200 Premier Artists with 12 Categories of Art
Gourmet Food Court, Champagne Bars, Margarita Island, Winery Row. Celebrated local restaurants offer a wide variety of food; eclectic lineup of Southern California musicians and live music performances.
Bi-annual event: March & November
Yucaipa’s hidden secret – rural area of OAK GLEN, is a apple orchard canyon near the Inland Empire.
After the harvest is finished and the apples have all been picked from the trees – celebrate the coming winter with a historic festival that traces its roots back to the 16th century.
Los Rios Ranch holds the annual Apple Butter Festival & Apple Butter Hoedown on Thanksgiving weekend.
Annual event: November
Long Beach Shoreline Aquatic Park
Annual event; November
MLFF: Mammoth Lakes Film Festival
#mlfilmfest
A multi-day festival that screens independent features and shorts in the spectacular setting of Mammoth Lakes and the ruggedly beautiful Eastern Sierra. Traditionally held on Memorial Day weekend. There used to be a “Mammoth Mountain Film Festival”, but I guess this event replaces it.
Annual event: May
on Memorial Day weekend
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Gold Country California
Recapture the spirit of Christmas past amid the charming surroundings of historic downtown Grass Valley California during the annual Cornish Christmas Celebration.
Began in 1967 as a way to preserve Grass Valley’s Cornish heritage and holiday traditions, Cornish Christmas remains one of our most popular events. Mill and West Main Streets are closed to motorized traffic and filled with the sights and sounds of an old fashioned Christmas; carolers, jugglers, musicians, the Grass Valley Cornish Carol Choir, Tommyknocker Cloggers and of course, Santa Claus.
Handmade arts and craft from artists throughout California are displayed on our historic downtown Grass Valley streets. Delicious food and drink can be purchased from a number of Grass Valley restaurants and specialty food vendors. Retail stores are open for your holiday purchases as well.
Annual event; November-December
Grass Valley, CA
This used to be an annual event, but now it seems Mendo is promoting MUSHROOMS year round with various events, at different locations. Held in the redwoods region, each Autumn on the North Coast of California.
Annual event; November
707-937-4000
FORT BRAGG California
MENDOCINO, California
WILLITS, California
mendocino.com/taste-mendocino.html
MENDOCINO COUNTY, CALIF. – Every November, as the flavors of fall arrive in Northern California’s Mendocino County so does the annual crop of coveted candy cap, chanterelle, porcini and morel mushrooms. Straddling historic Highways 1 and 101 with nearly 2,500 sq. miles of live oak, pygmy forests and stately redwood groves, the region is a natural hotspot for some 3,000 mushroom varieties. The annual haul is nothing short of historic, nurturing nirvana for local mycologists, chefs and fungi foragers. Add to the mix a cache of artisan chefs, 95+ wineries, a formidable craft beer and hard cider scene and the annual salute to Mr. Fungi sprouts into action.
Visitors can tap into a variety of adventures from mushroom hunts by horseback, foraging excursions, Pinot and porcini menus, educational seminars, art exhibits. The annual Skunk Train trek and cook-off deep in the depths of the Noyo River forest are always a popular attraction.
Regional hotels and restaurants offer special menus and packages throughout November.
Where the traditions and lifestyles of the vaqueros blend with traditions and lifestyles of cowboys who worked there way west from Texas, Arizona and Nevada. Live music, concerts, great food, wine and beer.
Annual event: November
Monterey, CA
831-649-5080
An abundance of tasty citrus, from fresh fruit samples offered by local growers to market products featuring the Sierra foothill’s mandarin oranges. Thousands of filled orange mesh bags await and jams, jellies, infused olive oils, balsamic vinegar, barbecue sauces and body care products are all available for purchase. Visitors are delighted to discover that the food vendors offer everything from mandarin pizza to mandarin glazed wings, mandarin doughnuts and mandarin pulled pork, just to name a few.
1273 High Street, Auburn CA
916-663-1918
Annual Event; November
AUBURN CA
If you’ve had it with the traditions, the big meal prep, or just sick of the family. Maybe you are a solo traveler, or a new transplant to California and need to explore more. Take a holiday away – for once this time.
Camping for turkey day? What a concept.
California is the perfect place for camping, all year long!
California mountains often have snow during November. Avoid camping in snow @ 4000-5000′ elevation and above; Freezing temps above 3000-4000′ elevation.
Deserts, coastal regions and foothills are top choices for late Autumn car camping. Always check the weather ahead of departure, and have a plan B as an alternative. NorCal will be much wetter than the rest of the state.
MEALS: Prepare dinner meals ahead of trip departure. Bake turkey days before your trip and create meals based around that. Make mash potatoes at home and don’t forget to bring the butter. Pack pre-baked turkey for sandwiches, plus other quick snacks & meals for on-the-go travel.
