-There is just nothing quite like beginning a morning, taking a walk on the beach, and staring at an ocean.

Ohh!

I'm on Coronado Beach, California... this, of course, is the Pacific Ocean... and, sadly, I'm not gonna be spending a lot of time here because I thought, I want to take you on a road trip because we are in California, which is one of the best places in the world for a road trip because there's such a diversity of landscapes and experiences to have in a short amount of time and a short amount of distance.

So I thought we would start here with the ocean, and then we're gonna head to the desert.

We're gonna go to mountains and lakes, stopping at vineyards and small towns where the populations don't exceed 2,000, and, of course, we are gonna be connecting with people because I feel like that's something we could all use a little bit more right now -- human connection.

So grab what you need and meet me at the car.

You and I are going on a California road trip.

[ Upbeat tune plays ] I'm Samantha Brown, and I've traveled all over this world.

And I'm always looking to find the destinations, the experiences, and, most importantly, the people who make us feel like we're really a part of a place.

That's why I have a love of travel and why these are my places to love.

Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" is made possible by... ♪ ♪ ♪ -The world is full of breathtaking destinations and experiences.

AAA wants to help turn vacation dreams into reality.

Wherever you want to go, AAA has services to help you before, during, and after your trip.

Learn more at AAA.com/LIVETV.

-The endless deserts, canyons, and stunning vistas between Denver and Moab deserve to be traveled.

Rocky Mountaineer.

Proud sponsor of "Places to Love."

-Exploring the world for over 150 years.

Guests cruise to nearly 400 ports of call around the globe, exploring over 100 countries.

Live music at sea fills each evening.

Dining venues feature selections from a Culinary Council of chefs.

Offering mid-sized ship experiences with handcrafted itineraries, personal service, and connections to the destinations guests visit.

-This four-day California road trip will be starting right here on the coast, then making our way from the city to the desert, deep into valleys, and, finally, high on a mountaintop, enjoying so much in a short amount of time.

And speaking of enjoyment... [ Classical music plays ] So, of course, I stayed at the Hotel del Coronado.

At 130 years, she's a living legend that has to be experienced and, dare I say, makes our road trip more of a grand journey.

But before we head off on our journey, I want to make one stop.

[ Lively Latin music plays ] -The uniqueness of Barrio Logan is I do feel like the people, the people that are building our culture, like, what we represent, how we are able to tell stories with, like, all this beautiful artwork around us.

-And it truly is all around us.

-Oh, yeah.

-It's painted on fences, on trash cans.

-Yes!

-So this really is an artistic, cultural neighborhood.

-Yes.

I'm Claudia Rodriguez-Biezunski, and I started sewing when I was 8 years old.

In 2013, I opened Sew Loka.

I love sewing because it gave me an outlet.

It gave me a lot of self-worth.

Telling stories through sewing is my passion.

I like changing the narrative of negative words and utilizing them as positive phrases for my designs.

I want to bring power to those words.

-And what I love is that Barrio Logan isn't only recognized as a neighborhood in San Diego.

It is literally recognized as a cultural district that is a unique part of California.

This entire state really draws upon this neighborhood as saying, "This is a part of our identity."

-Having something like this, like, this kind of neighborhood, is so beautiful because we finally have some kind of representation, of positive representation, of who we are as people.

-Walking the three blocks that comprise the Barrio Logan Business District, I found a lot more positivity.

Hi.

-Hi!

-I love your shop.

-Thank you.

-What does the name Simón Limón mean?

-Kind of like "okey dokey."

-Oh!

-So just a little saying in Spanish.

-Oh, really?

Okay.

So you just go, "Simón, limón."

-Yeah.

Someone says -- You're like, "Ah.

Simón, limón."

-Is it all local artists or gifts?

-Yes, I carry products from all independently owned businesses, mostly Latina-owned women.

-Oh, I love these.

-Yeah, those are Nancy's.

Her studio's actually right down the hallway.

-Oh, my gosh!

-Yeah.

-There's also Vanessa Alcaraz.

She makes all of these pieces over here.

Her studio's down the street, and she lives upstairs, actually.

When I can keep it very local, I like to do that.

