Exploring the Netherlands: Amsterdam, Utrecht, Hoorn, Haarlem, and Delft

 

The Netherlands is one of the easiest countries in Europe to explore without renting a car. The train system is excellent, the cities are close together, and just about everywhere you go has beautiful canals, historic buildings, great museums, and plenty of restaurants and bars. It's also one of the best countries in Europe for riding bikes, with miles of paved trails that are separated from traffic.

For this trip, I'd recommend using Amsterdam as your main base and taking day trips to Haarlem, Hoorn, and Utrecht before finishing with two nights in Delft. You can see four or  five very different cities without spending half your vacation traveling between hotels.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the obvious place to start because there's so much to see. I'd spend several days exploring the historic center, walking along the canals, and visiting some of the major museums. The Rijksmuseum is one of the best art museums in Europe, with famous paintings by Rembrandt and Vermeer. The Van Gogh Museum is a must-see. I would recommend skipping the tour of the Anne Frank house and just view it from the outside.

There are also some beautiful historic churches, including the Oude Kerk, Nieuwe Kerk, and Westerkerk. Vondelpark is a great place to rent bikes and enjoy some green space in the middle of the city. I'd also recommend taking a canal cruise, preferably on one of the smaller boats. You get a completely different view of Amsterdam from the water.

Amsterdam has some excellent bars, particularly if you enjoy beer. Proeflokaal Arendsnest is one of my favorites because it specializes in Dutch beers and you can hang out with the locals. De Drie Fleschjes is another great little historic bar where you can try traditional Dutch jenever. Both are absolutely worth checking out.

If you want to get away from the crowded center, rent bikes and ride north toward Waterland. There are some beautiful little villages, farmland, canals, and windmills just outside Amsterdam. The Netherlands has an incredible network of paved bike paths, so you can ride for miles without having to deal with much vehicle traffic.

Haarlem

Haarlem is only about 15–20 minutes from Amsterdam by train, making it an easy day trip. It's a smaller city with a beautiful historic center, canals, old churches, and plenty of restaurants. The Grote Markt is the main square, surrounded by historic buildings and outdoor cafés. You can order fresh seafood from the stalls in the square. 

One of the biggest attractions is St. Bavo's Church, which has an enormous historic pipe organ that Mozart once played. The Frans Hals Museum is worth visiting if you enjoy Dutch art, and the Teylers Museum is one of the oldest museums in the Netherlands. It has a really interesting collection of paintings, fossils, and old scientific instruments.

I'd also recommend renting bikes in Haarlem and riding west toward Zuid-Kennemerland National Park. There are paved bike trails running through forests and sand dunes all the way to the North Sea. You can ride out to Bloemendaal aan Zee, grab a drink at one of the beach cafés, and then head back to Haarlem. It's a great way to combine sightseeing with a scenic bike ride.

Hoorn

Hoorn is another easy day trip from Amsterdam, about 30–40 minutes away by train. It's a historic harbor town on the Markermeer, with beautiful old buildings, narrow streets, and a waterfront that looks much different from Amsterdam.

The town was once an important port for the Dutch East India Company, and you can still see much of that maritime history in the architecture around the harbor. The Westfries Museum is one of the major historic attractions, although you should check its renovation status before visiting. St. Janskerk and the old harbor area are also worth exploring.

One of the best things to do in Hoorn is simply walk along the waterfront and through the historic center. There are plenty of outdoor cafés and restaurants where you can stop for lunch or a beer. You can also rent bikes and ride along the waterfront toward Enkhuizen. If you enjoy trains and boating, check out the historic steam train and museum ship experience between Hoorn, Medemblik, and Enkhuizen. It's a fun way to see some of the smaller towns and countryside.

Utrecht

Utrecht is about 25–30 minutes from Amsterdam by train and is one of my favorite stops on this route. The city has a beautiful medieval center with canals, massive churches, and some of the most interesting waterfront restaurants in the Netherlands.

What makes Utrecht different is that many of the restaurants and cafés are located directly along the water, below street level. You can walk along the Oudegracht canal and stop for food or drinks right beside the boats. It's a great atmosphere, particularly in the afternoon and evening.

The Dom Tower is the city's most famous landmark, and you can climb it for some incredible views. The nearby Domkerk is a beautiful Gothic cathedral with a peaceful cloister garden. Museum Speelklok is another interesting attraction, with a collection of historic mechanical musical instruments.