Desert Camping is premium at this time of year. Luckily the eastern half of Southern Cal is desert. The lower the elevation, the better the temps will be overnight. Be prepared for wind when the ‘storm fronts’ approach, the winds do get a cranking! Dirt roads can become flowing washes during a good rainstorm, so know the weather forecast.
Coastal campgrounds may need advanced reservations. Be prepared for wet weather, especially up north. The redwoods groves are gorgeous anytime of year.
Gold County Reservoirs are prime areas for relaxing in nature, while everyone else is out shopping. Oak hills, rivers and canyons. RV campers love these large lakes; boating, fishing, mountain biking trails, kayak rentals, hiking near historic Gold Rush towns.
River Canyons of California are always beautiful destinations in the autumn months with fall leaves changing color. Many campgrounds can be found at lower elevation, river access areas.
Joshua Tree National Park may be busy during this weekend. Instead try nearby Mecca: Box Canyon and Mecca Hills Wilderness, BLM desert lands near Interstate 10.
Anza Borrego Desert State Park is always a nice, easy and relatively close get-away for any holiday. Open camping on the backroads (for free) makes it one of the most attractive camping options in all of SoCal. Many dirt roads are accessible for passenger cars, if extreme caution is used. Don’t plan on driving more than a few miles on dirt.
Masses of off roaders love to camp out, especially on Thanksgiving weekend. Wheel all day, eat, drink, bon fires every night and rumor has it ‘they roast their big bird outdoors – deep in a dirt pit’. Really?
El Centro, Glamis, Imperial Dunes, Ocotillo Wells, Truckhaven Hills, Johnson Valley. All popular off roading areas in Southern California, so consider yourself warned.
Mojave Desert, near US Hwy 395
Jawbone Canyon expect to see RVs, toy-boxes and families outside enjoying the weekend. OHV style. Often the group tries to create a round corral with their huge convoy of vehicles, to keep thru traffic to a minimum around “their camp”. Just stay well away from those gear-heads. In general, it is a very busy area around Mojave up to Hwy 178 during the holidays. Try high desert Horse Canyon instead.
Death Valley National Park is one of the best destinations for Thanksgiving, cuz Panamint Springs serves their free turkey dinner.
Did someone say FREE?
Amazing autumn colors can be found through OCTOBER and NOVEMBER in California, but you’ll need to leave the city in order to find the very best colors and scenic beauty. Fall season happens quickly (within weeks) in the high country and slower (months) in the lowlands. Plenty canyons and parks in the urban centers have hiking trails thru some nice trees, but nothing compares to the backroads, creeks and rivers of the big mountains.
Elevations, the higher the better, is where you’ll find the real displays of color. Aspen groves can be found along mountain slopes, creek canyons from 5000′-10,000′ in elevation. Cottonwood trees are found in the drier regions, in ranching areas and in desert canyons – up to about 6000′ elevation. Aspen trees start to turn yellow as soon as the chill of nights drop; if the temperature shift is subtle, the aspen leaves become more orange as the days go into the fall season. If an early snow or freeze happens, just one night, the glorious foliage becomes dead brown crispies dangling in the wind.
CAMP FIRE RESTRICTIONS are still be in place from the dry summer, and now comes the autumn winds. Any decent amount of rain can change the fire burn status, so make sure to check with the rangers for up-to-date fire info.
Many of these campgrounds are located in or near aspen groves & are simply spectacular during the fall months. Some may be located near alder groves. Maple trees located along rivers turn golden between September and October.
Higher elevation (7000′-9000′) colors will change faster and earlier in the year (as soon as September), whereas the lower countryside may wait until late October.
Pack warmly, cuz the cooler temps at night (20-30 degrees) is what makes these awesome, little autumn leaves change colors. The change can happen very fast (in days). When the early season snows move in – usually a minimal dusting by October, fall colors can fade fast.
has minimal fall colors.
Big Bear Lake, CA
Lake Arrowhead, CA
Ojai Camping – Wheeler Gorge
Sespe Hot Springs (hike-in access only)
have a few aspen groves and several cottonwood canyons.
Aspen Hollow Campground NFS
Giant Sequoia @ Hume Lake, CA
near Kings Canyon NP
Big Meadows Campground NFS
Stanislaus National Forest
Arnold, CA
Dinkey Creek Campground NFS
Sierra National Forest
Shaver Lake, CA
Ponderosa, CA
Quaking Aspen Campground
Quaking Aspen Cabin
Giant Sequoia National Monument
Wishon Reservoir
Lily Pad Campground
Sierra National Forest
Yosemite National Park
Tuolumne Meadows, Hwy 120
Yosemite Valley Campgrounds
Kirkwood, CA
Blue Lakes Road
Carson Pass CA Highway 88
The North Sierra Nevada Mountains covers the region with Lake Tahoe and Donner Pass, and north Gold Country. River canyons with fall colors include American River, Yuba River, and the Feather River.
