Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes is what I think of as a real getaway without really getting away.

READ ON TO FIND OUT WHY...

I just got back from Seattle, WA Sunday and while I'm putting together a more comprehensive view of everything I enjoyed, this week I'm sharing some recent fun excursions in Los Angeles.

We wanted to hike in Malibu, so my friends and I reviewed some options and decided on Solstice Canyon. It's about an hour — on a good day — from the South Bay. The day we chose was a nice balance of sunshine and clouds, so it wasn't too hot.

We chose Solstice Canyon because of the remains of two buildings — which seemed historic and exciting in some way — and the potential sight of a waterfall. With the drought, we weren't expecting much. But we got a lot.

READ ON TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE KIND-OF EXISTENT WATERFALL...

Utah and Las Vegas have been primary visiting points these last few years. Maybe because it's within driving distance. And if you're driving from Los Angeles to Utah, you go right through Las Vegas, so you might as well stop.

When I'm in Vegas, I don't drink, gamble, or usually go out to show off my moves at a club. So what the heck do I do?

Surprisingly for some, Las Vegas is actually more than just for partying. For example, there's places like the Neon Museum.

FIND OUT WHY THIS IS A MUST-SEE PLACE...

Aside from wanting to see the ice castles, I just really wanted to experience winter. Or at least what winter should feel like. So while all my Utah friends were super happy it wasn't snowing, and there wasn't really snow on the ground, I was personally super disappointed. I wanted snow. I wanted to make snow angels, have a snowball fight, freeze a little bit, and make a snowman. I always want to build a snowman.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR MINUTE IN BRIGHTON

I've been to Utah about four times in the past four years. For different reasons and different lengths of time... so far in the fall and winter. I'm not a local, but I usually stay with people who have grown up in or around Salt Lake City.

The four places I've chosen as my favorites were chosen because they're the ones I consistently visit every time I'm there, and they're still just as fun/interesting/beautiful to me as the first time I explored them.

READ ON TO SEE MY FAVORITES...

I'm taking a trip this weekend and I realized I never shared some of my trips from earlier this year. So I guess this is like a "take-me-back-Tuesday," and tomorrow's "way-back-Wednesday," etc., because these trips were way worthwhile.

It was the end of January when I journeyed to Utah with my friend Krystal. Why go to Utah since it's snowy and usually freezing cold?

We had the intention of seeing the ice castles in Midway.

Aside from snow sports (which we didn't get to do) this is probably the only other exciting thing that seems to happen in Utah winter. The ice castles are only open for a small window of the year, but it's also dependent on the weather.

Spoiler alert: we did not get to see the ice castles because it wasn't cold enough, so they only opened for one weekend – the weekend before we came – and never reopened. That was a huge bummer. But all was not lost!

FIND OUT WHAT WE ENDED UP DOING INSTEAD...