-Yeah.

Why do you like to do that?

-I mean, because we got to, like, support each other in our community.

So we really just try to work with each other and communicate and help each other out.

You know, it all speaks to how diverse our culture is and our people that we can come together with a common, you know, goal, and we do it with love.

-I love it.

"Mujeres run the world."

-We do.

-I've kind of noticed that on this street here -- a lot of women-owned business.

-Oh, yeah.

Mostly.

-Why do you think that is?

-I mean, because we're getting stuff done.

Yeah.

[ Both laugh ] Yes, because we run the world.

-If you're in San Diego, there must be tacos.

At iSalud!, there's usually a line, but it moves quickly, as the kitchen works hard to prepare their much-loved tacos on fresh corn tortillas.

Hi.

-You have two fish tacos... -Yes.

-...and one carne asada.

-Ohh!

Thank you very much.

-Enjoy.

-I will.

It's the perfect meal to keep us satisfied until our first stop.

♪ We are 45 minutes, tops, outside of San Diego.

And as you can see, totally different environment and just a beautiful day.

But we're headed to a little town named Julian.

Now, doesn't that sound like a town you want to take a road trip to?

And Julian is actually famous, very famous, for one thing.

[ Spirited music swells ] ♪ I came in here with a very, very easy goal, which was to have apple pie.

This totally throws me off, Anita.

You've got apple crumb, apple flaky, apple boysenberry, apple cherry.

What made you want to open up a pie shop?

-Oh, my mom baked, and it was just -- it was a tender spot.

-When you drive into Julian, you almost can't believe it.

"This can't be real," because it just feels -- you know, one of those postcards that you see watercolors of, and yet here you are.

-It is a bit of an island.

-And, you know, pie -- I think we all love pie.

Why do you feel like people come to you to get pie?

-You know, for years, people would come in and see us making the pies and say, "My mother used to do that."

So it's a bit of a lost art.

-Okay.

Do I know how to pick a place or what?

Okay, so I've got plenty of pie for you.

You can try the apple crumb.

That's the apple cherry crumb.

I've got the flaky.

Ohh.

Soft apples.

♪ [ Twinkle! ]

Oh, my gosh.

And look at that.

Isn't that beautiful?

Anita was telling me that she can make up to 600 pies a day.

That's how famous Julian is for apple pies.

Okay.

Switch.

Alright.

Now you try that.

I'll take my fork.

Here's your fork.

Alright.

[ Gasps ] Here's the crumb.

♪ Oh, my gosh.

See, that one -- that one made me grab my heart.

♪ Having eaten my weight in apple pie, it was time to move on.

Ohh!

Just spectacular.

Can you believe how different it's been since, like, the Pacific Ocean to where we are now?

And wait till you find out where we are now, what makes it special.

So, if we were in Julian and that was really well-known for one thing, Borrego Springs is known for a million.

I'll meet you at the pool!

La Casa del Zorro is a beloved 42-acre resort and retreat that opened in 1937.

It's known for its individual casitas and 26 pools -- 19 of them private.

So, when I checked in to the resort, the front desk told me that back in the day the Rat Pack used to stay here.

Isn't that cool?

But those aren't the only stars that Borrego Springs is known for.

This is an International Dark Sky Community.

This means that Borrego Springs actually protects its night sky from light pollution.

So we are going to be treated to an amazing show.

Cheers to a great day.

Wait till you see tomorrow.

[ Chuckles ] Up and at 'em!

Had a great night's sleep, and the car is fully charged for our great day ahead.

But not five minutes into my drive, I had to pull over because... what is this?!

Do you see what I'm seeing?

Spread out over 3 square miles of desert landscape just outside of Borrego Springs is an astounding menagerie -- the Sky Art metal sculptures.

How many creatures are there?

-I believe there's 128.

-Alright.

-They stretch from one end of the valley all the way to the other end.

-It's incredible!

-I'm James "Okie" McNatt.

I was the mayor of Borrego Springs and very proud to be mayor.

The sculptures here at Borrego Springs, I've been maintaining them for about 11 years now, and my wife calls me "The Zookeeper."