If the weather is good, I'd recommend renting a kayak or small electric boat and exploring the canals. Utrecht also has some nice parks, including Wilhelminapark, and plenty of paved bike paths if you want to explore beyond the historic center.

Delft

I'd finish the trip with two nights in Delft. It's one of the prettiest smaller cities in the Netherlands, and I think it's worth staying overnight rather than visiting for just a few hours. The historic center is compact, with beautiful canals, old churches, small bridges, and plenty of restaurants within walking distance.

The main square, called the Markt, is one of the most impressive in the country. The enormous Nieuwe Kerk dominates one end, while the historic City Hall sits at the other. You can visit the church and climb the tower for some fantastic views. The nearby Oude Kerk is another must-see, with its noticeably leaning bell tower and the tomb of Johannes Vermeer.

Delft is famous for its blue-and-white pottery, and you can visit Royal Delft to see how it's made. The Vermeer Centrum is also worth visiting if you're interested in the painter's life and work. Another great stop is the Oostpoort, a beautiful surviving medieval gate surrounded by canals.

For food and drinks, I'd definitely recommend Delfts Brouwhuis. It's a historic brewery and restaurant in an old building, with locally brewed beers and a great atmosphere. Delft is also a nice place to slow down a little, spend an afternoon wandering along the canals, and enjoy a couple of relaxed evenings before heading home.

Why This Route Works

One of the best things about this trip is that you can see so much without renting a car. Amsterdam makes an excellent base for exploring the surrounding towns, and the trains are fast, inexpensive compared with renting a car, and easy to use. You can usually get from one city to another in less than an hour. Round-trip flights from LAX to Amsterdam pop up for around $500 pretty frequently. 

I'd especially recommend this route for anyone who enjoys historic cities, large churches, art museums, boating, and biking. Each city has its own character, and there are plenty of opportunities to get outside on paved bike trails or spend an afternoon relaxing beside the canals.

The best time to visit is probably May, June, or September, when the weather is generally comfortable for walking and cycling. You get a great combination of history, architecture, food, nightlife, and outdoor activities without having to travel very far between destinations. If you enjoy exploring European cities on foot, this is an excellent way to spend eight days in the Netherlands.

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The Boynton Canyon Trail and Subway Cave in Sedona Arizona

 

Boynton Canyon Trail in Sedona Arizona

If you're visiting Sedona, Arizona, one of the best hikes in the area is Boynton Canyon Trail. It's located about 10–15 minutes outside downtown Sedona and roughly an hour from Flagstaff. The hike is approximately 6–7 miles round trip, depending on where you turn around, and takes about 3–4 hours to complete. It's considered a moderate hike, although most of the trail isn't particularly difficult. The scenery is fantastic, with massive red sandstone cliffs, beautiful desert landscapes, and some pretty incredible views of the surrounding mountains.

Getting to the trailhead is easy. Boynton Canyon Road is paved all the way to the parking lot, so you won't need a truck or SUV. Any regular car can make the drive. There's a decent amount of parking at the trailhead, along with additional roadside parking nearby, although it can fill up quickly on weekends. You'll generally need a Red Rock Pass or an accepted federal recreation pass to park. You can park a bit further down to avoid paying for parking, but that may have changed. The trail is also close to the Thunder Mountain trail system, so there are several other hiking options in the area if you want to explore more of Sedona.

There are also a couple of interesting caves in this area worth checking out. The most famous is Subway Cave, which is accessible from an unmarked side trail off Boynton Canyon Trail. It's an impressive rock formation that looks a little like a subway tunnel carved into the sandstone. This was our turn around point. Getting up into the cave requires some scrambling over steep rock, so it's not something everyone will want to attempt. Another popular destination nearby is Birthing Cave, a large cave with a spectacular view of the surrounding red rocks. Birthing Cave is actually off the neighboring Long Canyon Trail, rather than the main Boynton Canyon Trail, but it's close enough to visit while exploring the area. Both caves involve some steep, rocky sections, so be careful, especially near the exposed ledges.

Boynton Canyon is dog-friendly, which is another reason I recommend it. Dogs are allowed on the main trail as long as they're kept on a leash. Most of the hike is manageable for active dogs, although I wouldn't recommend taking them up the more difficult rock scrambles into the caves. The trail itself can be a little crumbly in spots, with loose rocks, uneven surfaces, and some narrow sections. I wouldn't recommend it for really small kids, people who have trouble walking on uneven ground, or older hikers with mobility issues. It's definitely not stroller-friendly. With that said, if you're reasonably active and have decent hiking shoes, most of the main trail shouldn't give you too much trouble.

