From My Travel Readings This Week:
California's Wealthiest Suburb In 2025 Is A Tree-Lined Haven Packed With Boutiques, Cafés, And Small-Town Charm By Lauren Kershner Aug. 1, 2025 7:15 pm EST
Gleaming with affluent cities like San Francisco and Malibu – whose star-studded beaches are lined with luxurious oceanfront homes – California hosts an array of expensive destinations. According to data collected by GOBanking Rates, as of 2025, the Golden State's wealthiest suburb is Los Altos. Located on the outskirts of San José, the average household income is around $404,000. Given that the average household income for California is $136,730 (24% higher than the national average, per Income By Zip Code), it's quite a whopping number.
However, despite Los Altos' price tag, the city exudes plenty of small-town charm. Its historic downtown comprises picturesque streets lined with lush trees, quaint sidewalk cafés, and cute boutiques that lend to its village-like vibes. Surrounded by scenic hills and deep canyons, Los Altos is a glittering gem in the heart of Silicon Valley, offering everything from fine dining experiences to outdoor adventures. If you want to bask in the riches of one of California's wealthiest destinations, but you still want a warm, small-town atmosphere, pack your bags for Los Altos.
Shop and dine in Los Altos' charm-filled downtown Mattgush/Getty Images
If you're flying into the area, landing at San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) – one of America's least-crowded airports – will place you about a 30-minute drive from Los Altos. To soak in the small-town splendor, head to the historic downtown district. Nestled within its six-block radius, you'll find a treasure trove of shops and eateries. Better yet, the neighborhood offers free street parking, as well as complimentary plaza parking, for added convenience.
If you're a shopaholic, there's an array of local boutiques to explore. Répéter Consignment boasts a collection of chic secondhand apparel from brands like Banana Republic and Prada, while Sethi's showroom sparkles with designer jewelry and home decor. If you're shopping for a gift or a souvenir, Cranberry Scoop has been a neighborhood favorite since the 1970s, dishing out unique accessories, greeting cards, and personalized treasures.
After shopping up an appetite, venture to a charming café like Le Boulanger, whose fresh-baked pastries and beloved sourdough breads are served alongside gourmet coffee. For heartier fare, grab a table at Los Altos Grill. Tucked into dark, wood-paneled booths and stone walls, the intimate restaurant is the perfect backdrop for enjoying classic American entrees with a Southwestern twist and sipping glasses of Napa Valley wine.
Indulge in an overnight retreat in Los Altos Mattgush/Getty Images
After exploring the quaint downtown streets dotted with unique art sculptures and old-fashioned lamp posts, settle in for the night at one of Los Altos' idyllic hotels. Most enchanting is the appropriately named Enchanté Boutique Hotel. Inspired by a lavish French chateau, the elegantly appointed hotel will transport you to Paris with its luxurious guest rooms adorned with European furniture and art. You needn't wander far for dining to get a taste of France, either. The hotel's on-site bistro, Campagne One Main, serves delectable French-American cuisine, with outdoor dining available on its picturesque patio.
If you're on a more limited budget, book your stay at Courtyard Palo Alto Los Altos. The tidy hotel offers comfortable, modern rooms minutes from downtown Los Altos. While you're in the area, take a journey to California's most bizarre mansion that's supposedly haunted, the Winchester Mystery House in San José. The home's former owner, Sarah Winchester, played a pivotal role in the creation of Los Altos after building a sprawling ranch on the land that now comprises downtown.
Meanwhile, here's The 3 Best Hidden Hot Spring Hikes In California
By Sharon Kong Perring Oct. 20, 2024 10:45 am EST
Siraphob Tatiyarat/Getty Images
Soaking in a hot spring pool sounds like something straight out of a hotel's spa service menu — an experience that could cost you a pretty penny in a curated bathhouse, especially somewhere in California. But in the state of glamorous saunas and expensive hotels, there are some hidden spots where you don't necessarily have to break the bank to indulge in a spa-like atmosphere. California has some geothermal wonders that are non-commercialized, natural hot spring pools that the public is permitted to use at low or no costs. However, some of these natural saunas can be a bit hidden and off the beaten path, necessitating substantial walks or hikes to get to them. The trek is often well worth it, though, offering its own experience apart from the pools themselves. As the adage says, sometimes it's about the journey, not the destination.
There are dozens upon dozens of pools, both natural and manmade, from the unspoiled to the built bathhouse, in California — so much so that sites like CaliHotSprings.com offer insight into the pros and cons of each site. Focusing on hot springs with lovely journeys and positive reviews on Cali Hot Springs and Google, this list features the five best hidden hot spring hikes. Accounting for decent lodging availability, trail intensity, and reviewer experience, you can't go wrong visiting California and experiencing any of these natural spa spots.
Hilltop Hot Springs (Near Benton Crossing, California)
A decent option for the beginner hot spring aficionado, Hilltop Hot Springs is a remote pool filled via pipes that funnel the area's plentiful, natural geothermal water. Highly rated by travelers on Google, the pool is known for its expansive, panoramic vistas of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a prime spot for the best autumn views in California. The hike here is more of a well-marked walking path which only takes about 15 minutes from the pool's small parking lot and totals a little more than half a mile. Despite its rather curated experience, the pool is still very much in nature, so visitors are strongly encouraged to leave the pool as they found it — take your trash, avoid using glass, and carry out anything else you may have brought with you.
Yosemite National Park is only about 50 miles away from this spot, an easy day trip from any lodgings you choose in that area. Mammoth Lake is even closer, only 16 miles from the Hilltop Hot Spring. The combination of its short, but sweet hike, beautifully remote location, and budget-friendly status (read: free to the public), Hilltop Hot Springs is an easy way to experience a hidden gem.
Wild Willy's Hot Springs (Near Benton Crossing, California) melissamn/Shutterstock
The benefit of Wild Willy's Hot Springs, one of the most widely known "hidden" hot springs in California, is that there are a few (sort of) facilities that make arriving and getting to the hot spring just a little bit easier. It is outfitted with a small parking lot and a nicely constructed boardwalk to even out the 10-minute hike to the pools, making it one of the more developed options on this list. "Hidden" definitely describes these popular pools — plunged in the depths of the grasslands (enough that bathers are comfortable going in the nude), the boardwalk is a real help since you likely won't get lost. The trail is elevated; and, in total, it's about a half-mile round trip from the parking lot to the springs and back. If you're a beginner hiker and looking for an easy hot spring, then Wild Willy's is likely for you. But beware, you will be driving on unpaved, dirt roads for at least a mile-and-a-half before arriving at the lot off the main road, so take caution of weather and vehicle types.
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