On a family vacation with EXP Journeys—which plans bespoke adventure trips—writer Jen Murphy gains a unique perspective on the beloved destination.

Gage Matzen, 27, spent three months trekking across the nation on his own, from Virginia to the Northern Plains to the Cascades. Here's how it went.

Now, Santa Clarita, a sprawling Los Angeles suburb perhaps best known to outsiders for fast-growing master-planned communities and subdivisions, wants in on the action, betting big on mountain bikes ...