South Lake Tahoe

A winter blizzard coated Lake Tahoe the night before I rounded the southern end and crossed from Nevada into California. This was the pristine wilderness that I'd come looking for. With snow covered trees as puffy as marshmallows and the lake like glass, the aftermath of the winter storm around Lake Tahoe was a stunning scene to behold.

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California

A standout along Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is chock-full of history, charm, and an upscale dose of vintage Tinseltown glamour. Opened in 1927, the Hollywood Roosevelt has hosted guests, parties, and movie shoots including everyone from Charlie Chaplin to Marilyn Monroe to Leonardo DiCaprio.

The Roosevelt Hotel is prime real estate if you're looking to make the most of your time in Hollywood. With so many watered down attractions screaming for your attention, the historic authenticity of the hotel provides some unique opportunities to explore.

For instance, the Oscars currently call the Dolby Theatre across the street home, but the very first Academy Awards actually took place right here in the Blossom Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. On May 16, 1929 it only took 15 minutes to hand out the awards.

Marilyn Monroe did a photo shoot for her first ever advertisement by the pool here. Supposedly during prohibition, actor Errol Flynn brewed up some bathtub gin in the backroom of the hotel's barbershop. Child star Shirley Temple took tap dancing lessons on one of the hotel's tiled stairways. And, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard had a "scandalous" affair in the penthouse. Not surprisingly, the Gable Lombard Penthouse now goes for thousands of dollars a night.

History like this makes you feel like you're rubbing elbows with the ghosts of legends. The Hollywood Roosevelt is trendy, modern, and as I found, a pretty photogenic hangout.