California: Land of Dreams
Northern California
San Francisco
From the Golden Gate Bridge to Fisherman's Wharf to cable car rides to Chinatown, San Francisco is a delight! Start with a drive over the Golden Gate Bridge. This architectural masterpiece connects San Francisco to its northcoast neighbor, Marin County.
Next head straight to the north end to Fisherman's Wharf for a crab cocktail and a tour of the Maritime Museum. While at the Wharf, head to Pier 39 for some serious shopping. Continue at Ghirardelli Square and stop for an ice cream sundae. Next pay a visit to that most famous of prisons, Alcatraz.
Alcatraz Island, in the San Francisco Bay, was converted to a Federal prison in 1934. Open for only 29 years, today it is open for both day and night tours. Continue your travel with a meal in Chinatown. If you have any energy left, there is more shopping to be enjoyed (with the huge and wonderful department stores near Nob Hill and the Financial District. While you easily can do all of this on foot, you don't want to miss riding the cable cars! This is just the beginning of what San Francisco has to offer!
Wine Country
With more than 300 wineries — from primitive earthen cellars to tourist-friendly operations that push the envelope of viniculture — the valleys of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties have become major vacation destinations and home to some of the most exclusive addresses in the country. These four counties offer not only some of the finest wines produced in the world, but also great restaurants and bed and breakfasts nestled among vineyards and countrysides that must be seen in person to be truly appreciated. No book, postcard or photograph can do them justice.
Yosemite
Yosemite National Park embraces almost 1,200 square miles of scenic wild lands set aside in 1890 to preserve a portion of the central Sierra Nevada that stretches along California's eastern flank. The park ranges from 2,000 feet above sea level to more than 13,000 feet and has these major attractions; alpine wilderness, three groves of Giant Sequoias and the glacially carved Yosemite Valley with impressive waterfalls, cliffs and unusual rock formations. The park has amazing viewing waterfalls and well-known rock features in Yosemite Valley; the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias and historic Wawona area; drive or hike to Glacier Point, an overlook with a commanding view of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome and the High Sierras.
Lake Tahoe
No trip to Lake Tahoe is complete without experiencing the lake's 72-mile shoreline drive. It's a journey filled with pristine scenic beauty, old-growth stands of Ponderosa, Sugar, and Jeffery Pine forests, a lake so large that its shoreline is in two states, and enough recreation and entertainment to provide a summer of memories. If you're there in the winter, Lake Tahoe offers some of the best skiing in the United States. Plus, whatever season you visit, you can always spend time in Tahoe's great casinos, restaurants and nightclubs.
Southern California
The beach. The mountains. The desert. The woods. The stars in Hollywood. Find all of this and more in California.
When you're in Southern California, you're within driving distance of the sandy beaches of San Diego, the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, or the breezy shores of Santa Barbara. You can ski down the slopes of Big Bear in the San Bernadino mountains in the morning and enjoy a few hours next to a pool in Palm Springs that same afternoon.
San Diego
Home to some of the world's most beautiful beaches - in La Jolla, Coronado or Del Mar - San Diego is the place to experience the famous Southern California beach lifestyle. But San Diego is more than sun and surf. There is the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Sea World, the historic Gaslamp District, Old Town and Balboa Park, which offer glimpses into California history accented by museums, shops and great restaurants.
Orange County
Tucked in between San Diego and Los Angeles counties, Orange County offers a wide variety of things to do and places to see. There are beautiful beach towns like Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. Further up the road you can visit Disneyland in Anaheim and take a ride on Space Mountain or the Matterhorn. And you won't want to miss some of the best shopping around at the famous South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island shopping malls: Top retailers, hundreds of smaller shops, cafes, restaurants, movie theaters and more!
Los Angeles
Hooray for Hollywood; a trip to Los Angeles isn't complete without finding your favorite entertainer's star on Hollywood Boulevard. You can check out great musicians at the House of Blues or at the Universal Amphitheater, Wiltern Theater or Hollywood Bowl. You'll also have the chance to see West Coast productions of top Broadway shows.
Visit the amazing new Getty Museum on the hill overlooking L.A.'s "west side" or stroll along the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Shop and people-watch along Melrose, Rodeo Drive, Sunset Boulevard or the Beverly Center. Whether you're in Malibu or Pasadena, Century City or Long Beach, Los Angeles never runs out of things to offer.
Palm Springs
Hop on a bike for a leisurely ride or tackle some nearby trails for real mountain biking adventure. Grab your golf clubs for a day at some of the finest courses in the country, or grab your racquet for some tennis. Take a stroll through the shops and stores along downtown Palm Springs' "strip," or lace up your boots for a hike through the nearby mountains. If you feel like putting on some sunscreen and relaxing by the pool - you can do that in Palm Springs all year long. Play hard or just take it easy -- Palm Springs is for you.
Santa Barbara
A cozy enclave along the Pacific Ocean, Santa Barbara is known for its fabulous climate, beautiful beaches and its place in California history. Santa Barbara retains the feel of a small beach town. Overlooking the city itself is the Mission Santa Barbara, perhaps the most beautiful and impressive of all the California missions.
Mexican restaurants and seafood eateries are Santa Barbara specialties. Of course, there are the Santa Barbara beaches. These quintessential palm-shaded California beaches attract plenty of swimmers, sunbathers, picnickers, volleyball players and beachcombers. No trip to Santa Barbara would be complete without visiting Stearns Wharf, California’‘s oldest pedestrian pier.
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