Islabd 

💪 Pro tips
• Cash only - $2
• Walk on or drive your car right onto the boat
• No reservations needed 
 

Ferry to Balboa Island 

Enjoy delicious brunch and people-watching at Wilma’s Patio, located steps from the ferry on Marina Avenue—Balboa Island’s charming main street.

Brunch at Wilma's

✅ Before you go
• All the businesses are on one long street—Marina Avenue, an easy walk from the ferry 


💪 Pro tips

Eat at Wilma’s Patio 

Grab delicious frozen bananas at Sugar 'n Spice, a Balboa Island classic since 1945. Enjoy your treat on nearby benches while soaking up the island vibes.

Frozen Banana Dessert

✅ They’ve been serving them up since 1945! 


💪 Pro tips
There are cute wooden benches everywhere, perfect  for snack breaks 


Frozen Banana Time

perfect for a unique day date or fun with friends.

Catch a five-minute ferry ride to Balboa Island,

We brunched at Wilma's patio so we could people watch,

Arrested Development fans know exactly what I'm talking about.

Here's your plan for exploring iconic 90s fashion at the ASU FIDM Museum in LA's South Park. Watch the video 👇

Get your fashion fix at this limited time exhibit showcasing 90s designers and their most iconic looks

DTLA 90s Fashion Exhibit 👠

Explore iconic '90s designer looks at the ASU FIDM Museum's "Obsessed" exhibit in DTLA. Walk-in, no tickets needed—great stop for fashion buffs!

90s Fashion Exhibit

✅ Before you go
• This current “Obsessed” 90s exhibit runs through June 27th
• No tickets are required, but be sure to check their hours online: https://asufidmmuseum.asu.edu

💪 Pro tips
• There is paid parking onsite in their garage; enter on W 9th Street
• Did you know this is the only dedicated fashion museum in all of LA – totally buggin’ for a city full of stars and their stylists!
• If you want a snack or quick meal nearby, a fave of mine Duchess is a few minute walk and serves great chicken sandwiches, donuts, coffee, and fresh lemonade

Check out fly 90s fashion at the ASU FIDM Museum exhibit “Obsessed: Fashion and Nostalgia in the ‘90s”

Here's your plan for ferry rides, camping, hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, and island exploring.

Watch the video 👇

A trip to Channel Islands NP is very subject to availability, considering they're only accessible by ferry/plane. This itinerary visits Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa, which are relatively easy to snag, but if you get the opportunity to visit the other three islands, go for it! Once you have camping reservations in hand, you can book the ferries with Island Packers. Also make any tour or rental reservations ahead of time—see the 1. ferry, 2. camping, 5. kayaking, and 6. snorkeling sections below.

Channel Islands NP Camping Trip

Catch the Island Packers ferry at Ventura's harbor to Santa Cruz Island for camping, kayaking, and wildlife viewing. Book your reservation ahead as ferry spots fill quickly!

Ferry to Santa Cruz

• Santa Cruz is an excellent start because it's the largest island, the most easily accessible, and has the most camping spots + facilities.
• Book here: https://www.islandpackers.com/book/. Depending on what camping reservations you have, your ferry itinerary may require some finagling. Recommend calling Island Packers to sort things out.
• The kayak rentals are at the harbor too. Speak with the tour operators to have them load them on the ship. If you've booked a guided tour instead of rental, you don't have to worry about any of this!
• Parking requires both a pass from the front desk and a daily overnight fee.
• Fuel, water, and portable chargers must be packed separately.
• The boat ride is 1-2 hours depending on wildlife sightings and waves. Look for whales and dolphins.
• Take Dramamine if you get seasick. The water can be choppy.

Board the ferry to Santa Cruz Island

Pitch your tent at the primitive Scorpion Canyon Campground on Santa Cruz Island, offering picnic tables, potable water, and pit toilets for an off-the-grid camping experience.

Set up camp

• Reserve here: https://www.recreation.gov/gateways/2631. We booked Santa Cruz Scorpion.
• This is a primitive campsite, NOT a glampsite! It has: picnic tables, potable water, food storage boxes, and pit toilets. It does NOT have: electricity, trash service, fire, cell service, on-island transportation (you must carry everything to/from the landing).
• You can book up to six months in advance. They go pretty quick.
• There may not be bears, but don't neglect securing your food from wildlife!
• Recommend bringing a jetboil and/or enclosed gas stove.

Set up camp at Scorpion

Explore Channel Islands history and wildlife at the Scorpion Visitor Center, learning about the island’s unique ecosystem through interactive exhibits and displays.

Visitor center exhibits

• This might be the only visitor center you can visit, since depending on your ferry times, the one on the mainland may be closed.
• Alternatively, visit the next day.

Peruse the exhibits at the Scorpion Visitor Center

Hike scenic trails to Potato Harbor, Smuggler's Cove, or Mount Montanon for ocean views, beaches, and panoramic island vistas on Santa Cruz Island.

