National Parks

• Joshua Tree National Park is home to the famous tree of the same name.Thomas Northcut/Digital Vision/Getty Images
  
  Hikers, bikers and adventurers will find a plethora of places to explore in SoCal. One of the most famous destinations for explorers is Joshua Tree National Park (nps.gov/jotr). With over 550,000 acres of land offering trails, camping and exotic geological formations, you are sure to love this sprawling park. Or, visit Death Valley National Park (nps.gov/deva), the hottest and driest place in North America, which offers an array of activities. Don't forget the sunscreen!
  
  

Theme Parks

• SoCal has theme parks for adults and children alike.Creatas Images/Creatas/Getty Images
  
  SoCal is home to at least 17 different theme parks. The most famous is Disneyland (disneyland.com), which provides ample entertainment options. Roller Coaster enthusiasts will love Six Flags Magic Mountain (sixflags.com/magicMountain) and Knott's Berry Farm (knotts.com). Water park lovers can get soaked at Raging Waters in San Dimas (ragingwaters.com) or at any of the Knott's Soak City locations (knotts.com/public/park/soakcity). Animal lovers will jump through hoops to get to Sea World (seaworld.com/sandiego).
  
  

Famous Places

• SoCal is the birthplace of the film industry.Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  SoCal is a must see destination for film buffs and celebrity lovers. Start your trip by taking a stroll on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where you can see the stars of your favorite celebrity forever etched in cement. Then, hike up to the Hollywood Sign (hollywoodsign.org) to see this famous landmark. Top it off with a guided tour of L.A. (latourist.com) to see celebrity homes and famous movie locations.
  
  

Beaches

• Surf's up at Malibu!Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
  
  The Pacific Ocean crashes against the Southern California coast from Santa Barbara all the way down to San Diego. Surfers and beach bums alike will love the region's many beaches. The beach at Santa Monica is ideal for families, with its 3 ½ miles of beach and the Santa Monica Pier (santamonica.com/visitors/what-to-do/beach). Venice Beach (venicebeach.com) is known for its people watching and sub-culture. Malibu Beach attracts surfers from all over.
  
  

Festivals

• Coachella draws acts from around the world.Karl Walter/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
  
  Music lovers will not want to miss the epic music festivals that Southern California has to offer. Every year in April, the quiet Coachella Valley turns into a playground for rockers when the annual Coachella Festival rolls into town, drawing upwards of 80,000 people to the region (coachella.com). For a less mainstream affair with a focus on the environment, check out Lightning In A Bottle, which hosts smaller bands and offers sustainability and yoga workshops (lightninginabottle.org).