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Places to go in California

California is a large state and is blessed with many natural and manmade attractions, so it would be

impossible to see all of what California has to offer in one trip. The sights you plan to visit will

depend on your interests and where you are planning to base yourself. Will you aim to cover

Southern California from San Diego? Northern California from San Francisco? Are you planning on

hiking in Yosemite National park with a city break outside of California in the ostentatious casino

capital Las Vegas? There are so many options available to visitors to this wonderful West Coast state

and so we will put together a list of the ‘top five sights’ for each area of California and hopefully it

will inspire you in your planning of your Californian adventure!

Southern California

1. Hollywood

You cannot visit Los Angeles without visiting Hollywood! The glitzy capital of American film

has intoxicated film buffs and tourists for generations and the extremely popular bus tours

of the stars homes, though kitschy, are a great insight into how the other 1% live. Taking in

the famous boardwalk along Hollywood Blvd will fill your mind with the stars of yesteryear

and will lead you to the famous Chinese Theater.

2. Disneyland

The original Disney theme park and a huge attraction in its own right, Disneyland can take up

a whole week of your trip if you wanted. One or two days will allow you to see the highlights

of the park such as Main Street USA, Space Mountain and the Indiana Jones Adventure. All

inclusive hotels within the ground are extremely popular and will need to be booked well in

advance.

3. San Diego Zoo

One of the most famous zoos in the United States and also one of the biggest in the world,

San Diego Zoo is not just for children. With exhibits dealing with different areas of the world

and educational tours showing you how certain species are being protected the zoo offers so

much and can be combined (with a special ticket) with a visit to the equally entertaining Sea

World!

4. Palm Springs

This desert resort is highly popular with retirees and outdoor fanatics alike and offers a very

dry climate with rain being extremely rare. The golf courses situated here are rightly

considered some of the best in the country and the spas and relaxation retreats are highly

popular, especially after a day hiking in the beautiful surroundings.

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5. Malibu

You cannot go to SoCal without making a trip to the beach and Malibu Beach is probably the

most renowned of them all with great sandy beaches and some great surfing. Mingle with

the blonde surf dudes and bikini clad bathers and imagine you are just like them!

Central Coast

6. Big Sur

Some of the most breath-taking coastal scenery in California, big Sur is a hotspot for visitors

wanting beautiful coastal walks, wonderful local artisans and smaller crowds. A hotspot it

may be but the crowds on the beach here pale in comparison to the heavily visited strands

further south.

7. Santa Barbara

The elegant and classy Santa Barbara is a far cry from the hectic and in your face LA to its

south. Full of ‘Art Nouveau’ architecture and cultural delights such as the Contemporary Arts

Forum and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, this city offers a lot to the visitor. With

wonderful restaurants, wine cellars and pleasant beaches this is certainly an up and coming

Californian tourist hotspot.

8. Monterey

One of the eldest inhabited settlements in California, Monterey was established by Spanish

Missionaries in the 18th century and still has a number of historic buildings in what is known

as ‘old Monterey’. The city is also home to a very good Maritime Museum and like most of

the coastal cities an aquarium.

9. Pinnacles National Monument

A protected area that encompasses half of an extinct Volcano and a wilderness area dotted

with fabulous rock formations, hence its name. The hiking on offer here is wonderful and

while it is close enough to a number of cities, making it an easy day trip, it is remote enough

to avoid the huge number of crowds usually associated with the coastal regions of California.

10. Paso Robles

This pretty resort town is ‘the’ place to go for wine tasting in the Central Coast region with

some fantastic vineyards surrounding the town which in itself is set in beautiful surroundings

with mountains, desert and beaches on its doorstep. The town is also well known for its hot

springs and so will make a wonderful relaxing stop on any busy tour of the region.

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Bay Area

11. Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco

The popular historic seafront of San Francisco attracts over ten million visitors every year

with beautiful old buildings, world class restaurants, museums and galleries vying for the

attention of the tourist. San Francisco has so much to offer the visitor but much of it is

contained in Fisherman’s Wharf.

12. Alcatraz Island

Famous throughout the world as the prison where prisoners were sent if they were

considered serial escapees, tours of Alcatraz Penitentiary and Island are extremely popular if

a little macabre. Popular tours include a night excursion which really tickles the nerves. See

how the inmates lived and learn about the infamous escape attempts.

13. San Jose

It might be famous for its ‘Silicon Valley’ but San Jose has much more to offer than its multi-

billion dollar computing industry. The city is studded with wonderful art galleries, museums

and gardens and is a big surprise to most visitors who do not expect so much from such a

little know Californian city.

14. Napa Valley

World renowned for its vineyards, restaurants and spas, Napa Valley has long attracted

visitors to the area. Some of the world’s best wines come from this area and with the

beautiful climate, scenery and some of the best hotels and spas in the region it is surely a

must see sight in California.

15. Redwood National Park

This national park on the border of Oregon is home to the beautiful gigantic Redwood trees

some of which have been growing for well over 2,000 years! There are some superb hiking

trails around the park but there are no camping sites within the park itself and so you will

need to stay at one of the sites that are to be found nearby.

For more on a vacation in California visit our website at California.anau.co.uk or our

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