July 20, 2025 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

Your Surprise Guide to Quintessential California Road Trips

By Susan Payne

If creating memorable travel experiences is on your bucket list for 2023, One California Day, a sustainably minded experiential travel company based in Los Angeles, should be your first destination.

Boasting a handful of curated surprise day-trip itineraries to California’s most alluring and lesser known destinations, founder Trina Hendry created One California Day as a road trip reimagined.

One California Day is as easy as choosing a themed trip, receiving an itinerary through the mail or digital download and then heading out on your adventure.

“People are looking for reasons to get out of the house and these curated one-day trips make it so easy to do just that,” Hendry said. “Planning a trip, even a day outing, takes personal time and research, which is something we are all running short on these days. At One California Day, we’ve done the legwork, handpicked and vetted each location, and crafted self-guided itineraries that lead you to many of California’s best destinations, one surprise stop at a time.

Working with travel influencers and by the grace of her own travel experiences, Hendry releases a series of trip highlights and destinations on her website but doesn’t reveal the individual stops until you have purchased the mailed packet ($75) or downloadable PDF ($55).

Trips departing from Los Angeles explore the most stunning themed destinations. They include:

Joshua Tree Area: Desert Oddities and Curiosities — a 10-hour excursion to unexpected places in the most unforgiving environment, the desert.

Ojai: A Taste of California Sun — an eight-hour day to the southern edge of a national forest, showcasing culinary delights native to California.

Santa Barbara: Hot Springs, History & Healing — hiking to hot springs and cultural, culinary and mindful experiences in a 10- hour day.

Santa Ynez Valley: “S” is For Sideways — the beauty and serenity of the region made famous in the cult wine movie, Sideways, in a 10-hour day.

Santa Ynez Valley: A Day in the “Old West” — a glimpse into the past exploring native art in a 10-hour day.

Carlsbad/Encinitas: Sushi, Self-Realization & Sunset Sips — historic beach towns known for fresh seafood, craft beer and wine, and stunning sunsets in a 10-hour day.

Malibu: Where the Sky is More Blue — a quick jaunt up and down the Pacific Coast Highway discovering iconic landmarks, local beaches and fresh catches.

In addition to surprise road trips, Hendry also provides trip planning services and ways to give back through her company’s products.

To offset as many emissions as possible created by your automobile during these excursions, One California Day donates 1% of its annual revenue to 1% For the Planet, a certification given to businesses that meet high-bar commitment in donating 1% to environmental causes. Printable materials are also responsibly sourced.  One-dollar donations are also available at checkout to plant trees in your name with One Tree Planted.

“Our mission is to showcase the splendor of California through well-crafted road trip itineraries that highlight unique attractions, support local businesses, encourage responsible and sustainable travel, and ultimately spread joy,” Hendry said.

Digital gift cards are available for the One California Day surprise guides, and the itineraries make unique corporate gifts.

Each itinerary via mail comes with a series of four sealed envelopes that you open as you go to reveal the stops, which could include attractions, restaurants and other local activities; a keepsake; and a curated list of local hotels in the area of your choice. For those who don’t like surprises, the downloadable PDF reveals the entire itinerary instantaneously. Additional costs associated with your trip, reservations and hotel accommodations are not included but can be arranged by One California Day’s trip-planning service.

Trips from San Diego and San Francisco can also be purchased. For more information, visit www.onecaliforniaday.co/

in NEWS
Related Posts

Unmasking ICE: Senators Push for Visible IDs After Secretive LA Immigration Raids

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bill Requires Federal Agents to Display Visible Identification During Raids U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on...

Bacio di Latte’s Beverly Hills Gelateria Debut Blends Italian Tradition with California Cool

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Gelateria Features In-House Gelato, Espresso Drinks, and Decadent Signature Flavors Bacio di Latte has officially opened its latest U.S. flagship...

Housing for Health Chief Appointed to Lead Unified Homeless Services Department

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Veteran Housing Advocate to Oversee Streamlined LA County Services The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday confirmed the...

Rainbow Crosswalk at Pulse Memorial Could Be Removed Under New Federal Rules

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Trump Administration’s Program Urges States to Eliminate “Non-safety” Road Art, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a bizarre order for...

Brentwood Feels Impact as Feds Slash Office Leases Across Los Angeles

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

New Tracker Reveals Over 70,000 Square Feet Cut in 2025 Alone Los Angeles County’s office market is experiencing a fresh...

Interview: The Dinah Creator Mariah Hanson on Legacy, Change, and the Future of Queer Celebration

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

After 34 Groundbreaking Years, Hanson Reflects on Joy, Power, and Her Final Dinah  We spoke with Mariah Hanson, the creator...

Shore Hotel: A Local Destination for Summer Fun

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bring on all things summer. Walking or biking along Santa Monica Pier, you might find yourself taking a pause at...

One Last Bite: La Novia Bids Farewell with Final Pop-Up at Cardinale du Vin

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Inventive Latin-Asian Pop-up Serves Seasonal Small Plates for One-Night-Only La Novia, the pop-up kitchen known for its inventive Latin-Asian flavors,...

Governor Newsom Unveils Fast-Track Rebuilding Plan on Six-Month Anniversary of Palisades Fire

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

State Clears Over 5.5 Billion Pounds of Debris From Fires Ahead of Schedule Marking six months since the devastating Eaton...

Soprano Golda Zahra Returns to BroadStage For a One-Night-Only Musical Celebration

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Hailed as “the rising star of the opera world” by The Hollywood Times, internationally acclaimed soprano Golda Zahra makes her much-anticipated return to BroadStage in...

Transform Your Life: The Free Virtual ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT Debuts July 18-20, 2025

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT, a transformative three-day virtual event, is coming, July 18-20, 2025, offering participants worldwide a free opportunity...

July 4 ICE Raid on WeHo Car Wash Ends in Deportation of Local Resident

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Longtime West Hollywood Worker with Family’s Rent Money Taken in Raid A group of masked men and women, without official...

Bel Air and Holmby Hills Estates Lead May’s List of America’s Top 10 Home Sales

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

LA Claims Two of the Top Three Luxury Home Sales Last Month expensive residential transaction in the U.S. for May,...

Newhart Family Lists Beloved Comedy Legend’s Townhouse in Century City

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Late TV Star’s Custom Townhouse, Filled With Memories and Holiday Cheer  A luxurious Century Woods townhouse once home to comedy...

Caitlyn Jenner’s Friend and Former Foundation CEO Dies in Malibu ATV Crash

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

ATV Plummeted 350 Feet After Rear-Ending Vehicle in Malibu Sophia Hutchins, former CEO of the Caitlyn Jenner Foundation and longtime...