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11.09.2023 - 13:35 / lonelyplanet.com
From towering redwood forests in foggy northern California to perfectly sun-kissed surf beaches in the south, the Golden State on the Pacific simply begs to be explored.
Tip back top vintages and dig into world-class cooking. Blow your mind exploring active volcanoes, soaring mountains and grand redwood groves. Roam free at the world's most iconic surfing beaches, craggy coves and austere bluffs. Get your wheels in gear for incredible road trips from desert to dunes. Hoist your pack and delve into truly remote wilderness.
Here are the best places to visit in California.
Best city for variety, iconic sights and LGBTIQ+ travel
Pushing boundaries with trendsetting food, social movements, art and technology, San Francisco is as far out as you can get without winding up in the Pacific.
This town is defined by bold moves. The iconic Golden Gate Bridge is an engineering marvel in a color chosen over the Navy's objections. Nature lovers elbowed aside speculators to establish Golden Gate Park. Alcatraz was occupied by Native American protestors and turned into a museum.
Discover the weirdest tech in the West at the Exploratorium and find inspiration in new-media installations at supersized SFMOMA. Be moved by poetry by San Francisco’s literary landmarks, starting with City Lights Books.
You don’t need to stay up late to be out and proud in SF. Flag-flying crowds are an absolute joy throughout June Pride month, at Sunday afternoon Castro “tea dances” (a WWII euphemism for LGBTIQ+ parties) and any sunny day at Dolores Park’s “Gay Beach.”
Local tip: Don’t forget to sample widely some of the state’s most interesting cuisine, from Asian-fusion creations at Benu that look like minimalist sculptures to some of the world’s best burritos at Mission District classics like Taqueria El Farolito and East Bay treats like Chez Panisse.
Best region for magnificent trees and family travel
Hugging a tree never came so naturally as it does in California's sun-dappled groves of ancient redwoods, the world's tallest trees. The roots of these giants may be shallow, but they hold each other up and reach dizzying heights, some surviving since the days of the Roman Empire. Even a short stroll on the soft forest floor beneath them puts the rest of the world into perspective.
Redwoods thrive along the coast from Big Sur north to the Oregon border, and you'll find massive stands of old-growth groves at Redwood Nationaal Park. Don’t miss the magical drive through Avenue of the Giants and California’s largest redwood park, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which covers 53,000 acres – 17,000 of which are old growth.
Local tip: Stop for a pizza at Brick & Fire in Eureka and soak away any hiking aches at the Finnish Country Sauna and Tubs in the
Heat domes, droughts, smoky skies, tropical deluges: After a record-breaking summer of extreme weather events, dare we dream of crisp nights, cozy sweaters and the colors of fall?
Many of South America’s greatest hits can be found in Ecuador, from Andean peaks and the Amazon to tropical beaches, Inca ruins and the wonders of the Galápagos Islands. Pretty impressive for a country that's a fraction of the size of its neighbors!
U.S. tourism businesses just finished their first post-pandemic sales missions to China — their first trips in four years.
California may not be known for its fall foliage compared to states like Vermont or North Carolina, but that doesn't mean there aren't places you can go to see the changing colors of red, orange, and yellow.
California legislators have passed two bills that could impact how the state’s 6,000 hotels and thousands of short-term rentals inform consumers about so-called junk fees, such as resort fees and housekeeping fees.
Massive Montana comprises the Last Best Place in the American West, encompassing a wild terrain of Rocky Mountain adventures and bucket-list places to visit. Amid the mountains, national forests and wild rivers teeming with trout, several historical and current railroad depots punctuate the state, now grown into Montana’s best cities, showcasing its independent yet inviting culture.
Bold, big and beautiful, Arizona has plenty to brag about. Framed by New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and California, and with Mexico at its southern reaches – the state gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year and has four distinct seasons, so you can bask in summer, hike and bike in spring and fall and ski in winter.
Striking American landscapes, quirky antique stores, fabulous hikes and some of the best bakeries you’ll ever find. Welcome to New York State! From one end to the other, the Empire State is crammed with outdoor adventures, cool art, great food and friendly people.
Those looking to travel for the solar eclipse in October have an array of affordable options when choosing what city to head to.
As a newbie California resident keen on exploring as much of my adopted home as possible, I was struck by how geographically diverse the Golden State is, the impracticalities of making a "quick trip" to one part of the state from the other end of it, and its surprisingly variable weather.
Terry and Al Hershey can afford to live anywhere they please after their successful careers—she in the corporate offices of Time Warner, he running businesses in medical device manufacturing and contract research and development. So, when they loaded up their 34-foot RV at their Bonita Springs, Florida home and hit the road to scout a second retirement locale, they headed to what might sound like a surprising place: Traverse City, Michigan, a small town (population 16,000) 250 miles northwest of Detroit, that sits on a bay opening to Lake Michigan. In 2021, the Hersheys moved into a 132-year-old, 5-bedroom Victorian three blocks from Grand Traverse Bay, where they spend six months a year with their goldendoodle and Aussiedoodle. Now both 76, they hike, bike, kayak and motorboat and can choose from scores of musical performances a year at the nearby Interlochen Center for the Arts and by the Traverse Symphony Orchestra. “We wanted a summer base,” Terry explains. Why not spend all year in Traverse City? They don’t mind the cold (they lived for many years in Colorado), but find the lack of sunshine during the winters in Traverse City too dreary, she says.