One thing to keep in mind is the weather. Sedona can get really hot during the summer, and the exposed first half of this trail doesn't provide much protection from the sun. Bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and a hat. This is a great winter hike. Sedona generally has fairly mild winter weather compared to Flagstaff, and daytime temperatures can be perfect for hiking. You'll still want to check the forecast because it occasionally snows, and shaded sections can get icy. Spring and fall are also excellent times to visit, although you'll probably encounter more hikers.

After finishing the hike, I recommend stopping at The Hudson restaurant in Sedona. It's a little pricey, but the food and drinks are excellent, and they have a fantastic outdoor deck overlooking Sedona's red rock scenery. It's a great place to relax with a drink and something to eat after spending a few hours hiking. If you're making a full day out of your visit, another place worth checking out is nearby Slide Rock State Park in Oak Creek Canyon. It's one of the most popular attractions around Sedona, with beautiful canyon scenery, natural rock waterslides, and swimming areas. The water can be freezing during the winter, but it's still a beautiful place to walk around and take photos.

Boynton Canyon Trail Map 

Boynton Canyon Trail 

Subway Cave at Boynton Canyon 

Boynton Canyon Trail, Sedona Arizona

Boynton Canyon Trail 

The Subway Cave 

Boynton Canyon Trail, Sedona Arizona

Subway Cave in Sedona Arizona

The Subway Cave Sedona

Boynton Canyon Trail 

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Visiting Spain: An Easy and Affordable European Vacation

 

Plaza de Espana, Seville Spain

One of the great things about living in Southern California is that you can find inexpensive round-trip flights to Europe from LAX in Los Angeles. I've booked round-trip flights to Madrid, Barcelona, Prague, Geneva, Rome, Venice, Paris, and Amsterdam for around $500. It's pretty common to find discounted flights if you book about six months in advance. I'll typically start checking in February for flights in September. I've flown several different airlines and never had any major issues. Iberia, Swiss, Lufthansa, and British Airways have all proven to be reliable.

So where should you go? It depends on what you want to do. If you've never been to Europe, I would probably recommend avoiding Paris for your first trip. I really enjoyed Paris, but it was more of a hassle than most European cities, and you're more likely to run into problems. You need to pre-purchase tickets for many attractions, there are lines for everything, there are scams to look out for, and it's crowded and huge. Alternatively, I found Madrid to be much less stressful. We never waited more than 15 minutes for anything in Madrid. We walked right into most churches and museums without a line. It was always easy to find a spot outside to sit down and eat. The weather is generally sunnier and more predictable in Spain, and people seemed to be friendlier and more helpful. Madrid is also connected to Spain's excellent high-speed train network. You can catch a train and visit a ton of other awesome cities like Toledo, Córdoba, Seville, Málaga, Segovia, and Barcelona. Salamanca is another great option, although the train connections aren't quite as convenient.

If you had 10 days to travel, I would recommend going in late September. The weather is usually still warm, but you're avoiding some of the extreme summer heat. You can fly in and out of Madrid, spending three nights in Madrid, two nights in Córdoba, and three nights in Seville before taking the train back to Madrid for your final night. You won't need to rent a car for any of this trip. All three cities have walkable historic centers, and the high-speed trains make getting between them really easy.

Madrid is a great place to start because there's so much to see within walking distance. The Royal Palace is enormous and one of the most impressive buildings in Spain. Right next to it is the Almudena Cathedral, which is worth visiting. You can walk through Plaza Mayor, explore the old streets around Puerta del Sol, or spend a few hours at Retiro Park, which has beautiful gardens, fountains, and a large lake. You can even rent bicycles near the park and ride around its paved paths, which is a great way to see everything. Madrid also has some of the best museums in Europe, including the Prado Museum, with famous paintings by Goya, Velázquez, and El Greco. Another museum worth visiting is the Reina Sofía, which houses Picasso's enormous painting Guernica. The painting depicts the horrors of war following the bombing of a Spanish town by German and Italian aircraft during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. It's one of the most famous war paintings in the world. Make sure to stop at Mercado de San Miguel, a beautiful historic market that operates like an upscale food court with dozens of vendors selling Spanish food, seafood, pastries, and drinks. My favorite spot in Madrid is the Chocolatería San Ginés, which has been serving its famous churros with thick hot chocolate since 1894. Madrid stays busy late into the evening, and there's always something going on.

