Trip ideas
Day trips from the Antelope Valley
Outings that church groups, senior centers and clubs love. Each one is the whole van for your group, door to door, on the date you pick.
Holiday trips first
Pick a trip, then pick your date
- Holiday edition
Reagan Library
Air Force One and the presidential museum in Simi Valley. A Christmas edition runs in the holiday season.
- Year-round; holiday displays late November through December
- About 1 hr 33 min each way from Lancaster
- Easy walking
$1,160 for the whole van, about 8 hours (estimate)
- Holiday edition
Christmas lights night
Dinner in Pasadena, then a slow drive down Altadena's Christmas Tree Lane with carols playing in the van.
- Early December to early January
- About 1 hr 23 min each way from Lancaster
- Easy walking
$870 for the whole van, about 6 hours (estimate)
- Holiday edition
Rose Parade floats up close
See the finished Rose Parade floats in Pasadena in the days after the parade, without the pre-dawn crowds.
- January 1 to 3 (post-parade float viewing)
- About 1 hr 23 min each way from Lancaster
- More walking
$945 for the whole van, about 6.5 hours (estimate)
- Holiday edition
Solvang and Mission Santa Inés
The Danish village: bakeries, shops and the old mission. At Christmas it becomes Julefest.
- Year-round; Julefest from late November to early January
- About 3 hr 17 min each way from Lancaster
- Some walking
$1,885 for the whole van, about 13 hours (estimate)
Mission and history day
Mission San Fernando and the Nethercutt Collection of classic cars, a short drive from home.
- Year-round
- About 1 hr each way from Lancaster
- Easy walking
$870 for the whole van, about 6 hours (estimate)
The Getty Center
Art, gardens and the view over Los Angeles. A tram carries you up the hill.
- Year-round
- About 1 hr 14 min each way from Lancaster
- Easy walking
$1,160 for the whole van, about 8 hours (estimate)
The Huntington
Library, art collections and famous gardens in San Marino, with lunch or tea.
- Year-round; roses and camellias in spring
- About 1 hr 29 min each way from Lancaster
- Some walking
$1,235 for the whole van, about 8.5 hours (estimate)
Theater matinee
A Broadway touring show at the Pantages or the Ahmanson, with dinner on the way home.
- Year-round
- About 1 hr 17 min each way from Lancaster
- Easy walking
$1,160 for the whole van, about 8 hours (estimate)
Santa Barbara Mission and the wharf
The 'Queen of the Missions', then lunch by the water on Stearns Wharf.
- Year-round
- About 2 hr 35 min each way from Lancaster
- Some walking
$1,670 for the whole van, about 11.5 hours (estimate)
Casino day
A relaxed day at a Southern California casino resort, with lunch on your own.
- Year-round
- About 1 hr 45 min each way from Lancaster
- Easy walking
$1,450 for the whole van, about 10 hours (estimate)
Las Vegas getaway
Two or three days in Las Vegas for your group, door to door from home.
- Year-round; overnight trips only
- About 4 hr 35 min each way from Lancaster
- Some walking
Overnight trip: ask for a price
Poppy Morning
California poppies at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, then lunch back in Lancaster.
- Mid-February to May; best from late March to mid-April
- About 30 min each way from Lancaster
- Some walking
$655 for the whole van, about 4.5 hours (estimate)
Dodgers day game
Baseball at Dodger Stadium, without the drive or the parking lot.
- April to September
- About 1 hr 27 min each way from Lancaster
- Some walking
$1,090 for the whole van, about 7.5 hours (estimate)
Pageant of the Masters
Laguna Beach's famous living paintings, with the art festival and dinner first.
- July to early September
- About 2 hr 25 min each way from Lancaster
- Some walking
$1,525 for the whole van, about 10.5 hours (estimate)
For organizers
Want the list on paper, or have an idea of your own?
Mail me the trip ideas
A printed copy for your committee or bulletin board.
Suggest a trip
Somewhere your group has always wanted to go? Tell us.
Ask Eugene to call you
Talk it through on the phone. He calls back as soon as he is not driving.
Ready to plan your group's day?
Send the date and where you would like to go, or call Eugene and plan it together.