Aspen Group Campground
@ Jackson Meadows Reservoir
near Truckee, CA
Berry Creek, CA
Milsap Bar, Middle Fork of the Feather River
Bucks Lake, CA
Haskins Valley & Grizzly Creek Campground
Oro-Quincy Highway – Plumas NF
Downieville, CA
Yuba River Campgrounds
Hope Valley, CA
Hope Valley Campground
The Eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada is the ‘place to be’ for Autumn Colors in California. The dramatic desert meets the tallest granite peaks. Every canyon is a different scene, many lakes lined with aspen groves, some have a creek with aspens.
Aspendell, CA
North Lake Campground
Lake Sabrina Road
Bishop Pass (high country hikes)
Bishop, CA
Bishop Creek, Hwy 168
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest – both Silver Canyon and
Cottonwood Creek have aspen trees. (both are 4×4 roads)
Bridgeport, CA
Green Creek Road w/ signage for
Dunderburg Meadow
Twin Lakes
Hoover Wilderness (high country hikes)
Independence, CA
Onion Valley Campground
Kearsarge Pass (high country hikes)
June Lake, Califonia
June Lake Loop #1S63 / CA Highway 158
Lee Vining, CA
Lee Vining Canyon / Hwy 120
One of the biggest aspen grove canyons in the state of California.
NFS Campgrounds in Lee Vining Canyon: Big Bend, Aspen Grove, Boulder, Moraine, and Cattleguard Campground.
NFS Camps @ Yosemite’s EAST GATE (9000′ elev): Ellery Lake, Junction, Saddlebag Lake, and Sawmill Campground.
Lundy Lake
Virginia Lakes
Trumbull Campground
Lone Pine, CA
Alabama Hills has a few cottonwoods.
Whitney Portal has some alder trees and a few aspens.
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Red’s Meadow Campground
Devils Postpile NM
Laurel Lakes Road (rough dirt road)
Convict Lake
Tom’s Place, CA
McGee Creek Campground
Impressive Rock Creek Road #4S12 in Rock Creek Canyon, one of the very best “Scenic Autumn Drives” in the whole Eastern Sierra. Numerous NFS Campgrounds on this road; many of which close for the season, just about the time then fall colors peak.
Rock Creek Lake Campground @ 9600′ elev
Iris Meadow Campground @ 8600′ elev
The “North State” primarily has the big river canyons, most of which have fall colors. Eel River, Klamath, Yuba River, Feather Rivers.
Blue Lake Campground
South Warner Mountains
Modoc National Forest
South Warner Mountains
Road 64 Modoc NF
Eagle Lake
Aspen Grove Campground (walk-in camp sites)
Susanville, CA
Sundial Bridge, over Sacramento River
River RV Parks
Redding, CA
Mount Shasta, CA
(downtown of Mt. Shasta City)
McBride Springs Campground
(slopes of Mount Shasta)
Lake Siskiyou
Beach Camp Resort & RV Park
4239 W. A. Barr Rd
Mount Shasta CA
530 926-2610
McCloud, CA
McCloud Falls, South of Mount Shasta
Algoma Campground
McCloud Creek, South of Mount Shasta
MacArthur-Burney Falls State Park
Dusty Campground
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen National Forest
Lassen Camping
Lassen Lakes
Susanville, CA
Bizz Johnson Trail
Roxie Peconom Campground
Siskiyou Autumn Colors
(still to come)
Many California cities and towns host holiday runs or races called the Turkey Trot, or the Gobble Wobble (or any other equally silly name).
Traditionally held on Thanksgiving Day (in the morning hours), this event can be family friendly, with costumes or to some folks, a more serious race with thousands of runners. Each city has it’s own unique history of this annual favorite.
also known as –
Turkey Run, Thanksgiving Race, Thanksgiving Day 5K Run
Orange County is the place & Dana Point holds the annual Turkey Trot every Thanksgiving Day. Over 10,000 runners participate in the coastal marathon event.
This autumn meteor shower peaks in mid November & a great weekend for planning a desert camping trip around. Look in the eastern part of the nights sky these shootings stars, up to 10 per hour. Pre-dawn viewing is always best for meteor showers.
California Deserts are wonderful at this time of year. Many folks plan Thanksgiving celebration around this outdoorsy celestial event.
Annual event; November
How to best view a Meteor Shower
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The California Delta was once a much larger area, where migratory birds flocked year after year. Lodi celebrates the Season of the Crane
Annual event; November
