• Home
  • Start Here
    • Meet Lia & Jeremy
    • Podcast
    • Read These Posts
      • Our Year-Long Honeymoon
      • 30 Things Nobody Tells You About Quitting Your Job to Travel
      • 32 Things Nobody Tells You About Long Term Travel as a Couple
      • More Things Nobody Tells You…
      • Travel Stories & Fails
      • Personal Posts
      • Year in Review Posts
    • Contact Us & FAQs
    • About Practical Wanderlust
    • Our Mission Statement
  • Destinations
    • Browse All
    • Asia
      • Indonesia
      • Nepal
    • Canada
      • Banff
      • Quebec City
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • France
      • Germany
      • Italy
      • Norway
      • Spain
    • Latin America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Mexico
      • Peru
      • What to Pack for South America
      • 30 Things No One Tells You About Backpacking in South America
    • United States
      • The West
      • The West Coast
      • The Midwest
      • The South
      • The East Coast
      • USA National Parks
      • Disney
    • Virtual Vacations
      • Virtual Trip to Nepal
      • Virtual Beach Vacation
      • Disney World Virtual Tour
      • Universal Studios Virtual Tour
      • Hallstatt, Austria in the Winter
      • Norway in the Winter
      • Graz, Austria
  • Travel Tips
    • What to Pack
      • Travel Essentials We Bring on Every Trip
      • Hot Weather Packing Guide
      • Cold Weather Packing Guide
      • Camping Checklist
      • Beach Packing Guide
      • Best Women’s Travel Pants
      • Best Women’s Travel Shoes
      • Best Men’s Travel Pants
      • Best Men’s Travel Shoes
      • Travel Makeup & Beauty Packing Guide
      • Long Haul Flight Essentials
      • Destination Packing Lists
        • Backpacking Essentials for South America
        • Europe in the Winter Packing List
        • What to Pack for Disney
        • What to Pack for Bali
        • What to Pack for the Galapagos Islands
    • How to Plan a Trip
    • Travel Safety Tips
    • Travel Insurance Guide
    • Long Term Travel
      • How to Quit Your Job & Travel Book
      • Our Year-Long Honeymoon: What Happened … & How Much It Cost
      • 30 Things Nobody Tells You About Quitting Your Job to Travel
      • 25 Things We Never Asked for from Traveling the World for a Year
      • 32 Things Nobody Tells You About Long Term Travel as a Couple
      • What Not to Pack for Long Term Travel: 10 Things We Wish We Did & Didn’t Pack
    • Gift Guides
      • 30 Eco-Friendly Gifts for Travelers
      • 50 Perfect Gifts for Every Type of Travel Lover (& for Yourself)
      • 25 Gifts for Hikers Under $25
      • 6 Super Practical Gifts for Coffee Lovers who Travel
      • 28 Totally Ridiculous Travel Gifts (That You’ll Low-Key Want)
  • Blogging
    • 25 Things No One Tells You About Being a Full Time Travel Blogger
    • Income Reports
    • Pinterest Tips
    • Write for Us
    • Coaching & Mentoring
  • Work With Us
    • Work With Us
    • Press & Media
    • Write for Us
  • instagram
  • facebook
  • pinterest-alt
  • twitter
  • microphone
  • youtube

Practical Wanderlust

Off-Beat Travel Blog

Hiking & Outdoor Adventure, United States

42 Places to Go Whale Watching in California: The Ultimate Guide

October 9, 2020

Ah, whales: these majestic, enormous marine mammals have been immortalized in our culture in everything to Moby Dick to Finding Nemo. California is the best whale watching destination in the United States, with about 20,000 gray whales making their annual swim down the coast. In this post, you’ll discover the best destinations for whale watching in California, plus everything you need to know to plan your trip!

by Jeremy 
9 Comments
The ultimate guide to fall in california: fall foliage, pumpkin picking, apple orchards, grape stomping, and where to go for the best fall activities in California!
United States

The Ultimate Fall in California Guide: 21 Places to Go for Fall Foliage, Pumpkins, Apples, & More

August 28, 2020

Crisp autumn air. Crunchy leaves. Brightly colored foliage. Pumpkins, apples and spooky season – I love EVERYTHING about fall! Just one problem: we live in California, where October is obnoxiously hot and sunny. Thankfully, over the last decade I’ve learned where to find fall in California (and to ignore the fact that it’s also tarantula mating season). So here’s the ultimate guide to where to go for fall foliage, pumpkin picking, apple orchards, and a California specialty – grape stomping!

