I have a car and a free afternoon and I do not want a plane. Need a day out of LA, where are you driving. Ojai, Big Bear, Santa Barbara, Idyllwild, I have seen the names. I want the version locals actually do in one day and still get home without feeling wrecked on the 101.
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Cafe Aroma in Idyllwild is the stop. Coffee, mountain air, and you skip the Big Bear weekend crush. Two hours up, walk the town, drive home.
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Idyllwild Brewpub after the walk. Beer, a sit-down, and you are still back in Pasadena before the 10 turns into a parking lot. That is the whole day for me.
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Arroyo Burro Beach in Santa Barbara if I want water. Cliff Drive, sand, and it does not feel like Venice with extra steps. Leave early, eat in town, roll back down the 101 before the Sunday return crush.
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Stearns Wharf is the easy Santa Barbara stop. Park once, walk the pier, and you have a day that does not require a hike plan. Go early because parking fills, then you still have time to be home for dinner.
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Big Bear Alpine Zoo on Moonridge if I want mountains without pretending I am going skiing. It is a real stop, animals, and kids or no kids it gives the day a point besides driving. Leave by 8 or you eat the whole day on the 210.
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Bart's Books in Ojai is the one I keep repeating. Outdoor bookstore on Matilija, you wander, you sit, you are out of the city without a wilderness permit. Ojai Valley Museum is right there if you want one more indoor hour. I take the 101, I do not try to make it a wine tour, and I am back in Pasadena the same night. That is a day out, not a production.
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BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills. It's a Hindu temple with beautiful surroundings. An experience unmatched by any place I've been to. It's peaceful and calming. The entire complex is open to everyone and free to enter. It's the perfect city escape.
They also have a bunch of nice parks in that area, like Stagecoach Park or Bane Canyon.
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I usually go south to Carlsbad or Oceanside, sometimes as far as Encinitas. Grandview Beach / Stonesteps Beach are beautiful.
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That's a beautiful place. 
Never even heard of that one.
I'll add it to my bucket list.
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The best part is that it's not even overrun. The outside areas are huge. The temple is handcrafted. An architectural masterpiece.
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Joshua Tree National Park is like 2 1/2 hours away. It's a breathtaking destination with a unique desert landscape, iconic Joshua trees, dramatic rock formations, stunning sunsets. It also has shorter, less strenuous hikes.
I would still take a hotel for one day. Maybe somewhere in Twentynine Palms.
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