San Diego Zoo
This is one of the best zoos in Southern California and in the United States! There are a lot of animals and flora. You can get super close to some animals and take pictures. You get to see a lot of rare and endangered species all over the world! Prepare to be educated on different types of species and animals. In addition, be prepared to do a lot of walking because the park is huge! Wear comfortable shoes and check the weather so you can prepare yourself if you are going on a cloudy or sunny day. If for some reason you are feeling a little tired from the walk, you can check out their live zoo cams and watch the animals from there. If you live in Southern California or near San Diego, the annual pass will definitely be worth it!
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Venice Beach
If you just walk about 2.5 miles down from Santa Monica Pier, you will reach Venice Beach. Once you are at the beach, you can admire the canals, go thrifting, drink at High Rooftop Lounge and more. As you stroll along Vince Boardwalk, you will see a lot of street entertainers, magicians, artists, and skaters. During the walk, you’ll eventually hit Muscle Beach. Muscle Beach is a place where body builders (or not) come to work out in an open-outdoor gym. People go there to display their body, workout, or just to watch others.
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Santa Monica Pier
This can be the perfect getaway for those who enjoy the ocean. There is the Pier, the Santa Monica State Beach, and the Pacific Park (an amusement park). If you think this is beautiful on the news or on television, then it will be gorgeous in real life! This is considered a tourist attraction so you bet there will be a lot of vendors and food! When summer hits, you can expect there to be more outdoor concerts, family-friendly activities, movies, and events that may be free to the public! This is one of the many Southern California attractions that is most talked about and because it is also considered a historical landmark, it draws millions of visitors every year.
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Santa Catalina Island
Santa Catalina Island has so much to do that you can basically be there for days or months and not be bored. Some of the activities that you can do include: parasailing, diving, zip lining, snorkeling, kayaking, jet skiing, hiking, and biking. There are numerous of water, land, and air activities to make sure you experience it all. Since it is on an island, if you can image it, then you can probably do it. If you are a golfer and think there is not a golf course on this island, then you might need to reconsider that because there is huge golf course for you to play on.
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The Queen Mary (Long Beach, CA)
The Queen Mary is considered an iconic landmark in California. It is one of the popular Southern California attractions, located in Long Beach. The Queen Mary was considered “the grandest ocean liner in the world,” and then became a troopship when World War II started. The Queen Mary is now an attraction and event venue, a floating hotel, and a home to three world-class restaurants. Every year they have various themes on the ship to attract visitors. Overall this ship has everything like a regular cruise ship and more since it will be forever stationed.