One of the joys of travel is stumbling upon hidden gems. No, not the kind that comes with luck or by excavating soil and rocks, but a different type of treasure — those under-the-radar finds, often off the beaten track, that make a memorable vacation even more so.
For good or bad, the thrill of discovery isn’t what it used to be, however. The immediacy and potential outreach of social media have pretty much blown the lid off of unexpected delights while being out on the town or beyond. One post on a rare find can act as a spoiler alert for people who appreciate the organic awe when unearthing a hole-in-the-wall bakery or pop-up sushi spot before an influencer sparks lines around the corner.
Instead of debating the pluses and minuses of best-kept secrets being blown up on the internet, let’s play enabler by sharing our own collection of hidden gems within and outside California’s borders. May these 10 little-known or underrated destinations be pleasant surprises on your travels.
Hooray for Hollywood: Time hasn’t been kind to Tinseltown. Cruise up or down touristy Hollywood Boulevard with its abandoned storefronts, transient problem and other unsightliness, and it’s clear that this world-famous neighborhood of La La Land, like some of the celebrities its produced, needs a serious makeover. But hints of the Golden Era still exist, and the biggest might be the iconic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (thehollywoodroosevelt.com). Built in 1927 and cattycorner to the footprint-festooned TCL (formerly Grauman’s) Chinese Theatre, the Roosevelt played host to the first Academy Awards and such Hollywood legends as Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin and Clark Gable.
Tens of millions have been spent on renovations over the past two decades; from the new lobby to the refurbished rooms, the money has been well spent. The hidden gem within this gem is Shirley Brasserie, which, opened last summer, is arguably the area’s best new restaurant. Named for 1930s child star Shirley Temple, who learned how to tap dance from Bill “Bojangles” Robinson on stairs just outside the restaurant, the former site of The Barish is farm-to-table with a French accent. Specialties include cheese and charcuterie boards, oysters from both U.S. coasts, and meats hot off a wood-fire grill. Open for dinner Tuesday-Sunday and weekend brunch.
Strong as an Oxnard: If there ever was a city that’s better than it sounds, it’s Oxnard. Even its founder didn’t want the town to be named after his family. Henry T. Oxnard pushed for “Zachari,” after the Greek word for sugar — an appropriate choice given that the coastal settlement was built in the late-1800s around a booming sugar beet business. Frustrated by bureaucracy, the man with the melodious surname (like I’m one to talk) gave up and Oxnard stuck.
By any name, the largest city in Ventura County offers a seaside getaway without the crowds and cost of more popular beachy destinations further up U.S. 101. Oxnard is the nearest launch point to Channel Islands National Park, dubbed “North America’s Galapagos” for its bounty of unique flora and fauna. What truly makes Oxnard (visitoxnard.com) a hidden gem are its seven miles of dune-formed beaches that, like nearby Channel Islands Harbor, offer a host of recreation onshore and offshore. Well-located away from the main highways is Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach (zacharidunes.com), Southern California’s only all-suite oceanfront resort. Mr. Oxnard’s legacy gets a win with the sugary naming of this beautiful, recently renovated four-star property with five-star avocado toast, among other dishes, at the on-site Ox & Ocean restaurant.
Dear Santa (Barbara): Long before the Hotel Californian, Ritz-Carlton Bacara and San Ysidro Ranch became top-of-mind luxury properties in Santa Barbara, the place to be in this charming, seaside city was the Vista Mar Monte Hotel (marmontehotel.com). Opened in 1931, the oceanfront property quickly became a hub for Southern California’s top socialites who enjoyed an unobstructed view of either the Santa Ynez Mountains or the Pacific Ocean from one of hotel’s 100 rooms.
Nearly a century later, development around the property no longer offers guests as clear a view of Mother Nature’s fine work — perhaps that’s why “Vista” has been dropped from its name — but inviting East Beach is still across the street and looking north are the steeply tilted Santa Ynez Mountains. The now-200-unit Mar Monte Hotel’s on-site Costa restaurant serves fantastic fare that melds Italian, Middle Eastern and Californian cuisines, plus a killer coconut brown sugar bread pudding that’s nearly as sweet as room rates that start below $400, even over a weekend this summer.
San Francisco Treat: Since 1965, Scoma’s Restaurant (scomas.com) has served the best seafood in Fisherman’s Wharf. Crowded as the place can be thanks to locals and word-of-mouth, this longtime patron has rarely run into someone who’s even heard of it. Maintaining Scoma’s hidden gem status is a location that few tourists notice off busy Jefferson Street. Between two closed-up restaurants is a sign that leads cars and walk-ins down unassuming Al Scoma Way, named after the landmark’s late founder, a die-hard Giants fan. Even still, it’s not unusual to see dozens of jersey-wearing Dodgers fans enjoy the city’s best clam chowder, cioppino and crab cakes when the Boys in Blue are in town.
