The mysterious California mansion that spawned a haunted house craze

After he closed Cyrus, the Healdsburg, Calif., restaurant for which he’d earned two Michelin stars, in 2012, it took the chef Douglas Keane a decade to scout the dream locale for his new restaurant.

Arson likely caused a massive weekend fire that has indefinitely closed a vital section of a freeway in Los Angeles, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday.

Canada, our friendly northern neighbor, boasts extraordinarily diverse geography, from tall Rocky Mountain peaks to expansive flat prairie land and seaside communities on both coasts. With a smaller national population than that of California, it's perhaps unsurprising that Canada is also full of charming small towns and welcoming rural communities worth planning a trip around. You’ll find salty little enclaves, graced by orcas and world-class surfers in British Columbia; tiny mountain towns with Gold Rush history in the Yukon’s Grizzly country; and, of course, flannel-filled hubs for outdoors lovers who want to bike and hike in the country’s dramatic national parks. What links them together, though, is that small town spirit, and undeniable charm. (Don’t be surprised if your small town trip warrants big time vacation days—please like these are never easy to leave.)

Los Angeles’ city council appeared this week to have reached a political compromise with the local hotel workers’s union about a controversial plan to mandate that hotels temporarily house the homeless.

Over 112 million Americans traveled during the Christmas holiday last year, according to AAA Travel, a number that’s expected to be matched or surpassed this year. The first day of December is a popular air travel date for people who take extended, even month-long holiday vacations as airlines often offer discounted rates at that time of year. These hotels and resorts offer travelers all the bells and whistles one could desire from a vacation along with festive holiday activities.

While Instagram has long been the hotspot for influencers posting their luxurious travels to faraway destinations, TikTok is slowly dominating this space. The hashtag for "travel" videos has amassed over 220 billion views.

While Southern California cities like Santa Monica and Malibu earn abundant acclaim for their scenic beaches, they’re far from the only destinations worth visiting across Los Angeles County. Long renowned for its close ties to the film industry, Culver City has developed into one of the region’s most charming municipalities, loaded with high-end restaurants and hotels for newcomers to explore. As you plan your next visit to the Golden State, be sure to save some room on the itinerary to explore Culver City, a historic settlement that improves with each passing year.

Napa-based Chandon just unveiled Chandon Home - a completely redesigned wine tasting destination that features reimagined tasting spaces and experiences both indoors and out. It’s big news, in large part because this is not only the winery’s 50th anniversary (they’ve been crafting bubbly in California since 1973), but also because this is the first complete renovation to the winery since they opened their doors in 1977. President of Chandon, Arnaud de Saignes explains the process, “While the official unveiling of our Chandon California Home is perfectly timed to our 50th anniversary year in Napa Valley, it took us three years to enhance the beauty of our space and renovate our Home, creating new elevated culinary and sensory experiences with our wines as the hero.”

Perhaps nothing defines Los Angeles like the freeways: ribbons of asphalt and steel (and traffic jams) tying coast, valley and mountains together in a multilane, limited-access web. These highways were considered so essential that planners nearly jammed one right through the center of swanky Beverly Hills.

There's no more luxurious travel moment than kicking off your shoes after a long day of sightseeing and slipping those throbbing feet into a pair of lush hotel slippers. With your feet propped up on the bed, fuzzy lining soothes your soles—and your soul. But the harsh reality comes rushing in once you stand up. A few trips around the hotel room, and you realize, they’re nothing more than glorified feet warmers.

For many, the concept of Hell exists in another dimension. But in Belize, the entrance to the underworld is right below your feet. The small Central American nation is home to hundreds of caves, many of which visitors can explore. But they are more than just a place to go cave diving. These caves are said to be the pathway to Xibalba, or the Maya underworld. 

Southwest Airlines expanded its schedule for next summer with new routes to the Caribbean, Orlando, Mexico, and more.