Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Sunday, Oct. 20. I’m your host, Andrew J. Campa. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

Now is the best time for a quick Southern California staycation

With the summer long gone and the holidays creeping near but not yet here, travel experts say the best time for a vacation is now.

If long trips, jet lag, time zone and currency changes aren’t in store, however, there’s always the local option. After all, about 50 million people visit Los Angeles County, annually, and the state welcomed 264 million tourists last year.

Planning can cause headaches on short notice. Thankfully, my colleagues on the Travel & Experience desk have done much of the concierge work for your next Southern California staycation.

Here are a few places of our Top 11 list with highlights throughout Southern California.

(Paul Boorstin/Los Angeles Times)

Soak your troubles away in Desert Hot Springs

Colleague Deborah Netburn joined up with a friend at the $400-a-night posh and historic Two Bunch Palms in Desert Hot Springs.

The luxurious desert oasis was reportedly built by mobsters and offers an adults-only policy, which is a true escape for parents needing a breather.

The lush 77-acre property at dusk provides a schedule of various wellness activities, most free for guests.

Arguably the most famous of these events is taking a dip in the grotto. The stone pool is shaded by broad palm trees and fed by naturally heated, 600-year-old mineral water.

Beyond the toasty springs, there is Kundalini yoga, sound healing, oracle card reading, along with time to chill in the hammocks, fire pits, private hot tubs, tennis courts, a pond, walking trail and much more.

Driving distance from L.A.: 2 hours

(Kailyn Brown / Los Angeles Times)

Chill in relaxing Santa Barbara

Convincing TikTok videos led colleague Kailyn Brown and family to picturesque Santa Barbara and Hotel Milo, located on a 36-acre seaside property.

The hotel is newer than most, built in 2014 and named after hotelier Milo Potter. A cozy double bed room ran $369, plus taxes.

Milo faces the breezy harbor and is only two blocks away from the city’s must-see spots, including Stearns Wharf, State Street and the Funk Zone.

The 121-room property, spread across six hacienda-style buildings, is adorned with rows of palm trees, an exquisitely landscaped lawn and fire pits. Milo also has a pool, hot tub and poolside cabanas and complimentary bikes (with a basket) to get around.

Start your day by walking along the beach, then check out Stearns Wharf. Eat breakfast at Chad’s Cafe at the hotel or walk two blocks down to Jeannine’s Bakery, which is family owned.

Once you’re full, head over to State Street and make your way to the downtown area, which is filled with retail shops, wineries, breweries, restaurants, museums and a movie theater. Don’t forget to satisfy your sweet tooth with a scoop of Santa Barbara Strawberry at McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Driving distance from L.A.: Roughly 2 hours.

European elegance in Riverside

For those looking for a European experience without the 10-hour travel, look no farther than Riverside, according to my colleague Jeanette Marantos.

The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in downtown is a massive Mission-Revival-Moorish-Gothic-pick-a-style-any-style behemoth. It is part resort and part museum with more than 200 rooms, a massive pool, eucalyptus steam bath, four restaurants, two bars, its own chapel and a tour.

Self park costs $27, while valet is $8 more.

The dazzling tile lobby helps you forget about the parking cost, while the spacious rooms offers a small balcony and a handsome fireplace.

Wander the halls, grab a drink at the Presidential Lounge, which features recognizable painted portraits of the 10 U.S. presidents who ever visited the hotel (starting with Benjamin Harrison in 1891), and then lounge at the palm-studded pool.

Driving distance from L.A.: About an hour.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of our list.

The week’s biggest stories

(FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

Los Angeles Roman Catholic Church abuse payout

Dodgers take another swing at reaching the World Series

Kamala Harris campaign

How California handles the release of sexually violent criminals

Environmental issues

More big stories

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Column One

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

(Elias Stein / For The Times)

I’ve done the drive from Orange County to the United States-Mexico border so many times that it’s as easy to describe as my backyard. It’s such a familiar journey that I rarely think of it as what it is — a trip to another country. It doesn’t take more than two hours, but it might as well be an eternity. The border was drawn 175 years ago by a joint U.S.-Mexico commission after the U.S. won the war between the two countries and conquered what is now the American Southwest. Both sides of la frontera have been picking at this open sore ever since.

More great reads

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For your weekend

(Illustrations by Lindsey Made This; photograph from Bettina Niederman)

Going out

Staying in

L.A. Affairs

Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.

(Ryan Raphael / For The Times)

He handed me a brown paper bag — mind you, just a regular lunch-size kraft paper bag that was still flat and folded — and in all seriousness said, “Just in case you need it.” Turning to look at him — an almost-stranger I was about to embark on a coffee date with — I asked, “Is this in case I get nauseated?”

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Andrew J. Campa, reporter
Carlos Lozano, news editor

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