Córdoba is only about two hours from Madrid by high-speed train, and it's one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. The biggest attraction is the Mosque-Cathedral, an enormous building that was originally a mosque and later converted into a Catholic cathedral. The interior is incredible, with hundreds of arches and columns. You can also explore the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, walk across the ancient Roman Bridge, and wander through the narrow streets of the old Jewish Quarter. Much of the historic center feels like you've stepped back hundreds of years. Córdoba is also famous for its huge stone walls, beautiful flower-filled patios, traditional Andalusian restaurants, and small plazas. It's a smaller city than Madrid or Seville, which makes it really easy to explore on foot. Two nights gives you plenty of time to see the main attractions without rushing.

Seville is about 45 minutes from Córdoba by high-speed train and is easily one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, and one of my top 5 favorite cties in the world. The historic center is packed with incredible architecture, enormous churches, narrow streets, and outdoor restaurants. The Seville Cathedral is one of the largest churches in the world, and you can climb the Giralda tower for fantastic views of the city. The cathedral is also filled with incredible artwork, including paintings by famous Spanish artists like Murillo, Goya, and Zurbarán. There are hundreds of historic paintings inside, making it almost like visiting an art museum inside an enormous cathedral. You can also see the tomb of Christopher Columbus. Right next door is the Royal Alcázar, a beautiful palace complex with gardens, fountains, and detailed Moorish architecture. Plaza de España is another place you shouldn't miss. It's a massive semicircular plaza surrounded by beautiful buildings, bridges, and a canal. You can also walk along the Guadalquivir River, explore the old Santa Cruz neighborhood, or head across the river to Triana for restaurants, bars, and flamenco shows. Seville has excellent nightlife, and the streets and outdoor restaurants stay busy well into the night. Three nights is a good amount of time to explore the city and enjoy it without feeling rushed.

The best part about this route is that you're visiting three very different cities without spending a lot of time traveling between them. Madrid gives you the big-city experience with incredible museums, nightlife, and restaurants. Córdoba has a smaller, medieval atmosphere with some amazing historic buildings. Seville has a little of everything, with beautiful architecture, lively neighborhoods, and plenty to do at night. You can easily do the entire trip by train, and you won't have to worry about driving, parking, or renting a car. All 3 cities have affordable options for hostels, hotels and Airbnbs. I’ve had great luck using Airbnb in Spain and have stayed in some amazing places. For someone visiting Europe for the first time, I think this is one of the easiest and most enjoyable trips you can take.

 

10 Day Spain Route by Train

Guernica 

Cordoba Spain

The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

Cordoba Spain

Seville Spain

The Royal Palace of Madrid

The Royal Palace of Madrid

Real Basilica de San Francisco el Grande, Madrid

Royal Palace of Madrid

Madrid Spain

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Irvine's Hidden Network of Paved Bike Trails: One of Orange County's Best-Kept Secrets

San Diego Creek Trail, Irvine California

One of the most underrated things about living in Irvine California is the incredible network of paved bike trails that connects neighborhoods, parks, shopping centers and even the beach. Most people visiting Orange County probably have no idea these trails exist, but they're some of the best I've ridden anywhere in Southern California. You can ride for miles without dealing with traffic, stop at restaurants along the way and connect several trails together to make some pretty long loops. The best part is that almost everything is on dedicated paved paths completely separated from cars. Unlike a lot of bike trails in Southern California, Irvine's trail system isn't just a painted bike lane on the side of a busy road. These are actual paved trails with bridges, tunnels and underpasses that allow you to travel across much of the city without stopping at intersections. The trails are uncrowded and surrounded by some of the safest and nicest neighborhoods in Orange County. Many sections follow creeks or run through landscaped greenbelts with plenty of shade, making them much more comfortable during the warmer months.

 Jeffrey Open Space Trail

The Jeffrey Open Space Trail is one of my favorite sections of the entire network. The trail winds through beautiful landscaped parks, tree-lined pathways and residential neighborhoods, with several bridges and tunnels along the way. One of the biggest improvements is the newly completed pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Interstate 5, which makes it much easier to connect the northern and southern sections of the trail without having to navigate freeway entrances or busy streets. The JOST bridge over I5 is an awesome ride. The trail is wide, smooth and is entirely separated from vehicle traffic. It's also a great starting point for longer rides because it connects with other paved routes throughout Irvine, including the Hicks Canyon and San Diego Creek trail systems.

