These Attractions Will Ensure Your Next Trip Will Be Far from Boring
From botanic gardens to aquariums to a taco trail, these are for your next adventure.
Jeremy Jenson/Travel Nevada
The Sunset Travel Awards celebrate the best in travel in the West, and this year we had another record-breaking number of entrants of the highest level across all categories. These places are the 2024 winners of the What to Do: Adventures and Explorations category. Check out the complete list of winners here. For our definitive and searchable travel directory to help you plan your next trip in the West, click here.
Grand Canyon West
Grand Canyon West
When it comes to tourist destinations that actually live up to the hype, the Grand Canyon is at the top of the list. Spanning over 1,900 square miles, this geological phenomenon intersected by the Colorado River is a must-see in the desert Southwest. And its most spectacular region is located at Grand Canyon West outside Peach Springs, Arizona, just a two-hour drive from Las Vegas, making it an exceptionally accessible destination. With magnificent landscapes, multiple ways of accessing its grandeur, and a rich Indigenous history, it’s the ideal road trip for both the adventurous and culturally curious.
Aquarium of the Pacific
Aquarium of the Pacific
This Long Beach marine museum has been a mainstay in the conservation community for over 25 years, working to prevent the extinction of species including sea turtles, sea otters, and mountain yellow-legged frogs. It has recently remodeled its Southern California and Baja Gallery, which features exhibits modeled after underwater habitats on nearby Catalina Island, the sea grass meadows of Orange County, and artificial reefs off the SoCal Coast. Interactive programming ranges from tide pools where kids can touch sea anemones, seastars, bat rays, and horseshoe crabs to daylong whale-watching excursions. It’s a must-stop for travelers visiting the port city.
Great Basin Astronomy Festival
Jeremy Jenson/Travel Nevada
Taking place early September every year, the festival is a stargazer’s dream. Over three days, visitors can enjoy the astrally friendly location (one of the network of Designated International Dark Sky Parks), take astrophotography workshops, learn about astrophysics, and, of course, gaze up out at the universe through telescopes set up at the Astronomy Amphitheater.
Oxnard Taco Trail
Visit Oxnard
The charming coastal town of Oxnard, California, is home to over 40 taquerias, restaurants, and taco trucks serving the Southern California specialty—and offers traveling foodies a delightful double dip of beachy bliss and culinary exploration. Download the mobile pass and track your progress as you eat your way from el pastor to carnitas to shrimp tacos with a side of sun and sea.
Europa Village
Europa Village
Inspired by the great wine-growing countries of Europe and set on 45 acres in Temecula’s bucolic wine country, this culinary and cultural complex combines restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, retail shops, and luxury lodging into a transporting travel experience that can be your one-stop vinous vacation.
High Desert Museum
High Desert Museum
For the long view of Oregon’s boomtown Bend and its surrounding high desert environment, this 135-acre campus houses galleries, exhibitions and wildlife habitats, and is crisscrossed with interpretive paths that allow visitors to immerse themselves in the area’s history, cultures, and nature. A must-stop for visitors and families who want to enrich their experience of the region.
San Diego Botanic Garden
San Diego Botanic Garden
Few gardens match the sheer botanic bliss of this 37-acre urban oasis dedicated to conservation and education. With a mission to address environmental and cultural challenges related to plant sciences, the garden also offers visitors an impressively diverse set of experiences, including the largest collection of bamboo in North America, a rainforest garden, and a South Africa Garden. Beautiful and inspiring.
The North Ventura County Coast
The Brand Leader-TBL Studios
North of Los Angeles and South of Santa Barbara, this is the real deal Pacific Coast where insiders know they can get a true taste of the Southern California beach life. The beaches themselves are a best-kept secret—from surfer’s paradise Rincon Point to wide sandy Oxnard beach—and the cities of Ventura, Camarillo, and Port Hueneme embody the laid-back Cali lifestyle. Plus, the bird-watching, hiking, and kayaking riches of the Channel Islands are just a boat ride away.