by Contributor 
2 Comments
This guide to the best Pacific Coast Highway road trip stops will help you plan your Highway 1 road trip up the California coast. Includes Pacific Big Sur, Monterey, Morro Bay, Mendocino, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara tidepools, redwoods, vineyards, beaches, waterfalls, where to stop, what to eat, things to do, California travel tips, and more!
United States

The 32 Best Pacific Coast Highway Stops: California Towns, Landmarks, & Restaurants

May 29, 2020

Sheer cliffs. Towering redwoods. Playful otters. Foggy beaches. Driving the Pacific Coast Highway is not only one of the best California road trips: it’s one of the best road trips in the world! And for Jeremy, it’s home: the Pacific Coast Highway runs through the middle of his hometown. Although we’ve driven Highway One dozens of times, on each road trip we stumble upon new hidden spots, points of interest, towns to explore, and restaurants to return to again and again. We’ve included them all in our massive guide to the best Pacific Coast Highway stops!

by Lia Garcia 
8 Comments
This 10-day California coast road trip itinerary covers all of our favorite Californian things: sunny beaches and foggy coastline, swaying palm trees and towering redwoods, playful otters and flomping elephant seals, fresh oysters and vintage wines - there's even a clothing-optional hot spring, if you're up for it. Here's everything you need to know about driving Highway One/the Pacific Coast Highway.
United States

The Ultimate 10-Day California Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary

May 8, 2020

Barking sea lions. Salty air. Waves crashing on critter-filled tidepools. Driving Pacific Coast Highway is the most beautiful road trip in the entire world (we’re biased, but it’s true). This massive 10-day California coast road trip itinerary covers all of our favorite Californian things: sunny beaches and foggy coastline, swaying palm trees and towering redwoods, playful otters and flomping elephant seals, fresh oysters and vintage wines – there’s even a clothing-optional hot spring, if you’re up for it. Here’s everything you need to know about driving Highway One (aka the Pacific Coast Highway)!

by Jeremy 
22 Comments
How to plan a Lake Tahoe winter trip on a budget, from Lake Tahoe ski resorts to what to do in Lake Tahoe other than skiing, and more!
Hiking & Outdoor Adventure, United States

How to Plan an Amazing Lake Tahoe Winter Trip (on a Budget)

Last Updated:   January 21, 2021

Snowy mountains. Powdery slopes. A shimmering alpine lake. Semi-creepy frontier history. Every year for the last 7 years, we’ve visited Lake Tahoe for a weekend of snowy fun, skiing, and hot tubbing! Although Lake Tahoe has a reputation for being pricey, it absolutely does NOT have to be! We’ve created the guide we wished we had when we moved here almost a decade ago, with ALL the things you need to know about planning a Lake Tahoe winter trip on a budget. From how to plan a trip to Lake Tahoe affordably, to which ski resorts to visit, to what to do if you don’t ski or snowboard, to all the things nobody tells you about visiting Lake Tahoe, this massive guide has everything you need! See you on the slopes this season *insert guitar riff and cringey 80’s ski montage here.*

by Lia Garcia 
Leave a Comment
12 rustic and outdoorsy things to do in the charming mountain village of June Lake, California! This Eastern Sierras getaway has some of the best fall foliage in the state, stunning scenery, skiing, snowboarding, fishing, hiking, hot springs, and more.
United States

12 Things to do in the Charming Mountain Town of June Lake, California

Last Updated:   January 21, 2021

Crisp mountain air. Shimmering lakes. Scenic drives. Colorful fall foliage. Welcome to June Lake, California: a rustic, quirky little mountain town in the high Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains packed with scenic trails, awe-inspiring views, and alpine lakes. This Eastern Sierras getaway has some of the best fall foliage in the state, plus skiing, snowboarding, fishing, hiking, hot springs, and more! Also, it’s kinda haunted, which we consider a major plus. Here’s 12 things to do in this charming mountain village getaway!

by Lia Garcia 
5 Comments
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next Page »
  • Contact Us & FAQs
  • Mission Statement
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

LIA WROTE A BOOK

Recent Posts

  • 15 Things to Do in Aarhus, Denmark – the “City of Smiles”
    Europe, Food & Drink Travel
  • Wondering where to stay in Paso Robles? Here's a roundup of the best Airbnbs in Paso Robles, from vineyard bungalows and olive farm ranch houses to Mermaid mansions.
    7 Stunning Airbnbs in Paso Robles, California: Where to Stay in Paso Robles
    Couple's Travel, United States
  • Things to do in Zion National Park, Utah, from hiking to stargazing! Plus, things to know before you go, where to stay at Zion, and more.
    9 Awe-Inspiring Things To Do in Zion National Park, Utah: The Ultimate Guide to Zion
    Hiking & Outdoor Adventure, United States

Copyright © 2021 practical wanderlust

Copyright © 2021

As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.