L.A. road trips: On one tank of gas

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Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park

One-tank road trip? In these $4-for-a-gallon-of-gas times, you can do better. How about a quarter-tank road trip? About 50 miles north of downtown Los Angeles in Agua Dulce, Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park lets you escape the city without your wallet feeling the pinch. It’s named after outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez, who used the rocks to hide from authorities, and it’s easy to see how he did it: the dramatic rock formations that create an alien-like landscape. In fact, sci-fi shows such as “ Star Trek” and “The Outer Limits” have been filmed here. Entering the Vasquez Rocks, it’s hard not to be in awe of the huge slabs of sandstone that jut from the ground at a 45-degree angle. Some of the formations are steep, but most rise gently enough to explore on foot. The rocks are gnarled so getting a firm foothold is easy.

What to do when you’re there: Hiking naturally comes to mind when you’re in the park. The easy slopes and textured surfaces of the rock formations almost beg to be climbed. This is not your typical follow-the-path hike either. Although you can find trails in some parts of the park, you’re left to find your own path among the rocks. Be careful, however. Some of the slopes are steeper than they appear, and it’s easy to wander farther than you intended given the area’s vastness.

Vasquez Rocks offers little shade, so unless you don’t mind the heat (and you have a hat, plenty of water and sunscreen), wait till it cools off. The park also offers tables and benches for picnickers. For those wanting a more natural experience, the park’s shady caves make a nice stop for a snack. Other activities include horseback riding, tours and organized camping for youths.

Getting there: The entrance to Vasquez Rocks is at 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Road in Agua Dulce. Take Interstate 5 north to the California 14 and exit Agua Dulce Canyon Road. More info: parks.co.la.ca.us/vasquez_narea.html.

-- Jason La

Kimberly Crest House & Gardens, Redlands

If you’re a fool for historic houses, as I am, you cannot help but enjoy the Kimberly Crest mansion. The air quality and the heat index can be an issue in the Inland Empire summer, but the cool elegance of this French chateau in the middle of Smog Central is so unexpected that it is, well, sort of a breath of fresh air.

The Kimberlys of the mansion were John Alfred and Helen Kimberly, as in Kimberly-Clark of paper-products fame. (Think Kleenex and Huggies.) They bought the house in 1905 and added Italian gardens about four years later. Their daughter, Mary Shirk, lived in the house until her death in 1979.

Most of the furnishings are original to the home, which means elegant and irreplaceable and maybe a little too my-God-what-if-I-break-something for my comfort. It’s really the gardens that continue to draw me. Somehow, the ponds seem to make the whole place breathe, even when the heat threatens to sear your lungs (although when it’s really hot, you can’t help but think this was the right place for shooting the 1981 film “Hell Night.”) And Redlands’ plethora of Victorian and Queen Anne homes (as well as the Smiley Library, a triumph of Mission-style décor) add to the sense that SoCal has history after all.

Getting there: Take Interstate 10 about 60 miles east to the Ford Street exit in Redlands. For info: www.kimberlycrest.org.

-- Catharine Hamm

Neptune’s Net

The Net turned 50 this year, like many of its most-loyal customers. This seafood joint is so popular that it’s almost a cliché. But it’s also so far north, just beyond the Ventura County line, that a surprising number of Angelenos have never checked it out.

Go for a sunset dinner after a long day at the beach. Sandy and wrapped in towels? They won’t care. And don’t be put off by the number of motorcycles. This is the biker joint that welcomes kids.

Frankly, SoCal could use more joints like this, where people still eat for pleasure and the food is more important than the décor. Seating consists of picnic tables, and there’s no table service. The seafood comes steamed, fried or raw. The New England-style chowder is a surfer favorite, and the menu offers cheeseburgers and hot dogs as well.

With a setting like this, across from one of the coast’s wildest surf lines, you could serve Spam on a stick and the customers would still queue up. In fact, the food is quite good, though a tad more expensive than you would expect, given the shanty surroundings.

Like many of the L.A. area’s most popular institutions -- Disneyland, Santa Monica Pier, the Central Lockup -- Neptune’s Net is best avoided on weekends. But don’t let the Saturday lines deter you. The place is built for speed and seldom disappoints.

Getting there: Take Pacific Coast Highway north, way north, past Leo Carrillo State Beach and Mulholland Highway. Neptune’s Net is just over the Ventura County line, on the right, at 42505 Pacific Coast Highway; (310) 457-3095, www.neptunesnet.com.

-- Chris Erskine

Carpinteria State Beach, Calif.

Just 12 miles down the coast from fashionable Santa Barbara, which touts itself as the American Riviera, lies a more humble haven. Carpinteria State Beach may be the ultimate picnic spot for smog-weary Angelenos.

Arrive early on weekends to claim a table on covered patios near what some dub “the world’s safest beach,” known for its gentle swells and lack of rip currents. Or go any time during the week or in winter, when fewer people visit.

Bring a big cooler stuffed with lunch and snacks so you can spend all day at the beach. You’ll find plenty to do.

Swim, body-surf or boogie-board. Stroll or jog for miles along the beach. Comb for seashells at low tide. Wade into waters near the San Miguel Campground, where anemones, crabs and other tide-pool creatures inhabit a rocky formation.

Hike the Carpinteria Beach Trail along the coast and bluffs that overlook the Harbor Seal Preserve, where passels of pinnipeds sun themselves in winter.

Or just grab a book and enjoy the gentle breezes and salt air.

Hours fly by. Before you know it, a chill sets in and crimson starts creeping up the sky. Time to pack up.

Getting there: Carpinteria State Beach is about 80 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, right off U.S. 101. By car, it takes about 90 minutes, longer in weekend traffic. By train, Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner takes about 2 1/2 hours. For more information: (805) 968-1033, www.parks.ca.gov. (Click on “Visit a Park.”)

-- Jane Engle