So-Cal Summer Send Off: Local Gems to Explore Before the Seaon Ends

August 20, 2025

By Laurie Hanson

Create new memories before summertime ends by exploring unique places and activities in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Whether visiting local museums, beaches, or going on harbor cruises, horseback riding in the hills, picnicking at a local park, camping, or fishing, a wide variety of affordable adventures await close to home.

Los Angeles County is home to both the Getty Villa in Malibu and the Getty Museum in the Sepulveda Pass. Admission is free, but a timed-entry reservation is required. Parking is $20 per vehicle at the Getty Villa and $25 per vehicle at the Getty Museum. Hours for the Getty Villa are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Tuesdays. The Getty Museum is open Tuesday to Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and closed on Mondays.

At the Getty Villa, visitors can enjoy “stepping into the Ancient world of Greek and Roman art, tranquil gardens, and cool ocean breezes.” The site offers firsthand views of stunning architecture and sculptures from the period. The featured exhibition, The Kingdom of Pylos: Warrior-Princes of Ancient Greece, runs through January 2026. Guests will “encounter the latest discoveries from Messenia, an epicenter of Mycenaean civilization in Late Bronze Age Greece, displayed for the first time outside Europe. Archaeology and cutting-edge science reveal the world of the Griffin Warrior, whose grave held offerings of incomparable artistry. Regal burials in monumental tombs reflect a society that came to be ruled by the Palace of Nestor in ancient Pylos. Inscribed clay tablets and vivid wall paintings document the final years of a powerful kingdom,” according to www.getty.edu/exhibitions/.

Currently on display until September at the Getty Museum in the Sepulveda Pass is Lines of Connection: Drawing and Printmaking. Since the 15th century in Europe, drawing and printmaking have evolved in unison. “This major loan exhibition tells the story of how artists worked creatively on paper, crossing boundaries between media and challenging traditions. Bringing the exhibition’s themes to the present, a display of L.A.-based artist Toba Khedoori’s works examines how drawing and printmaking intersect in her practice,” according to www.getty.edu/exhibitions/lines-of-connection/.

Another place of wonder is the Huntington Library, Museum, and Gardens in Pasadena. The lush, well-kept grounds include a Japanese garden with koi ponds, a rock sculpture garden, English-style manicured gardens, and a Desert Southwest garden. It’s an ideal picnic spot, open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Tuesdays. The address is 1151 Oxford Road in San Marino. The Huntington Library itself—referred to by staff as the “research museum”—is closed for another two years.

Summertime isn’t complete without a beach visit. San Pedro’s Cabrillo Beach offers an aquarium museum, touch pools, tide pools, and beaches ideal for swimming or surfing. Hiking trails in the area provide ocean and landscape views. Admission is free, and parking is $1 per vehicle. Cabrillo Beach is located at 3800 Stephen M. White Dr., San Pedro.

San Pedro also hosts remnants of the old Ports O’Call Village, now mostly demolished for redevelopment. The LA Waterfront Sportfishing, San Pedro Fish Market, and Crusty Crab remain open. Harbor cruises, whale watching, and sportfishing trips depart from LA Waterfront Cruises, and fresh seafood can be grilled to order at the San Pedro Fish Market.

In Orange County, the San Clemente Pier offers ocean views and restaurants, including The Fisherman’s Restaurant Bar and Grill, plus Italian, Mexican, and Japanese dining nearby.

From the beach, Southern Californians can reach the mountains in a couple of hours. Big Bear offers ziplining, off-road adventures, kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and the Discovery Visitor’s Center. There’s also an Alpine Slide, shops, restaurants, and year-round cabin rentals. More at www.bigbear.com.

Two more Orange County gems are O’Neill Park and Irvine Lake. O’Neill Regional Park spans 4,500 acres in Trabuco and Live Oak Canyons, with wooded areas, creeks, chaparral-covered hills, picnic areas, horseshoe pits, turf areas, playgrounds, and more than 23 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The Arroyo Campground offers 79 campsites for RVs or tents, eight large group sites, and five equestrian sites. Fees range from $15 to $20 per night, with additional fees for utilities and extra vehicles. Reservations can be made online, by phone, or in person at 949-923-2260.

Irvine Lake offers fishing Fridays through Sundays for bass, catfish, trout, carp, bluegill, crappie, and sturgeon. Parking is $5, and gates open at 7 a.m. ADA transport can be arranged with 24 hours’ notice. Dogs are not permitted, and California fishing regulations apply. Irvine Lake is located at 4621 E. Santiago Canyon Rd., Silverado.