Top 3 Weekend Escape Ideas for Cheap in Southern California

Everyone needs a good break from the stress of the week days. Few places is this more true than in sunny Southern California, as amidst the palm trees and ocean breezes, thousand of tired workers eagerly look forward to each weekend as a hiatus from their rat race lives. Here are three awesome and affordable weekend escape ideas for busy SoCal residents.

San Bernadino Mountains

The San Bernadino Mountains, just NE of the city of San Bernadino, offers a huge array of weekend activities for families and singles alike. Only a little over an hour drives from the Los Angeles area, the San Bernadino Mountains are a welcome sight for tourists and locals alike. Lakes in the area include Big Bear Lake, Silverwood Lake, and Arrowhead Lake, all popular fishing locations, often stocked with fish for the whole family to catch. Fishing is a great, cheap way to have some fun. Licenses are required but day passes can be purchased for very cheap, Skiing is popular often all the way up into April, including the ever well-liked Snow Valley, Snow Summit, Bear Mountain and other locations. It certainly feels odd to be able to ski when it is in the 80s only 30 minutes down the mountain, but this is the awesomeness that is Southern California. Hiking and backpacking opportunities abound throughout the entire mountain range, offering a very affordable, often basically free weekend outdoors activity.

Laguna Beach

While SoCal is replete with fun beaches, Laguna Beach really takes the cake. Set amidst beautiful hills and a rugged coast, this beach is just about an hour south east of Los Angeles. It is one of the nicest beaches along this part of the West Coast and often is not as crowded as some of the other beaches, particularly on days when other beaches are full. The cost to enter most of the spots is free, and if you can find a good parking spot you'll have a day at the beach for just the cost of the gas to get there! There is even a sweet free tram that will take visitors from the parking lots outside of town to the main parts of the town, and, of course, the beach. Fishing, surfing, swimming, sand castles, sunbathing and more awaits weekenders anxious to get away from the hustle and bustle of LA at Laguna Beach.

Griffith Park

This is one of the largest parks in the area at over 4,000 acres. It is open from 6 am to 10:30 pm and offers views of the famous Hollywood sign, has a bird sanctuary, many hiking and biking trails, has Ferndell Nature Museaum, the L.A. Zoo, the Griffith Observatory, a Greek Theater and much, much more. Entrance fee to parts of the park is free, making is a very affordable outing for the weekend. The views from the observatory are absolutely stunning and make for great panoramic shots (if the smog isn't too bad). Check out what is happening at the park today at www.laparks.org.