Your surfing and skiing adventure starts when you check into the Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, located in the historic Broadway District. Opened in January 2014, the Ace Hotel features 180 rooms, Michael Cimarusti's new Best Girl restaurant, and a rooftop bar and pool with spectacular panoramic views of the city. The hotel was originally built in 1927 as the United Artists Building - the adjacent 1,600-seat Theatre at Ace Hotel was restored to its former glory and celebrated its grand opening in February 2014 with a concert by Spiritualized. The hotel’s eclectic design features custom furniture, vinyl turntables in every room, and nods to 1920s flappers, gangsters, 70s punks, Hollywood glamour, Frank Lloyd Wright, Spanish Colonial and Mid-Century Modernism.

Surfing locations don’t get much more iconic than Malibu Lagoon State Beach, better known as Surfrider Beach and one of the most popular surfing spots in L.A. County. Surfrider Beach is located off Pacific Coast Highway near the historic Malibu Pier, about 40 minutes west of the hotel. The 110-acre site was dedicated as a state park in 1951, and it became the first World Surfing Reserve in October 2010. Surfrider has three primary surfing areas - on the south swells most common in late August and September, surfers can ride all the way to the pier. The famous right-break had a major influence on 1960s Southern California surfing culture. 

Experienced surfers should head 30 minutes southwest from the hotel to El Porto at Manhattan Beach, known as one of L.A.'s best spots for winter riding. Thanks to an underwater canyon, El Porto features large winter swells and fast closeouts, creating challenging surf conditions that are best left to the experts. Beginners will want to visit in the summer, when surf camps and surfing schools set up classes for all levels along the beach.

After your surfing session, head back to the hotel for a lunch break before you begin the second half of your day of adventure. In October 2017, Chef Michael Cimarusti (Providence, Connie & Ted's) opened Best Girl at the Ace Hotel. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Best Girl expands Cimarusti's repertoire beyond his acclaimed seafood.

To refuel for the snowy afternoon ahead, choose from hearty dishes like the Avocado "Alligator Pear" Toast, the Tonkatsu-Style Chicken Sandwich, or Frisee No Lardon (smoked black cod, poached egg, mustard vinaigrette).

Billing itself as Southern California’s closest winter resort, Mountain High is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of L.A. County, about 90 minutes east-northeast of Downtown L.A. Mountain High is actually three resorts in one, with each offering a wide variety of lifts and trails that appeal to all skill levels. The West Resort is traditionally the first area to open in Southern California, featuring everything from wide-open beginner areas to challenging black diamond trails. The East Resort offers the greatest vertical in Southern California serviced by a single high-speed quad. Its long trails make it perfect for carving, but the East Resort is also home to the Olympic Bowl, the longest, steepest bump run in the region. The family-friendly North Resort is great for beginning skiers, with another 70 acres of lower-level terrain. This resort also includes the North Pole Tubing Park with up to 12 lanes and two moving carpets.

Bear Mountain is another snow season option, located near Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains, about 2.5 hours from Downtown L.A. As the home of the only Superpipe in Southern California, Bear Mountain is favored by snowboarders, while Snow Summit, its sister resort that's located about two miles away, is more family friendly. Bear Mountain is also known as "The Park" because most of the runs contain terrain features. Unlike Snow Summit, if there's enough natural snow, the tree runs are open for skiing and snowboarding. Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White was frequently at Bear Mountain when he was very young. Bear Mountain has three main peaks: Bear Peak, Silver Mountain, and Goldmine Mountain. At 8,805 ft (2,684 m), Bear Peak is Southern California's highest lift-served peak.