Calaveras County: Still hopping to it

Calaveras County: Still hopping to it

Twain's 'Jumping Frog' legend continues to draw thousands to watch amphibians take a leap, and to enjoy a deep-fried Twinkie or two.

Nicaragua: A hike up the active volcano Concepcion

Nicaragua: A hike up the active volcano Concepcion

The crawl up the cloud-shrouded terrain seemed ominous from afar. She was about to face the reality.

Three older women tackle Mt. Whitney

Three older women tackle Mt. Whitney

At ages 65 and 70, the 'Buddies' put one foot in front of the other — about 15,000 times.

Nevada: The landscape burns bright in the Valley of Fire

Nevada: The landscape burns bright in the Valley of Fire

The red rock, sculpted and chiseled, is plenty dramatic. Then there are the petroglyphs.

Spotlights from the Los Angeles Times

Siobhan unplugged

Siobhan unplugged

Get to know this ex-idol through her candid, tell-all Q&A.

Get the news first

Get the news first

Be in the know with breaking news texts sent to your phone.

Los Angeles Times Magazine: KobeÂ’s white hot

Kobe's white hot

Order your collectible copy of our magazine today.

Free personality quiz

Free personality quiz

Amazingly accurate, it uses images to read your mind.




TRAVEL MARKETPLACE Advertisement




Travel Guides

Hotel Figueroa, former Holiday Inn respond differently to high-end downtown neighbors

Hotel Figueroa, former Holiday Inn respond differently to high-end downtown neighbors

Say you're a hotelier in downtown Los Angeles. And in the spring of 2010, a fancy new Marriott and Ritz-Carlton land in your front yard....

J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton liven downtown L.A.

J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton liven downtown L.A.

Maybe the recession is really and truly over now. After all, a thousand and one hotel rooms have just bloomed in downtown Los Angeles amid...

Gascony, France: Flavorful experiences are on the menu at Camont’s cooking school

Gascony, France: Flavorful experiences are on the menu at Camont’s cooking school

"I was looking for a good place to park my boat" is how Kate Hill, an American woman who grew up in Southern California, explains what...

San Francisco: The rolling transit museum known as the F line

San Francisco: The rolling transit museum known as the F line

The green-and-gold tram trundled down the road, a small Australian flag hanging out the driver's window. I stared in amazement,...

Tours & cruises: Half Moon Bay Inn offers relaxing getaway

Tours & cruises: Half Moon Bay Inn offers relaxing getaway

HALF MOON BAY, CALIF.

Cruising for trouble? Reader responses

Cruising for trouble? Reader responses

The April 25 On the Spot column featured a letter from Stan Pebsworth of La Cañada Flintridge, who was unable to get to his cruise departure...

Las Vegas resorts want their guests to take the plunge

Las Vegas resorts want their guests to take the plunge

As Danish tourists Benjamin Jensen and Peter Andersen get a tutorial in blackjack, the pit boss at Caesars Palace isn't concerned that they'...

Las Vegas calendar for May

Las Vegas calendar for May

May 6-26

Walking in Holden Caulfield's footsteps through Manhattan

Walking in Holden Caulfield's footsteps through Manhattan

Holden Caulfield was a flâneur. That's not generally how we think of him, this archetype of adolescent alienation, this detester...

Volcano expedition is a chopper ride to remember

Volcano expedition is a chopper ride to remember

I could see a river of flame below me, a glowing red lava tube that sliced across the jagged black landscape of Hawaii Volcanoes National...

It's not all about the beach on Kauai

It's not all about the beach on Kauai

Visitors to Kauai who venture beyond the beach may be rewarded with a few hours in a town where time has slowed, at a Hindu monastery...

The keeper of the flame in Maui

The keeper of the flame in Maui

I would rather eat paste than poi, and I hate buffet lines, so I thought I wasn't the luau type. Family-style service, upscale Hawaiian fare...

From Oahu to Kauai by catamaran

From Oahu to Kauai by catamaran

As with many adventure stories, this one started in a bar. Sipping a post-work CoCoNut Porter at the Yard House in Waikiki with Jim —...

Fresno County Fruit Trail offers a fresh bounty of sweetness

Fresno County Fruit Trail offers a fresh bounty of sweetness

The last of the fragrant fruit blossoms is gone, their pink-and-white petals scattered across the orchards that nestle among the verdant...

North of Sicily, Salina erupts with calm beauty

North of Sicily, Salina erupts with calm beauty

I can stop looking now. I've found my dream island.

Travel Briefs

Readers recommend: Website features weekend getaways for families

I found a great website, http://www.fun4thewholefamily.com, that recommends local weekend...

Letters: On the heels of Holden Caulfield

On the heels of Holden Caulfield

Your Scene: Veil of cloud and light over Hanalei

While driving along the north coast of Kauai, Glenn Gilbert and his wife, Cambra, pulled over and looked back toward Hanalei. "I was...

Readers recommend: About Scotland tour company

Just took a great day tour in Glasgow, Scotland, with the About Scotland tour company. The wonderful driver, Ian, took five of us in a...

Letters: Don't miss the deals in south of Big Island

More sweet deals on the Big Islands

Your Scene: Cook Islands' dreamy hues

The colors of the Cook Island captivated Adam Stoneman of Orange, who took this during his honeymoon last year with his wife, Amber. The...

Readers recommend: La Bella Roma restaurant in Cathedral City

I discovered La Bella Roma, a family-operated restaurant tucked in a corner of a strip mall off Ramon Road in Cathedral City (near Palm...

Letters: A G-rated solution to films on planes

A G-rated solution to films on planes

Your Scene: Comfort in Santa Monica Mountains

Reader John Sundahl of Woodland Hills insists that you don't have to travel far for a great travel photo. He took this shot of an orphaned...