[ Laughs ] -So, Okie, either the desert heat is getting to me... or I see a massive serpent in front of me.

-It is getting warm out here.

-[ Laughs ] It is getting warm.

-This is the masterpiece of Borrego right here.

This is the one that everybody wants to come and see.

-And I love how he's just sort of weaving in and out of the landscape, he's moving, and he's even crossing the street.

So the detail and the movement of him is phenomenal.

-Yeah.

He's 350 feet long.

There's 9 yards of concrete in this one alone.

-And you were actually a part of installing all of these metal sculptures.

That's incre-- How long did it take?

-Well, it took seven days, and we had -- -Just for the serpent.

-Yes, just for the serpent.

-Who made all of this happen?

-Well, Dennis Avery did.

Dennis Avery was the heir to Avery Paper, Avery Label, and he lived down here in the valley.

-The artist Dennis Avery entrusted with this massive project was Ricardo Breceda.

His large-scale metal work is found across the world, but its highest concentration is installed right here.

-Dennis wanted to install something on his property that would give people a chance to get down here and enjoy the desert and park along the road and get out of their car and walk up and see them.

That's why a majority are close enough to the road that you could walk to.

'Cause that's what a road trip is about.

It's not just getting to your destination.

It's about enjoying the ride along the way.

♪ We're now headed to the town of Temecula, which is known for something that Southern California is not known for -- wine.

I'm checking in to a bungalow at Carter Estate's Winery & Resort to be fully immersed in the wine culture...

Cheers.

...starting with a little afternoon sparkling-wine break.

This is just one of 50 wineries in the area, so I'll be hiring a car -- a sidecar.

You always need a helmet when you drink.

Drink safely.

You know what I'm saying?

♪ Sidecar Tours is making our wine tour a lovely and balanced blend of safety and fun.

♪ So what makes this a great place for growing grapes?

-The elevation of Temecula Valley, the soil type, and climate is the closest in the world to Tuscany, Italy.

-Ohh!

Wow!

-So Italian varietals do very well -- and which we are a predominant Italian producer.

-Our soil is very diverse.

We have a lot of the heat, but then we get the cooler winters.

And I think we've been able to be really creative with what varietals plant the best here and grow the best here.

-Olivia is one of the few female winemakers in Southern California, and she's especially skilled in blending wines.

-We're blending our 1886, which is our designated Wine Club wine that they get to name, which is a fun little contest we've been doing the last few years.

So we kind of mess around with, you know, different percentages of each varietal until we are happy with it and we know, "This is it!

This is perfect!"

-And this is the 1886?

-This is the 1886, which is a very fun red blend.

-It's named in honor of when my family started making wine back in 1886.

-This one is an 80 -- We're doing 80%, 20% Syrah, and then we might do a little bit of something else.

So that's kind of our way of being really creative and artistic.

-How often do you do this sort of mixing?

-Not enough.

[ Laughter ] It's the best part of the job!

-I was just gonna say... -We have a blast.

We really -- We have a blast doing it.

-Showing up at the right time of year.

-Well, cheers.

-Yeah.

Cheers.

-Yeah.

♪ -Next up, a unique vineyard whose owner is as approachable as his wines.

-Ancient traditions of Persia rooted in the modern expressions of Southern California.

-Mm-hmm.

-That is our slogan.

My name is BJ Fazeli, and I am the founder of Fazeli Cellars here in Temecula, California.

We make two different kinds of rosés.

One is bone-dry Provence style... -Ohh... -...and one is California style, which is a bit sweeter.

This is the Provence style.

-Oh.

Lovely.

-But the bouquet of it is fantastic.

So, your brain tells you it should be sweet, but it's not sweet.

-Oh, and that acidity, I love.

-Yeah.

-I mean, that's the -- -That's the Provence.

-That's the Provence.

-Exactly.

You're from Iran?

-Yes.

-Which has, I mean -- my goodness -- thousands of years of winemaking history.

-7,400 Is the... -[Laughing] I stand corrected.

-If you try my food, for example, this is a shrimp flatbread.

But the shrimp has been marinated for 72 hours in saffron.

-Ohh.

