The iconoclastic architect Mickey Muennig gave the Big Sur region its signature flowing architecture. One of his most celebrated homes sits at the lip of a canyon, enveloped by oak and Monterey pines, on the Monterey Peninsula. See pictures 👇️ www.californiasun.co/newsletter/s...

If you ever wanted to feel like you're in the end times, step off a train at the Palm Springs Amtrak Station. A salmon-colored structure is surrounded by mounds of sand like snow drifts. No staff, no ticket booth, and no connecting transportation of any kind. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/s...

Grace Cathedral in San Francisco is the third largest Episcopal cathedral in the U.S. and among the most elegant religious buildings of any faith. Now you can fly through a 3D rendering of the landmark thanks to a remarkable software project. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/t...

The prospect of Kamala Harris becoming the Democratic presidential nominee in 2028 has filled many senior party officials with dread. But the former vice president has been leading in polls of prospective candidates, usually by double digits. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/s...

During an outing in Monterey Bay on Sunday, a group of whale watchers got a rare show as a family of seven orcas attacked a pod of dolphins, using ramming strikes that launched both predator and prey out of the water. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/m...

In the middle of a roundabout in northeast Los Angeles, a collection of nine massive granite sculptures etched with human faces call to mind the ruins of Stonehenge. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/w...

The Diablo Range, stretching along the edge of the Bay Area, was featured in the 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year competition. Chengming Liu was honored for this picture of the hills at their greenest after a winter of abundant rain. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/d...

When the photographer Shelby Duncan arrived to Los Angeles in the late 2000s, her home in the Hollywood Hills became a gathering place for a revolving cast of musicians, filmmakers, and other fellow artists. For six years, she documented everything. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/w...

In Yosemite Valley, the Trump administration’s elimination of the summer reservation system has produced hourslong traffic jams and jockeying for space to walk. The chaos, critics say, is demoralizing staff, threatening wildlife, and damaging the park. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/w...

An analysis of 1.5 million reviews of hikes in the Bay Area provided by AllTrails yielded a definitive ranking. No. 1: Marin County’s Dipsea Trail to Steep Ravine Trail Loop. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/b...

Melt-in-your-mouth beef tartare in the Santa Ynez Valley. Lobster risotto along a dramatic cliff above the Pacific. And chocolate truffles from California’s kitschiest hotel. Here's a food itinerary along a road trip from Los Angeles to Big Sur. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/b...

“The revolution has made it quite permissible for even the most proper women to appear on public beaches in costumes which used to be seen only in the rowdiest cabarets.” In 1945, a LIFE magazine photographer set out to document the latest swimwear fashions. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/d...

California, albeit massive, is a walker’s paradise. According to the popular walkability index Walk Score, the state is home to 34 cities that rate as “very walkable” or better. The most walkable of all is West Hollywood. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/t...

The Eastern Sierra is home to the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S., some of the prettiest lakes anywhere, and trees that sprouted when mammoths still roamed the earth. There’s also a stuffed “two-headed lamb.” www.californiasun.co/newsletter/e...

In 2024, a young software engineer arrived in Sonoma County with renderings of a utopian village that she wanted to build along a bend of the Russian River. As officials prepare to formally consider the plan, some locals are energized by the idea. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/s...

Architectural Digest curated the best Joshua Tree Airbnbs for communing with nature, including this desert house that includes an outdoor stargazing globe and a telescope. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/p...

The Santa Cruz stonemason Michael Eckerman, a son of the 1970s back-to-the-land movement, uses river rocks to create chimneys, walls, and arches fit for a world imagined by J.R.R. Tolkien. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/e...

Sonoma County’s Bohemian Highway, a winding two-lane corridor, stretches just 10 miles, but its diversions could easily fill an entire weekend: a landscape of redwoods, pastures, vineyards, and the lazy Russian River. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/r...

WILD TURKEY ALERT: One recently attacked an 83-year-old woman in Alameda. The birds have strutted through Northern California suburbs since the 1950s, when they were introduced for recreational hunting. But they're notorious for acting out during mating season. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/r...

"Foggy Night. Took it from Columbus Ave, facing toward Russian Hill." via San Francisco Subreddit www.reddit.com/r/sanfrancis...

Mendocino County is 100 miles of rugged coast, rolling vineyards, and hamlets so remote they created their own dialect. One weekend adventure is a working farm with 11 Scandinavian-style fishing cottages on 9 acres abutted by forest and sea. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/r...

For the past year or so, Visit California has been publishing video vignettes of the state’s most charming towns: Oakhurst, Petaluma, Lake Arrowhead Village, and more. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/m...

Years ago, Los Angeles began replacing its warm amber streetlights with cold white LEDs. Now a backlash is growing. In a city famous for its soft glow, an increasing number of streets have come to feel like prison yards when the sun goes down. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/t...

Under Lake Berryessa in Napa County lie the foundations of the little farming town of Monticello, which was flooded in 1957 to slake the thirst of a growing state. The town's final images, in part taken by the famed photographer Dorothea Lange, are now public. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/v...

It was 50 years ago this month that wines from Napa Valley outmatched the finest French bottles in a blind tasting that shocked the wine world. The "Judgment of Paris" on May 24, 1976, helped jump-start what had been a backwater agricultural community. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/c...

Jordan Lucas, a Cal State Northridge volleyball player, has become an internet sensation thanks to viral video of his eccentric celebrations. After winning plays, Lucas, who is gay, sways his hips, whips his head, and wags his finger in the air. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/o...

A new glamping resort outside Yosemite National Park has a cafe, communal fire pit, and 70 safari-style tents with king-size beds and hot showers on 80 forested acres. It claims to be the first resort in California to receive a DarkSky Lodging certification. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/o...

This is so cool. www.sfgate.com/california-m...

The weather looked ominous the day that a German man planned to pop the question to his girlfriend in Yosemite. The photographer he hired to capture the moment suggested they postpone. But he insisted. The result made the photographer's jaw drop. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/m...

Marilyn Monroe would have turned 100 on June 1, and there are global plans for exhibits, film screenings, and parties to celebrate the Hollywood icon. www.californiasun.co/newsletter/t...