Day Tripping: Pick a Destination Out of a Hat

Wednesday, August 20, 2014 1 No tags 1

There are those days when you just have to get out of town and get some wind in your hair. I almost typed WINE in your hair, but maybe that works too since it comes right back to the same type of feeling. I needed a break and I didn’t want to have to plan anything. I just wanted to go.

Picking_A_Destination_Out_of_a_Hat

On a Saturday, I asked my social media pals what their favorite destinations were within two hours of Los Angeles. I got a few recommendations of spots I had already been to, but several places I had never visited, and the new landscapes were the ones I wanted to see. I wrote every single new-to-me destination on pieces of scrap paper and threw them in a hat. The next day, I woke up early and picked one. Looked like I would be headed to Lake Arrowhead!

I spent about 30 minutes looking at possible places to eat and activities to do, asking a few friends for recommendations of hikes and cool things to see. I packed a hat, a bikini, a towel and some water and hit the road.

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I ate some mediocre tacos and drank a margarita by the lake and then made my way towards Aztec Falls, a hidden swimming hole about a half mile down a trail in Deep Creek canyon. I got a little confused trying to find it, but I asked people along the trail and just followed the sound of joyous beer-drinking people (and completely freaked out people jumping off cliffs). As Type A as I am, it feels good to get lost and not know where you’re going sometimes.

I truly had a great day. I gave myself time to explore and wander around, stopping at another lake, some hole in the wall authentic restaurants/shops/bars and even Twin Peaks (!) on the way home. I highly recommend you give this whole thing a try, wherever you are. It’s a cheap, easy and fast way to get a mini vacation and step outside of your usual routine!

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