San Diego Creek Trail and Newport Back Bay

 The San Diego Creek Trail is probably the most useful trail in the network if you want to cover some serious distance. It follows the creek through Irvine, passing parks, residential neighborhoods, shopping centers and restaurants before eventually connecting with the Upper Newport Bay trail system. Much of the ride is surprisingly peaceful considering you're traveling through the middle of Orange County. There are long stretches where you barely notice the surrounding city, and the creek corridor has some shaded sections that help keep things cooler. The route eventually opens up around Newport Back Bay, where the scenery changes from landscaped neighborhoods to coastal wetlands, water views and open hillsides. The Back Bay trail is technically a road, but you’ll only see 2 or 3 cars at the most and the traffic generally moves slower than the bikes. The Back Bay Trail is the most scenic spot on the whole trail system.

Hicks Canyon  

The Hicks Canyon Trail is another great option, especially if you're looking for something quieter and more shaded. The trail runs through a greenbelt with mature trees, parks and residential areas. It connects with the Jeffrey Open Space Trail near Portola Parkway, making it easy to combine the two into a longer ride without having to spend much time on streets. There are typically a lot of people walking in Hick’s canyon, so you’ll have to slow down if you’re on an eBike. 

Shady Canyon
 If you're looking for more of a workout, the Shady Canyon Trail is worth checking out. This is one of the more scenic paved routes in Irvine, with some steep climbing through the hills near Shady Canyon. The climb can be challenging on a regular bike, but it's a lot of fun on an e-bike, and the views from the higher sections are fantastic. It's a completely different experience from the flatter creek trails and a good way to add some elevation to your ride. You can connect Shady Canyon to the Back Bay Trail by taking Bonita Canyon Road all the way around. Bonita Canyon Road has a nice sidewalk the entire way around until you reach Eastbluff road where it eventually links with the Mountain to Sea Trail. The Mountain to Sea trail gets descends from the sidewalk and becomes a real trail again. I'd look at the map before trying to link the Shady Canyon Trail to the Back Bay loop. 

Riding an E-Bike on Irvine's Trails

Another reason I like these trails so much is that you can enjoy them on an e-bike. The paved routes are great for electric bikes, especially if you want to cover 20 or 30 miles without getting completely exhausted. Most of the creek trails are relatively flat, while Shady Canyon gives you a chance to put the motor to work on some pretty serious hills. Irvine also has a 20 mph limit on sidewalks.  Generally, I ride 20mph on most of the paved trails and I slow down for pedestrians. I've never had an issue.

Riding from Irvine to Newport Beach and Huntington Beach 

One of the coolest things about this trail network is that you can actually ride all the way from Irvine to the beach. The easiest route I've found is to follow the San Diego Creek Trail toward Newport Back Bay, where you can continue around the bay on the Mountains to Sea Trail and eventually make your way onto Balboa Island. It's a beautiful ride, and you go from suburban neighborhoods and shaded creek paths to coastal wetlands and ocean views without having to spend much time riding alongside traffic. Getting from Back Bay to the actual beach is a little tricky because you do eventually have to deal with some regular streets and intersections. My favorite way is to cross Jamboree Road and Route 1 toward Balboa Island, ride through the island and take the Balboa Island Ferry across to the Balboa Peninsula. You can bring your bike right onto the ferry, and the short crossing is a fun part of the trip. The fare is $1.50 for a rider a bike each way. It takes about 5 minutes to cross. Once you're on the Balboa Peninsula, you're right in Newport Beach, with restaurants, shops and the ocean. You can continue north through Newport Beach toward Huntington Beach, where the coastal bike paths offer miles of riding with ocean views. From Huntington Beach, you can also connect to the Santa Ana River Trail, opening up another long route inland. It's pretty amazing how far you can travel on a bike through Orange County when you start connecting these different trail systems.

 Plenty of Options for Loops, Food and Longer Rides

What makes Irvine's trails so much fun is that you're not limited to riding one path out and back. There are several ways to combine Jeffrey Open Space, Hicks Canyon, Walnut Trail, Peters Canyon, Shady Canyon and San Diego Creek into longer rides. You can put together a shorter neighborhood loop, spend a couple of hours exploring Irvine or make a full day out of riding to Newport Beach and back. Some connections still require street crossings or short on-road sections, but much of the network is made up of dedicated paths. Another great thing is how easy it is to find somewhere to eat. You're riding through a city with hundreds of restaurants, coffee shops and shopping centers, and many are just a short detour off the trail. You can stop for lunch, grab a coffee or take a break without having to drive anywhere. That combination of paved trails, safe neighborhoods, beautiful parks and convenient food stops is pretty hard to find in most cities.