Scenic Island Hiking

• These are the top three sights on the island in my opinion, ranked from easiest to most difficult to hike. Go to Potato Harbor if you want to see panoramic views of the ocean from high cliffs, go to Smuggler's Cove if you want to get up close and personal to the water and tide pools (depending on low tide), and go to Mount Montanon if you want a challenge climbing the tallest peak on the publicly accessible part of the island. You can find hikes that visit those places individually (and more) by searching Alltrails. If you're ambitious, it's possible to visit all three in a big loop.
• Official NPS map and info: https://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/upload/sci-hiking-2022-ADA.pdf

Hike to Potato Harbor, Smuggler's Cove, and/or Mount Montanon

Paddle a kayak from Scorpion Anchorage to explore scenic sea caves along the coast. Suitable for beginners—go solo or on a guided tour for unforgettable adventure.

Kayak Sea Caves

• Rent kayaks (single/tandem) or book a guided tour: https://www.islandpackers.com/kayaking/. Rentals will have to be reserved and transportation arranged with the ferry ahead of time. They can send kayaks unescorted (on a different boat than you took). Tours will simply meet at Scorpion Anchorage.
• Kayaking is beginner friendly! Just pay attention to the safety guidelines that should have been given to you on the mainland: be very aware of the eastward-blowing wind that kicks up in the afternoon, and don't try to enter a small cave with rough water.
• From the beach you can go right or left, about a mile one way in either direction. East towards Scorpion Beach, Scorpion Rock, L cave; west towards Cavern Point Cave, Seal Beach Cave, and Elephant Belly Cave.
• You could kayak to Potato Harbor (west) only if you're a very experienced strong ocean kayaker.
• Official NPS map and info: https://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/kayak-scorpion.htm

Kayak to sea caves

Snorkel or dive among vibrant kelp beds at Scorpion Anchorage, exploring diverse marine life in the crystal-clear waters—wetsuit and gear rentals or guided tours are available.

Snorkeling kelp beds

• Rent snorkel gear/wetsuits or book a guided tour: https://www.islandkayaking.com/snorkel-rentals/.
• Gear pickup and tour meeting point are at the shack between the campground and pier. They carry a little bit of merch, camping accessories, and medicine/first aid as well. Make sure to return rentals before 4pm.
• If you're adventurous, bring your gear on your kayak and dive in whenever you want!
• The water felt extra salty; all of us were able to float without trouble.
• The water also felt extra cold. I would not get in without a wetsuit.

Snorkel/dive through kelp beds

Take the ferry from Santa Cruz to Santa Rosa Island for remote adventure; enjoy scenic ocean views along the way.

Ferry ride

• Ferry leaves Santa Cruz 9am and takes 1-2 hours.
• Take Dramamine if you get seasick. The water can be choppy.

Hop over to Santa Rosa Island

Hike white sand beaches or see rare Torrey Pines on remote Santa Rosa Island; enjoy unspoiled nature and beautiful coastal trails. Minimal facilities—pack accordingly!

Hiking and Beach

• Santa Rosa Island has zero services except for water sources at the campground and bathrooms.
• You can be as lazy or high speed as you want. We went to the white sands of Water Canyon Beach via the Coastal Trail (recommend!). A scientist researching on the island recommended visiting the Torrey Pines, the rarest pine in America, which only grow here on Santa Rosa and San Diego. You'd have to hustle to make it back in time though.
• Official NPS map and info: https://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/upload/Santa-Rosa-Hiking-Map-and-Guide-24x36-October-2023v2-ADA.pdf

Explore Santa Rosa

Cruise by boat through Painted Cave, one of the world's largest sea caves, enjoying vivid rock colors and a unique oceanic experience before returning to the mainland.

Painted Cave boat tour

• Ferry departs 4pm. This is a boat you don't want to miss lest you be stuck on the island for days depending on ferry schedule!
• Sailing is literally smooth. Going back with the wind makes seasickness much less likely.

Cruise through the Painted Cave on the way back to the mainland

and so much more on this rugged national park off the coast of Ventura.

You might not have been to the Channel Islands yet because they are a little remote,

I've scientifically packed the maximum amount of activity into this time frame,

so rest assured you won't be missing any experiences.

We're going to be catching the ferry first thing in the morning to Santa Cruz Island,

the largest and most accessible of the five.

We're going to be responsible and set up camp now so

we can come back and not have to do it later.

Then feel free to check the exhibits at the

Scorpion Ranch Visitor Center and start on your hikes.

The vistas were nothing short of incredible.

which presented us with sweeping cliffside views of the ocean.

We made it back to camp in time for sunset

and took our baby wipe showers and backpacking food dinners.

Half of the national park is under water,

and today you'll get to experience that on and in the ocean.

Rent a wet suit and snorkel gear if needed,

and continue on to the beach to meet your tour

group or pick up kayaks from the arriving ferry.

and dove down into the surreal kelp forests.

This was actually the best plan because kayaking gave us access to really

scenic spots that would have been hard to swim to from the pier.

head back to the beach to relax and eat lunch.

Enjoy your final night on Santa Cruz and pack

up next morning to ferry over to Santa Rosa,

beaching before you say goodbye to the Channel Islands.

there is one last treat before you arrive at the mainland.

The painted cave is on the other side of Santa Cruz Island on the way back.

This is one of the largest sea caves in the world,

and it was such an epic experience to float into it.