-So, saffron originally comes from that part of the world, in fact, from Iran.

So I don't have Persian restaurant in here, but we do Persian fusion.

For instance, this over here, I call those Persian tacos... -Okay.

-...with some chicken kebab and some mast-o musir, which is like tzatzini... -Mm-hmm.

-...and some pickled onions.

-Pickled onions.

Yeah.

-It has mint in it.

If you have the Chardonnay with that chicken kebab or with the shrimp, it's just marriage made in heaven.

-Yes, it is.

-Right?

-Mm-hmm.

So I try to incorporate a lot of the heritage, the history, the wine, the palate -- to pull it all together -- and the food.

-Wow.

Well done.

-Thank you so much.

Salamati.

-Salamati.

-Cheers.

-Well, after a full day of winery hopping, it's certainly nice to get a ride back to my hotel.

I'm looking forward to another magical, memorable day tomorrow.

♪ And waking up to a sight like this certainly qualifies as a magical way to begin my day.

Part of me wants to be soaring over these landscapes right now, but the other part of me says, "Hit the road, Sam.

That's what you're here for."

Before continuing on my road trip, I wanted to be sure to check out Old Town Temecula.

Shops and restaurants fill buildings fashioned to be a nod to this area's Old West roots.

I'm a tea lover, and so Old Town Spice & Tea Merchants was a must for me.

I love how you have them displayed because then you can really see them, right?

You can really see the tea.

-Yes.

-Oh, gosh.

It's so exciting.

For those of us who might have enjoyed a little too much wine here in Temecula... -Yes.

Teatox, which is amazing.

-Wow.

"Teatox."

-It is full -- Right?

-[ Laughs ] That's great.

-...peppermint.

-[ Sniffs ] Mmm!

-There's some ginger in there.

-Ohh... How much for the whole jar?

-Right?

-[ Laughs ] We are headed north on our way to Big Bear, California, but I thought we'd like to take a brief break and a stretch at a historic ranch and stagecoach stop that was founded in 1854.

But if I was in any rush, we are certainly not now.

This is 123 Farm.

-Yes.

-It's a great name.

What does it come from?

-In California, we don't have a true winter, so that's -- it's the three seasons.

And then we were thinking also -- maybe it's, like, something simple, like, with the organic.

We wanted to go back to the basics, more of, like, a simple way of farming.

-One, two, three.

Farm is the largest sustainably organic lavender farm in Southern California.

-Yes.

-Does that mean that you are harvesting that and pressing it into the oil yourselves here at the farm?

-Yes.

It takes about 50 pounds of plant material to make about a cup and a half of essential oil, so it's quite concentrated.

-Whoa.

Wow!

-So, we have these small sickles, and we go out and we take crates and we basically -- You harvest and then put it in the crate, and then we take the crates either to the distiller or something that's called our dry barn.

So it's all pretty hand-labor intensive.

-And how do you know when it's time to harvest?

-You look where the bees are.

-Oh.

Okay.

-And when they're pollinating the flowers, then you know it's pretty much the right time to go to that section.

There are over 400 varieties of lavender.

This field over here is Provence.

It's a French variety, and it's great for culinary, for cooking, so for the lavender ice cream, the lavender teas, lavender lemonade.

The one behind us is what we use for our essential oils, which we make into products.

So we have soap and lotion and that sort of thing.

-And in case you wondered, the lavender that goes into soap isn't the same kind of lavender that goes into ice cream.

That is so good!

Isn't that sweet?

From Cherry Valley, known for lavender... we are again headed out... and up.

Just like that... [ Fingers snap ] ...the scenery changes.

But this is what I love about California.

It never stops surprising you.

Big Bear Lake.

34 miles.

♪ We're gonna check in at this really cool lodge.

Love the little cabins.

♪ Ohh!

This is adorable!

[ Chuckles ] So much fun.

Alright.

Get my lavender.

Now my cabin.

I'm gonna sleep like a baby bear tonight.

That's for sure.

Good night.

[ Chuckles ] With so much ground to cover, I wanted to cover as much as I can, so for that, it's the dune buggy.

[ Engine revs ] -Today we're going to take you into San Bernardino National Forest.

