Not much on display. A few fashion photos, no architecture. Cheeky volunteer. No place to sit…read more Bathroom was fine fine

As a valley resident, I had a wonderful time on our tour learning about modern architecture. There…read morewere locations that I never even knew existed, let alone the history of those buildings. Our tour guide Tommy made the experience one of a kind. His passion and expertise kept me engaged throughout the 2.5 hour tour. I want to thank our driver Tammy as she made sure we all stayed on course and on time. I would highly recommend everyone to try this tour and see what Palm Springs has to offer.

Pasadena Heritage lecture "Tribute to Julia Morgan, Architect", was held January 21, 2012 in honor…read moreof Julie Morgan's 140th birthday, the 35th anniversary of the founding of PH and to raise awareness for the possible preservation, renovation and restoration of JM's YWCA (1921) located at Marengo and Holly in Pasadena which has been listed on PH's most endangered list for many years. This was a very informative, well attended presentation on the City's historic civic center plan, JM's bio and body of work, architecture and construction of the YWCA as well as the past and present function of the structure and possibilities for reuse. The second part of this program may be scheduled in the Fall of 2012. Julia Morgan, California's first licensed woman architect, is known for her work at Hearst Castle, in addition to her work in SF, Oakland, No. California and for the design and construction of YWCA buildings throughout California, Utah, Arizona, and Hawaii including 14 structures at the Asilomar Conference Grounds (originally YWCA) in Pacific Grove. Bernard Maybeck was her mentor.

For the past 16 years, Pasadena Heritage has been hosting the annual Craftsman weekend, which…read moreaccording to their website is "the largest and most comprehensive celebration in the Western United States." Throughout this weekend, you can take both bus and/or walking tours of historic neighborhoods, but the highlight of the weekend is the Craftsman House Tour where you get to visit six distinctive period homes, Not only do you get to see the interiors of these beautiful homes, you'll also have trained docents inside who will give you historical facts and architectural info about the home itself. So if you have a love of the American Arts & Craftsman movement, than why not take advantage of being local to a part of the country where you can see beautiful examples of this distinct architectural and design style. I certainly did last year and with Annual Craftsman Weekend coming around again in October, you can too. To see the pics I took while on the 2006 Craftsman House Tour, check out the link below: http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594566541113/

This was a fantastic find on Yelp. My wife and I enjoy finding out historical information on…read morecities we visit and have taken many tours over the years. David Jensen does a terrific job as your guide and host. We made our reservations online, very easy. David showed up on time. He covered everything he describes on the information and more. Carlsbad as well as the general coastal area have a fascinating history that David took the time to describe. The walk and pace are very easy and David does a great job being loud enough for people like myself to to hear. You cover the history of the area. Visit key sites where building still stand or once stood. You learn about the regions flower/apprentice industry and about an unlikely "historian", city benefactor. Yes, this was a very enjoyable tour, well worth the low cost and if you are in Carlsbad, we would highly recommend David Jensen's tour!

From the owner: Enjoy a 90 minute tour by a professional tour guide that will explain the history of Carlsbad…read morestarting from the 1880's . You will stroll through historical buildings and the Village as you learn about the past that shaped this iconic beach town with history. Learn about the famous mineral water and how the city was named and founded. Along the way, we will point our great restaurants, shops , and things to do in Carlsbad. Don't miss this tour on your visit!

My dear friend was visiting from out of town and I decided to book the Haunted Tales walking tour…read moreto kill a few hours in DTLA before his flight home. I'm so happy I did that, as we ended up having a great time! I have already recommended this walking tour to several friends and am happy to do so with anyone else thinking about checking it out. My one suggestion is this: Ask for Brandon! Our guide, Brandon, was simply fabulous. He was knowledgeable and passionate about the macabre, as well as the general, history of Los Angeles. I was surprised to hear that he had only done about 20 tours ... anyone would believe he's been doing this for decades! Brandon was very organized, told us interesting stories and shared personal anecdotes and photos throughout the tour. He was laid back and was able to answer all questions ... it was like exploring downtown with an old friend. Thanks for a great experience!

These walking tours are awesome. I have been to a few. You meet lots of great people. You also…read morelearn a lot about the city. I remember that my favorite was an evening walking tour in the summer. We went around DTLA to look at the art installations around town. I highly recommend these walking tours. You can definitely enjoy them even if you go alone because everyone is so nice.

Great tour! Fantastic guide! Comfy van! Can't go wrong with this tour. You get all the highlights…read morein a short time.

