California Guides

I've lived in California for 4 years, and have explored most of the state. Shop my guides, itineraries, and maps below ⬇

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Southern California

🌴 Los Angeles

Michaela Rabinov

Available for hire

Venice Beach Eats and Drinks

This is an ongoing list of my favorite spots to eat and drink in Venice, CA. I lived in Venice for 2 years, and still return often. This funky area of Los Angeles has some amazing restaurants & a great vibe. Use the map function at the top right corner of this guide to see where each place is located while you're on the go! If you find this information helpful, any tips are appreciated for my work :)

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I'm so lucky to call this funky surf town in California home. Ventura is located between LA & Santa Barbara & has some great restaurants, surf, & more. Whether you're driving through or taking the time to explore, I highly recommend checking out some of my favorite spots.

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🌵 The Desert

Michaela Rabinov

Available for hire

Day Trip to Joshua Tree from Palm Springs

If you're looking for something fun to do on your trip to Palm Springs, consider taking a day trip to Joshua Tree! It's located about 50 minutes from Palm Springs & an excellent way to get your nature fix. This guide offers an itinerary with information about getting from Palm Springs to Joshua Tree, activities to do in the park, & a special spot to grab some food & drinks afterward! If you find this information helpful, any tips are appreciated for my work :)

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Itinerary

Michaela Rabinov

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Destination: Palm Springs

Located just 2.5 hours from LA, Palm Springs is the perfect desert vacation. Enjoy lounging by the pool at your boutique hotel, or house rental, a day trip to Joshua Tree, good food, shopping, the hot desert air, and more. If you find this information helpful, any tips are appreciated for my work :)

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Map

Michaela Rabinov

Available for hire

Destination: Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National Park is a desert & nature-lovers dream playground. With giant rock formations to climb on & really cool trees (cacti) to explore, it's one of the most unique landscapes in California. This guide holds map pins & information for all of my favorite spots, activities, hikes, hang-out spots, camp spots, & more in Joshua Tree. Unlock it to use on one big trip, or multiple small trips - choose your own adventure! This is a living map, meaning that every time I return to Joshua Tree & do something new, I'll add to it, and you'll get all of the updates automatically! If you find this information helpful, any tips are appreciated for my work :)

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⛰ The Mountains

Michaela Rabinov

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Big Bear Hikes and Bites

Angelenos most visited mountain destination, given it’s only a 2.5 hour drive from LA, Big Bear is the perfect weekend getaway (or day trip) if you’re looking to get some higher elevation into your life. During the winter, it’s a ski destination, but any other time of the year you can find some great hiking, food, and natural beauty. If you find this information helpful, any tips are appreciated for my work :)

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Central California

🏔 Eastern Sierras

Michaela Rabinov

Available for hire

The Best Eastern Sierra Road Trip stops

The Eastern Sierras are absolutely one of my favorite places to road trip in California. The drive is essentially the drive between LA and Tahoe - the scenic way - most of it happens on Highway 395. This is a drive I’ve done multiple times, each time stopping at some of the same points, and some different points. You’ll find incredible mountain vistas, hot springs, hiking, camping, and more! Use this as a guide for one or multiple trips. The stops are ordered from south to north and are all places that I have actually been to. This is a living guide meaning, each time I visit a new place that is worth mentioning, I’ll add it to this guide, and you’ll get the update automatically. If you find this information helpful, any tips are appreciated for my work :)

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Itinerary

Michaela Rabinov

Available for hire

The Best California Hot Springs

Hot springs are one of my favorite things to explore anywhere I am, and California has some amazing ones. Here’s an ongoing list of all the ones I’ve explored from SoCal to NorCal, and everywhere in between. Whenever I visit a new hot spring, I’ll add it to this list. This guide is ever-growing, meaning that I’ll keep updating it with new info and new hot springs whenever I have it. Once you’ve unlocked the guide, you’ll automatically have access to all of those updates. It also comes with info on how to get to each hot spring and an interactive map to help you along the way! If you find this information helpful, any tips are appreciated for my work :)

