Schulte-Peevers Andrea - Lonely Planet Los Angeles, San Diego & Southern California

Think of SoCal as one huge, heavily laden table, passionately prepared by forward-thinking chefs and artisan purveyors. At one end is San Diego and its incomparable fish tacos, at the other Santa Barbara and its luscious bottles of red. In between is a cornucopia of flavors, textures and thrills: decadent red-wine burgers in a pocket-sized Hollywood bistro, freshly steamed crab by the South Bay surf, fragrant pho (Vietnames noodle soup) in a loud, proud OC throwback. Whether youre hankering for freshly made tamales at a proper panaderia (Mexican-style bakery) or cognoscenti pastas in a slinky downtown warehouse, SoCal delivers. Dig in!

Arts & Architecture

A bull's-eye for many of the world's leading actors, writers, musicians, artists and designers, SoCal explodes with inimitable creative energy. Heart of the action is LA, home to many of America's richest, riskiest and most innovative art collections, influential live-music venues and comedy clubs, and a slew of laterally thinking neighborhoods jammed with grassroots galleries, artisan studios and street art. Not enough inspiration for you? Turn your attention to SoCals architecture. Spanning everything from Spanish-flavored missions and art-deco theaters to modernist prototypes and cutting-edge concert halls, its an eclectic mash-up unmatched anywhere in the country.

Channel Islands National Park | TOMAS TICHY / SHUTTERSTOCK

By Cristian Bonetto, Writer

The list is long and varied: warm winter sun and coastal drives, modernist homes and Hollywood lore, martinis and wildflowers in the desert. Despite the plastic clichs, LA is one of the world's great cultural cities, home to exceptional art collections, world-shaking architecture and a kaleidoscope of cultures. And when I tire of it all (rarely), lush mountain retreats and arid landscapes, Santa Barbara wineries and San Diego's cult-status fish tacos are all within driving distance. As a child I longed to be a part of this place. As an adult, I get to live the dream.