When visiting Palm Desert in mid-February, the concierge recommended the Legends & Icons tour with…read moreFive Star. We met up with Annette and her sprinter van which was packed to the gills! We got the very last seats in the back with our friends. It was an unseasonably cold day with pouring rain. PS gets 1-4" rain per year, and received 1" of that on the day of our tour! Annette said the heat was on (and I did feel it further upfront when disembarking), but I was freezing the entire time in the last set of seats. The tour itself was good - Annette was full of stories and very entertaining. We were glad we opted for a guided tour like this versus a self-guided walking tour. It lasted close to 2 hrs and costs $130/person. Note that the tour did NOT include the tour of the Rat Pack Hideway specifically listed on their website tour description spelled out below. The asterisk they added just lists the people who partied and played, and the elongated plus sign was probably meant to be a disclaimer that we may not see this property, but there is no such disclaimer or explanation of that symbol anywhere that I could find on their site. "The Rat Pack Hideaway: Tour the private property of The Rat Pack Hideaway, where Frank, Dino, and Sammy partied and played.*† ( We are the only company given access to exclusive movie star properties.)" Regardless, the tour was good with lots of info and recommendations for places to eat and explore further (although covered so quickly the none of us could recall specifics after we left!) It was hard to see much of some homes, hidden behind gates/landscaping. A tour of an actual home, such as the Rat Pack hangout, would have been awesome.

Annette is an extraordinarily gifted tour guide. My 92 year old aunt and I loved every minute of…read morethe information packed, Tour #1, "Legends and Icons" We saw Palm Springs through the eyes of longtime resident, Annette, who shares her deep affection for her town and its people, history, and unique geographic features. We actually felt genuine pathos as she shared the little known and very touching details of each location along the tour. The way it works is to travel in a super modern luxury van while Annette drives and comments and stops at points along the way. This is not a walking tour. This is not a go-inside-the homes/businesses tour. This is a thorough overview of the Palm Springs area including parts of adjoining locals. The brochure is clear and accurate. What I can add to it is that Annette makes the experience really special and makes you feel like she really cares that you have a great tour. It's proof of the old saying, "nobody cares how much you know unless they know how much you care." Annette cares a lot about Palm Springs and about her business of giving tourists an outstanding tour of the area. We are so glad we took this tour.

Great company! Five Star creates wonderful experiences for people...the tours are interesting and…read morehelpful and their dinner events are entertaining!! Great company with wonderful people.

I came here for an event today so really my review is tailored more towards the events that Casa is…read moreholding but also to acknowledge the fabulous grounds and building though I admit I don't have full context for the history or background. I would definitely come back here to learn about the house and to take the guided tour. This wasn't the purpose for me coming today but the gentleman who works here noted that it's a great tour and I know friends who have enjoyed learning about the family and the history of the house, getting a deeper dive of information. I came here with some friends for their first hosted event Sound Bath. A wellness day if you will. From start to finish everything was very organized and thoughtful. The staff hosting the event and the spiritual wellness guide and sound healer was wonderful. Everyone was nice and you felt welcomed. Not pretentious and just very positive and good vibes. We had a nice group and everyone was respectful and on time for the sound bath so it went off without issue. It was a relaxing experience and the grounds were very nice to hold this outdoor event. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, we found an area with shade, very nice. Very faint sounds of cars in the distance here and there which wasn't ideal but out of their control and once things settled in you really couldn't hear much external noise. After the relaxing sound bath we were offered tea and light pastry snacks. I opted for a water and began exploring the grounds instead of partaking in the refreshments. The grounds are lush and lovely, very zen. Loved the beautiful trees and walkways with small fountains and running water. It was green and pretty all around from the recent rains. Definitely a great location for events and to learn a little SB history. I will definitely do my research and come back again soon.

Yikes, this is an expensive tour but it is a rarity to see a period house with most of the original…read moreoccupants furnishings etc. The tours are docent led and very informative. If you like these types of tours, this one is quite worth it.

Chris, our guild was outstanding. He gave a detailed history of San Diego which helped with the…read morehistory of balboa park. I would highly recommend. What made this walk interesting to me was the before pictures of the buildings that he was discussing . The tour was about 2 hrs.

Kris is fantastic! We had a great time walking around La Jolla and getting to know some of the…read morehistory of the area! Highlight was all the seals and sea lions! Lots of photo opps along the way! Absolutely a must do and highly recommend!