Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
Formerly known as the Chiat/Day Building, this Frank Gehry–designed office building is home to Google and, thanks to its eye-catching architecture and the…
Must-see attractions in California
North Coast & Redwoods
Come see the fanciful, astounding, human-powered contraptions used in the annual Kinetic Grand Championship race from Arcata to Ferndale. Shaped like…
Yosemite National Park
These falls, on the north side of the Hetch Hetchy reservoir, fall more than 1000ft and are a worthy destination for a 5-mile round-trip hike from the O…
San Francisco
The scenic route down from Ina Coolbrith Park – via steep stairs, past gravity-defying wooden cottages – is so charming, it looks like something from a…
San Diego
This 37-acre garden has a large collection of California native plants as well as flora of different regions of the world, including Australia and Central…
Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life
Berkeley
This museum boasts a fine collection – almost 15,000 pieces – of art and cultural artifacts sourced from across the Jewish diaspora, particularly Jewish…
Santa Cruz
Operated by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, this educational museum near the beach boardwalk is an interactive multimedia experience that…
Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum
Santa Barbara
Stuffed with a hodgepodge of historical written artifacts, this detour is for history nerds and book and literature lovers. One of a dozen Karpeles…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Two blocks of Lyon St, between Broadway and Green St, are flanked by forests and glamorous mansions – including Senator Dianne Feinstein's – and offer jaw…
Greater Palm Springs
Chester ‘Cactus Slim’ Moorten, one of the original Keystone Cops, and his wife Patricia channeled their passion for plants into this compact garden…
Napa Valley
The furniture and design chain Restoration Hardware took over this 1904 stone house and garden recently. It's now part wine tasting room, part art gallery…
Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
South of Washington Blvd, the throng dissipates and the golden sands unfurl in a more pristine manner. Waves roll in consistently and are ideal for…
Joshua Tree National Park
Rock hounds love the hulking caramel-colored formations in this northern corner of the park, while birders are drawn by feathered friends hiding out among…
Malibu & Pacific Palisades
Families love this summer-camp-style beach with enough stimulating tide pools, cliff caves, nature trails and great swimming and surfing to tire out even…
Frederick R Weisman Museum of Art
Malibu & Pacific Palisades
This art museum on the Pepperdine University campus hosts temporary exhibits of mostly 20th-century art (Claes Oldenburg, Dale Chihuly, Roy Liechtenstein…
Joshua Tree National Park
Cottonwood Spring is an oasis with a natural spring that Cahuilla tribespeople depended on for centuries. Look for morteros – rounded depressions in the…
San Jose
A cutting-edge gallery highlighting themes by both established and emerging Latino artists, MACLA is one of the Bay Area's best community arts spaces,…
Sacramento
Housed in the ornate Victorian mansion (and sprawling additions) of a railroad baron, this museum has striking architecture and an excellent collection…
Lake Tahoe
Two sand spits have formed a shallow bay here, with brilliant, warm turquoise water and white, boulder-strewn beaches. It gets very busy, especially…
Greater Palm Springs
Go bananas at this endearing and bizarre collection of over 19,000 banana-related artefacts, from candles to cookie jars, hats to hangers. Dress in a…
Mammoth Lakes
Year round, a vertiginous gondola whisks sightseers to the apex of Mammoth Mountain for breathless views of snow-speckled mountaintops. Leaves from near…
Santa Barbara
For great views across the city, mountains and ocean (with the chance to spot whales in season and dolphins year-round), come to Shoreline Park, southwest…
Romano Gabriel Wooden Sculpture Garden
North Coast & Redwoods
The coolest thing to gawk at downtown is this collection of whimsical outsider art that’s enclosed by aging glass. For 30 years, wooden characters in…
Phoebe A Hearst Museum of Anthropology
Berkeley
South of the Campanile in Kroeber Hall, this small museum includes exhibits from indigenous cultures around the world, including ancient Peruvian,…
Lake Tahoe
Wonderful trails loop into the wild granite landscape, including a section of the 2659-mile Pacific Crest route. The area is notable for its dramatic…
Lake Tahoe
Commons Beach is a small, attractive park with sandy and grassy areas, picnic tables, barbecue grills, a climbing rock and playground, as well as free…
Santa Cruz
Seacliff State Beach harbors a ‘cement boat,’ a quixotic freighter built of concrete that floated OK, but ended up here as a coastal fishing pier. During…
California African American Museum
Los Angeles
CAAM does an excellent job of showcasing African-American artists and the African-American experience, with a special focus on California and LA. Exhibits…
San Francisco
Flower power is alive and well at San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers. This gloriously restored 1878 Victorian greenhouse is home to freaky outer…
North Coast & Redwoods
Between B and H Sts, this park has a harborside beach with no large waves, making it perfect for little ones. Further east on Front St, near I St, you’ll…
Death Valley National Park
Some 15 miles south of Furnace Creek, salt has piled up into saw-toothed miniature mountains in what was once a major lake that evaporated about 2000…
North Coast Marine Mammal Center
North Coast & Redwoods
Just east of Battery Point, this is the ecologically minded foil to the garish Ocean World nearby. The clinic treats injured seals and sea lions, then…
Santa Cruz
A mile southwest of the wharf along the coast, this tiny museum inside an old lighthouse is packed with memorabilia, including vintage redwood surfboards…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Explore a restored WWII submarine that survived six tours of duty while you listen to submariners' tales of stealth mode and sudden attacks in a riveting…
Oakland
Nestled along the Oakland hills, Redwood Regional Park covers 1830 acres of land and is home to the last grove of Coast Redwoods in the East Bay. Explore…
Santa Cruz
The scene in Santa Cruz, with a huge sandy stretch, volleyball courts and swarms of people. Park on E Cliff Dr and walk across the Lost Boys trestle to…
Giant Sequoia National Monument
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Created in 2000 and administered by the US Forest service, the Giant Sequoia National Monument includes two sections of protected forest totaling over 328…
Death Valley National Park
The house where gold-prospector Walter Scott (aka Scotty) actually lived can only be visited on ranger-led hikes that must be booked in advance via www…
Lake Tahoe
Spooner Lake is popular for catch-and-release fishing, picnicking, nature walks, backcountry camping and cross-country skiing. It's also the start of the…
Santa Cruz
In Santa Cruz's downtown, rotating displays by contemporary California artists and exhibits that dive into local history are worth a quick look. Recent…
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