We have dry lake beds, because of the California drought, and different types of wildlife -- chaparral bushes, pine trees, spruce trees.

We're gonna be bouldering, for sure, going over the rocks.

I'm Natalie Gaines, and I'm from Big Bear Lake, California.

26 years I've lived up here, hiked every peak, done every trail, and I love it here.

When you come to Big Bear, everything goes silent, and you're able to... enjoy nature at its most vulnerable.

[ Wind rushing softly ] -Like, that's -- That's phenomenal.

-Yeah, it's peaceful up here.

-Please tell me it's like this every single day.

-Except when it snows.

Then you want to be inside.

-Yeah.

[ Laughs ] What are we looking out over?

-This is the dry lakebed of Erwin Lake.

It used to have water in it years and years and years ago.

-Are we still in the San Bernardino National Forest?

-Yeah.

Yeah.

-Okay.

-You're gonna be in it until you're 20 miles that direction.

-So it's massive.

-Yes.

-Kind of hard to get my head around just the magnitude of the land that we're in.

-Big Bear is about 20 miles from tip to tip.

Got all the different hiking trails, all the different peaks and mountains around you, and then it comes down into the center, and, boom, you got Big Bear Lake, California.

-It's like this little belly button of wonderfulness, right?

-Yeah.

-[ Laughs ] But now it's finally time to get out on the actual lake.

It's gorgeous!

How long is the lake, from stem to stern?

-It's seven miles from one end to the other.

-Seven miles?

Yeah, okay.

And how long does it take you to kind of do, like, a nice little trip around it?

-It could be -- You could probably do it in, I'd say, a hour and a half.

Two hours would be a nice, slow cruise, you know?

-It's the perfect size!

-I know.

It's great!

-What do you love about living on a lake where people from all over travel to?

-I love sharing where I live with people from all over the world.

We get people from every country, and I think it's awesome.

I mean, here we are in Southern California, two hours from L.A., three hours from San Diego, three and a half from Vegas, and we are up here in the sunshine.

Where we get the June Gloom down below, up here we are in the sunshine.

People don't realize how beautiful it is.

-Time for us to make our way to shore and to The Pines Tavern for some live music.

♪ ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -♪ We have built a bigger plan ♪ -If you're traveling to San Diego, you should definitely check out Barrio Logan.

It's filled with a lot of amazing artwork, amazing people, and great food.

♪ -♪ Run, Cara, run away ♪ -People coming from the East Coast or even in the Midwest or wherever has to stop here because it actually is a beauty that most people have never seen.

The desert itself is absolutely beautiful.

-♪ From a runaway plan ♪ ♪ Run away ♪ -Believe it or not, Temecula has been named a top-ten wine destination for travelers.

And that's in the world, not in the United States.

Come and discover it now.

-♪ United, divided ♪ -I would say, for any visitor that comes to Big Bear, come here with the mind-set that you are in nature's playground and take care of it as such.

[ Finale plays ] [ Cheers and applause ] -Thank you, much!

-Thank you!

-When small towns to big valleys allow you to connect with the human spirit... when a destination invites you to taste, savor, and enjoy... when you hit the road not entirely sure what you're looking for but then you find it... that is when we share a love of travel.

From oceans to deserts to mountains, a California road trip takes us to so many places to love.

-For more information about this and other episodes, destination guides, or links to follow me on social media, log on to placestolove.com.

Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" was made possible by... -Exploring the world for over 150 years.

Guests cruise to nearly 400 ports of call around the globe, exploring over 100 countries.

Live music at sea fills each evening.

Dining venues feature selections from a Culinary Council of chefs.

Offering mid-sized ship experiences with handcrafted itineraries, personal service, and connections to the destinations guests visit.

-The endless deserts, canyons, and stunning vistas between Denver and Moab deserve to be traveled.

Rocky Mountaineer.

Proud sponsor of "Places to Love."

-The world is full of breathtaking destinations and experiences.

AAA wants to help turn vacation dreams into reality.

Wherever you want to go, AAA has services to help you before, during, and after your trip.

Learn more at AAA.com/LIVETV.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