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Michaela Rabinov

Available for hire

Destination: Death Valley

Death Valley is one of the United States’ more underrated park. The park is vast with lots of different things to do so that you can visit it multiple times and do different things each time. The best time to visit is in the late Fall or early Spring, when the temperatures are moderate during the day, and it isn’t too cold at night. If you want to avoid the crowds, visit in the Summer, but be aware that during the day can reach up to 120 degrees. If you’re visiting during the summer, you’ll want to plan your trip so that you aren’t out in the heat during the middle of the day - perhaps go somewhere at a higher elevation, or where you can be indoors. If you find this information helpful, any tips are appreciated for my work :)

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🌊 Central Coast

Michaela Rabinov

Available for hire

San Luis Obisbo & the California Central Coast

A trip to California's Central Coast is pretty much always a good idea. Located about halfway between LA and San Francisco, San Luis Obisbo, or SLO, is the perfect weekend trip. Whether you're just planning on checking out the town or exploring the nearby areas, it's always worth spending some time here. This guide contains all of my personal recommendations for places to eat and things to do in the area that I have actually been to. In this guide you’ll get; - All of my favorite restaurants in SLO & the surrounding area. - Things to do in the area. - Multiple day trips from SLO, including my full-day trip guide to Morro Bay (a $5), and my full list of recommended stops in Big Sur (a $13 value). Enjoy :)

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This is one of my favorite places on the Central Coast. This little town has an amazing beach, the iconic haystack rock, and several cute eateries that are worth checking out (yes, amazing seafood too). It's maintained its old-timey coastal town vibe, and will definitely keep you coming back. This guide contains all of my personal recommendations for places to eat and things to do in the area that I have actually been to. With this Guide you’ll get: - A full day’s itinerary for visiting Morro Bay, including things to do & places to eat. - An interactive map to guide you! Enjoy!

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This is a map of all of my favorite spots in Big Sur, California including places to stay, viewpoints, hikes, dining, and more. Use this guide to know where to camp above the clouds, what stops to make along Hwy 1, and where to stretch your legs on the trails. Unlocking this guide will give you lifetime access to this map, including updates I will make each time I return. If you find this information helpful, any tips are appreciated for my work :)

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Map

Michaela Rabinov

Available for hire

The Best California Hot Springs

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🌲 Western Sierras

Sequoia in the Winter

Sequoia National Park is one of the more unique parks in California since it’s one of the only you can find as many giant sequoias in one place. It’s magical any time of year, but especially in the winter when the red bark of the trees contrasts with the white snow. There is less to do in the park during this time unless you cross-country ski or snowshoe, but you can easily fill a day or two just exploring what is easily accessible with regular boots, and taking in the magnificent trees. Make sure you bring tire chains, they won’t let you into the park without them. Use this guide to plan your own trip to see Sequoia National Park in the winter. It includes information on where to stay, eat, & what to do! If you find this information helpful, any tips are appreciated for my work :)

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Map

Michaela Rabinov

Available for hire

The Best California Hot Springs

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michaela Rabinov

Available for hire

👋🏼 I like adventures. 📍Oahu, Hawaii Hawaii-based Photographer & Travel Creator specializing in outdoors and boutique travel. My favorite type of trip is the kind where you camp one night and then stay in a cute boutique hotel the next because balance is important. I believe in planning enough to not waste any precious time but leaving space for serendipity. You never know what you might happen upon - no matter how many times I've been to a place, there's something new to explore hiding around the next corner Shop my curated Guides to build your own trip or check out my customized trip-planning services. I'm one of the original Thatch Travel Creators & have been planning trips for clients for over 4 years. I've planned awesome trips to places like Japan, Patagonia, the Southwest US, Hawaii, & more. If you're not sure if I can plan a trip to your destination, shoot me a message & we can chat! Note - if you’re here on your phone & you’re interested in booking my services, please visit my page on the web. You’ll find all the information there. DM me via Instagram (@michaelarabinov) or email me (michrabinov@gmail.com) to learn more or for inspo :)

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