Exploring different destinations within driving distance of Los Angeles that offer mental health escapes, from calming beaches and cool deserts to beloved theme parks.
Deadly wildfires, poison air, political unrest, and the worst air crash in decades – and that's not even considering significant global crises or the day-to-day heartaches and setbacks we face individually. It is important in the face of so much pain and fear to take breaks. We have to refill our cups if we are to survive – and hopefully, thrive. Below you'll find The Times Features team's favorite mental health escapes within driving distance of L.A.
, whether that be in a hot spring, cool desert, calming beach, or beloved theme park. These places are precious to us and have held us amid uncertainty. We hope they provide you the same and more. When word reached me on Jan. 8 that fires were exploding all over L.A. County, I was at Moonstone Beach in Cambria, surrounded by sea, sand, humidity, and driftwood. It took a long moment to reconcile what I was hearing with what I was standing in the middle of. Which was a good thing. My wife and I have gone to Cambria and its southerly little sibling, Cayucos, many times over the decades. It's a 220-mile drive. The pines and fog on the hills are part of the appeal. The mile-long boardwalk above Moonstone Beach is another part (and it helps that more than a dozen little hotels and inns line Moonstone Beach Drive). But the underlying attraction may simply be that the fundamentals of the place stay the same. It's cool, coastal, calm, and slow. Maybe make something out of driftwood. I have L.A. friends who used to come here every winter to calm down and collect themselves. I have another friend who works a high-stress job in the San Joaquin Valley then makes a beeline for Cambria almost every weekend. Cayucos, 15 miles south, is a variation on the same coastal destination theme, with a pier, a sleepy main street (Ocean Avenue), a great breakfast place. Instead of pine-studded slopes, Cayucos has the distant outline of Morro Rock to the south and a short hike to overlook a weird little shipwreck at the southern end. Cayucos also has a lot of vacation rentals – maybe too many, considered how few people live there year round. But still, the beach is never crowded, the wine country is half an hour east on California 46 and it slows my pulse. You could do worse. Whenever I’m overwhelmed, burnt out, or consumed with my own suffering, there is no place I’d rather be than the Mojave Desert, a roughly two-hour drive from Los Angeles. In some ways, it’s a counterintuitive pull. The landscape is beautiful and otherworldly, but it hardly offers a warm embrace. The region that includes Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Pioneer Town, and 29 Palms is a land of rocks, thorns, and extreme temperatures. Rattlesnakes and giant spiders abound and painful prickers lurk everywhere. Over the years, I’ve learned to keep a pair of tweezers in my car just in case. And yet, for me at least, there is nothing quite like the starkness of the high desert to remind me just how small and inconsequential I truly am. All those problems that have been eating me alive? Those ancient mountains don’t care about any of them. I recently read that the oldest exposed rocks in Joshua Tree National Park are more than 1 billion years old. Think of what they have witnessed in their time on this planet. In the context of that immense history, my personal tragedies are meaningless. Of course, that doesn’t mean they are meaningless to me, but when my brain is stuck in a loop of misery, a change of perspective can be helpful. And there are other ways the desert helps me too. I remember a time when my heart was heavy because I had once again failed to speak up for myself with devastating consequences. I asked the desert what message it had for me, then closed my eyes and listened. Whenever my mental state is out of wack or I’m feeling down, the place that I go to find my center again is almost always Las Vegas. I was born and raised in the city, and many of my family and childhood friends still live there, so that’s an obvious draw. But even if I didn’t know anyone there, I’d still find myself running back every few months. I prefer to drive there because it allows me to be spontaneous and to take detours along the way. From the moment I get onto Interstate 15 headed north, I immediately feel a sense of calmness in my body – just as long as I’ve timed it correctly and I’m able to avoid unnecessary traffic. At times, I’ll listen to music or a podcast, but more often than not, I prefer to sit in silence during the four-hour drive. I allow my mind to wander as I gaze out the window at the desert landscape filled with cactuses and tumbleweeds, and I drive alongside gigantic mountains, which make me and whatever situation I’m grappling with feel so small. I can’t tell you how many ideas and revelations I’ve come to during these road trips – my voice note app is filled with my ramblings. Once I reach Primm, Ne
Mentalhealth Escapes Losangeles Beach Desert Themepark Wellness
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jacksonville Residents Can See Snow within Driving DistanceNews about snow viewing opportunities for Jacksonville residents, including a Freeze Warning issued for Thursday night and the Georgia Governor declaring a state of emergency ahead of a winter storm. Additionally, there is information about new safety measures being implemented on State Road A1A in South Ponte Vedra Beach.
Read more »
Stormzy Banned From Driving for Using Phone While DrivingBritish grime artist Stormzy was banned from driving for nine months after admitting he drove his Rolls-Royce through London while using his phone.
Read more »
Winter Driving Tips for Staying Safe on Snowy RoadsThis article provides essential tips for safe winter driving, emphasizing preparation, awareness, and cautious driving techniques.
Read more »
Ford Shifting Focus To Affordability As Consumers Feel SqueezedFord is set to ramp up production of lower-end Escapes, Explorers, and F-150s
Read more »
Oregon sicko who kidnapped sex worker and kept her in a makeshift cell gets life sentenceOregon woman escapes accused kidnapper's cinder block cell
Read more »
Harrowing escapes from Los Angeles wildfires were made by foot, by car or by the grace of strangersThousands of residents made harrowing escapes as devastating wildfires bore down on the Los Angeles area.
Read more »