Why I Think These Are Some of Orange County's Best Bike Trails

I've ridden a lot of paved bike trails, and Irvine's network is one of my favorites because of how everything connects. You can ride through shaded parks, quiet neighborhoods, scenic canyons and coastal wetlands, all on the same trip. The trails are well maintained, generally not too crowded and offer plenty of options whether you want an easy afternoon ride or something much longer. Irvine has more than 113 miles of off-street bikeways, which is pretty impressive for a single city.

Newport Back Bay Trail

Irvine California Paved Bike Trail Map

Bosque Trail, Irvine California

Mike Ward Park, Irvine California

San Diego Creek Trail in Irvine

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8 Affordable Ski Resorts within 7 hours of Orange County California

Living in Southern California, there are actually quite a few places you can get to for a ski weekend without spending Mammoth prices. Two that I really like for completely different reasons are Arizona Snowbowl and Mountain High.

Arizona Snowbowl — Flagstaff, Arizona

Snowbowl Ski Resort Arizona

One of my favorite things about skiing Arizona Snowbowl is that the trip is about more than just the skiing. Flagstaff is a really fun town to stay in, with a lot of mom and pop restaurants, local breweries, and some fun dive bars. Everything in the downtown area of Flagstaff is walkable. You're also close enough to Sedona and the Grand Canyon that you can turn a ski weekend into a much bigger trip. You can ski one day, explore Flagstaff at night and spend a day hiking in Sedona. It’s pretty typical to see daytime temps between 50-60 degrees in the winter in Sedona. It’s a great place to hike with your dog as most of the trails around Sedona are dog friendly.

The drive is a big part of what makes the trip so cool. You're driving through the desert and then suddenly climbing into pine forests and snow-covered mountains. There aren't many ski trips where you get that combination of desert scenery and good winter powder skiing, and the views from Snowbowl are pretty unique. On a clear day, you're standing on a snowy mountain looking out over the high desert of northern Arizona. It doesn't really look like skiing in California, Colorado or Utah. They also get more snow than just about any ski resort in the US, typically over 250 inches of snow per year.

Another huge advantage is the price. If you ski during the week and plan ahead, lift tickets can sometimes be as low as $10. That's almost unheard of anymore for a real ski resort. We paid $17 a day for lift tickets for a 3 day trip in February 2026, and they credited back $10/day per ticket that was good in the resort for any purchase, effectively making the lift tickets $7.

For me, Snowbowl is one of the best affordable ski road trips from Southern California because you get a lot more than just a day on the mountain. You get skiing, a fun town, great scenery, a beautiful drive and some amazing places like Sedona and the Grand Canyon nearby. We usually break the trip up and stay a day in Vegas along the way.

Mountain High — Wrightwood, California

Mountain High is my favorite local ski resort. The biggest advantage is how close it is. From Orange County, you can be at the mountain in roughly 90 minutes when traffic cooperates. You don't need to book a hotel. You can wake up, drive up, snowboard all day and still sleep in your own bed that night. I’ve actually snowboarded at Mountain High and gone to the beach on the same day.

Mountain High also has more of a snowboard vibe than a lot of ski resorts. There are features and jumps all over the mountain. You’ll find all kinds of crazy stuff on the mountain. My favorite spot is the school bus they buried and turned into a jump. It's the kind of place where a lot of people go to ski a couple runs and then spend the rest of the day outside drinking beer watching people hit the jumps.

The weather is another thing I really like about Mountain High. Southern California ski weather can be amazing. I’ve snowboarded at Mountain High in March when the weather hit 60 degrees on the mountain. It’s a vibe to see people in shorts on the mountain.

Mountain High isn't the biggest ski resort you're going to visit, but that's really not the point. What makes it great is the convenience and the atmosphere. You can leave Orange County in the morning, be snowboarding a couple of hours later, have a beer while watching people hit the terrain park and still be home that night without spending hundreds of dollars on hotels and travel.

Snowbowl is the one I'd choose when I want a real weekend road trip with skiing and other things to explore. Mountain High is the one I choose when I just want to snowboard. They're completely different mountains, but both show that you don't have to drive all the way to Mammoth or spend a fortune to have a really fun ski trip from Southern California.



8 Affordable Ski resorts near Orange County






Snowbowl Arizona

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