California
Trip Ideas|Small Towns

Visit The Friendliest Town In Southern California The Next Time You Need A Pick-Me-Up

Twentynine Palms, located near Joshua Tree National Park, is known for its outdoor murals, stunning sunrises and sunsets, and excellent stargazing opportunities.

Published Apr 15, 2022

Written by 

Spencer K. Schneider

Far out in the California desert, you can find Joshua Tree National Park, the national park that is famous for its dual ecosystems, scattered trees, and beautiful sunrises. If you are looking for a friendly town to visit, Twentynine Palms is located just outside of Joshua Tree National Park, and with a population of just over 25,000, it is a friendly small town that you could only find in the California desert.

Twentynine Palms is part of San Bernardino County and actually has one of the entry points to Joshua Tree National Park, so if you have ever been to the park, you probably crossed through Twentynine Palms.

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Pedro Szekely/flickr

One of our favorite things about these California desert cities are the sunrises and the sunsets. There's nothing quite like watching the sun silhouette the trees over the desert landscape.

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Buzz Houle/Google Local

Twentynine Palms is also well known for its large outdoor murals. Throughout this city, there are 26 outdoor murals, which have been painted on local buildings, that depict desert life.

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Wayne Salvatti/Google Local

Besides serving as an entrance to Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms also serves as an entrance to the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, which means that there are always new faces in town.

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Skowalski Hughes/Google Local

Exploring the town is also a blast. There's an old gold mine to explore; you can watch a cowboy shootout, or you can time your trip so you arrive during the annual Pioneer Days events.

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ap0013/flickr

Finally, stargazing is one of the best parts about Twentynine Palms, with some of the best views of the night sky in all of California.

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Pedro Szekely/flickr

 

Twentynine Palms is easy to get to no matter where in Southern California you are coming from, and once you are here, you'll definitely want to stay! Have you been to Twentynine Palms, California? What was your favorite part?

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Trip Ideas|Small Towns

This Blink-And-You’ll-Miss-It Town In Northern California Is So Worth Exploring

This tiny town in NorCal is a designated California Historical Landmark. Despite its small size, Coulterville is a place you'll want to visit!

Published Aug 26, 2024

Written by 

Kate Freeman

This Mariposa County Gold Rush town is home to just 115 residents. Coulterville is a small, census-designated place located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. But despite its small size, Coulterville offers a fascinating glimpse into California's Gold Rush era. This tiny town in Northern California is also a designated California Historical Landmark.

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Driving through Coulterville, you'll see many preserved historic buildings.

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Tom Spaulding/Flickr

These buildings are part of Coulterville Main Street Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Established in 1850, Coulterville thrived as a gold mining and supply center during its heyday.

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giu205/Flickr

Unlike other Gold Rush towns, Coulterville is quiet and doesn’t attract a ton of tourists.

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Wayne Hsieh/Flickr

The town does not have many businesses, but it has enough to do and see to make it worth the drive. Visitors will find a restaurant, bakery, cafe, deli, two hotels, and the Northern Mariposa County History Center within the small downtown.

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Wayne Hsieh/Flickr

The small downtown is walkable and the Old West-style buildings make for some excellent photo opportunities. The History Center showcases the town's fascinating past and really makes this quiet town come alive.

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Nick/Flickr

For those looking to stay overnight, Coulterville offers two historic hotels– Hotel Jeffery and Yosemite Coulterville Inn. In addition to its historical allure, Coulterville is the starting point of the John Muir Highway, a route that pays homage to the famous naturalist.

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Nick/Flickr

The route goes from Coulterville to Highway 120.

Coulterville may be a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of town, but it is undoubtedly worth the stop for anyone interested in California's rich history and the scenic beauty of the Sierra Nevada foothills.

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Trip Ideas|Small Towns

How This Small Northern California Town Quietly Became The Coolest Place In The West

Calistoga is a small town in Northern California known for its geyser, petrified forest, hiking trails, wine country, and natural hot springs.

Updated Aug 6, 2024

Written by 

Gia Liu

Calistoga, California, is a small town in NorCal, but don't let its diminutive size fool you: It's secretly the coolest town in NorCal! While many Northern Californians are familiar with this gorgeous town that's home to many a famous landmark, many out-of-towners have probably never even heard of it. Well, that's about to change! Over the years, Calistoga has quietly become one of the best small towns in NorCal.

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1. Old Faithful of California

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Old Faithful Geyser

Calistoga proves you don't need to go to Yellowstone National Park to see a regularly erupting geyser. The world-famous Old Faithful is certainly a sight to behold.

2. Petrified Forest

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Deane and Natasha Schulze/Flickr

Millions of years ago, a volcano erupted and buried a nearby forest in lava. What started as a natural disaster has become a natural phenomenon, as these million-year-old trees were preserved in a process called petrification.

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3. Palisades Trail

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Tim Berger/Flickr

Calistoga's rustic landscape makes the town a great destination for avid hikers. This trail will offer you spectacular views of Napa Valley.

4. Wine Country

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Morgan Sherwood/Flickr

One of Napa wine country's first moments of stardom happened when a wine from Calistoga's Chateau Montelena Winery beat out the French wines at a blind taste testing in Paris. You can bet that news broke the hearts of many a Francophile, while also putting Napa on the map.

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5. Natural Hot Springs

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Jasperdo/Flickr

Calistoga was first developed back in the 1880s to take advantage of the town's many natural hot springs. If you've had a long day of hiking, wine-tasting, and exploring, all you'll want to do is take a soak in a hot spring, and watch all your troubles fade away.

6. Robert Louis Stevenson State Park

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This state park is one of the shining jewels of California's park system. You'll see gorgeous views of the valley below. Choose from a multitude of different route options for the one that suits your physical activity level the best.

So, do you agree that Calistoga, California, is the best town in NorCal? (Hot springs and wine country? Yes, please!) Want to visit some other areas that are just as cool as Calistoga? Why not check out some of these amazing NorCal destinations!

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