Winters Wonderland: As the crow flies, Winters, population 7,000, is smack between California’s most famous wine region and the state capital. This blip of a town in rural Yolo County, minutes from recreation-resplendent Lake Berryessa, is Mayberry-esque. That’s a Baby Boomer way of saying this California Camelot between the Bay Area and Lake Tahoe is, to borrow a line from the referenced musical, a most convenient spot for happy ever-aftering or at least a romantic weekend or stress-reducing overnighter.
Within this hidden gem is another hidden gem: Hotel Winters (hotelwinters.com) is an exquisite property to rest, relax, restore and rejuvenate. It’s got 73 clean and spacious designer rooms and Carboni’s, an on-site restaurant that serves perhaps the best food in town, if not the region. Now that you get the message, get a massage at the full-service, affordable ZenTerra Spa. Why pay an oiled-up arm and leg in Napa when there’s a perfectly good spa less than an hour away with skilled staff at half the price? The cost difference between ZenTerra and those wine-stained, world-class wellness centers is like Namaste and night.
Here are five more hidden gems beyond California’s borders:
Pearl of Pearl Harbor: For the masses, a helicopter ride over Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach and Pearl Harbor is the ultimate air tour when visiting Oahu. Now, imagine seeing those Hawaiian landmarks from the cockpit of a U.S. Navy SNJ-5C Warbird used for combat training during World War II. The Pearl Harbor Warbird Legacy Flight is a new bucket list experience offered exclusively through the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina (fourseasons.com) in cooperation with Pearl Harbor Warbirds. What a rush it is to relive history while inside a 1944-built trainer and wearing an authentic flight suit provided in your room the night before.
A chauffeured town car shuttles the recruited “naval aviator” in style from the resort to nearby Kalaeloa Airport, and after a top-secret debriefing on “Dec. 12, 1941,” five days after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, off you go into the wild, blue yonder with a real-life decorated pilot. The hourlong flight follows some of the routes of the Japanese attackers, and as thrilling as pulling 4G’s is, nothing is as stirring as the aeriel view of the USS Arizona Memorial and other solemn reminders of a day that lives in infamy. The full, immersive experience costs $3,000, but perhaps priceless for history buffs, aviation enthusiasts, and those whose duty is to pay homage to military heritage, this surviving son of a WWII veteran included.
No Strip Tease: It’s been around for over 50 years and gets stellar reviews and awards, but being on Koval Lane and not the Las Vegas Strip makes Ellis Island Casino (ellisislandcasino.com) one of Sin City’s best-kept secrets. Besides being friendly and clean, this family-owned gem has $5 blackjack and craps, and a $9.99 off-menu steak special at a surprisingly good 24/7 café. Good values are definitely in the cards at Ellis Island.
Fashionable Find in Big Apple: Hard as it is to fathom anything in bustling New York City being hidden, there is a museum deserved of more than the 100,000 it draws annually. The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (fitnyc.edu/museum), the only one dedicated to this wearable art, has a permanent collection of over 50,000 garments and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present. The museum will be closed for two months for renovations starting Nov. 26.
Windy City Winner: Despite the extra carbs and calories, deep-dish rules over thin crust with this pizza lover. Chicago is the upper crust of the category, and while folks like to flap their cheesy gums over how great Lou Malnati’s, Giordano’s and Pequod’s is, the dark horse in this unwinnable debate is Gino’s East (ginoseast.com). Blessed with a signature golden yellow crust that is soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, gooey mozzarella and toppings no more heavenly than the sausage (crumbled or patty), a Gino’s East deep-dish pizza, especially when eaten at the original Magnificent Mile location, is the makings of a religious experience.
Miami Nice: Tourists who flock to the Brickell, Downtown and South Beach neighborhoods of Miami are missing out on a cultural renaissance happening on historic Collins Avenue from 32nd to 36th streets. Dotted with exciting shopping, entertainment and restaurants, the often-overlooked Faena District is home to some of Miami Beach’s coolest establishments, and one of the hottest is Gitano Miami Beach (gitano.com/miami). Understated from the outside, graced with a livin’ la vida loca vibe inside, this modern Mexican restaurant with a muy caliente jungle rooftop lounge shines with grub, grog and guests as tasteful and colorful as the city’s nighttime skyline.
