Lake Tahoe
During summer, you can tour the eccentric Thunderbird Lodge, a neo-Gothic 1930s mansion. The only way to get to the lodge is by shuttle bus, leaving from…
Must-see attractions in Northern California
North Beach & Chinatown
Back when the red lights of Commercial St could be seen from the waterfront, this strip provided many provocative answers to the age-old question: what do…
Napa Valley
Check in at this 1872 former post-office building and indulge in tastings tableside in the outdoor garden courtyard at this inviting small winery…
Sequoia National Park
In the 1930s, no one anticipated the development of monster SUVs. About 1.5 miles north of the Foothills Visitor Center, a flat granite boulder on the…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Take a ride on dazzling mosaic serpent-god Quetzalcoatl, who raises his fierce head from the rubberized ground of this pioneering pocket park…
San Francisco
Surfers aiming for Ocean Beach keep in sight these twin landmarks on Golden Gate Park's extreme western edge. The 1902 Dutch windmill at the northwestern…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Meandering the Marina, you'll pass Mexican-inspired art deco buildings, Victorian mansions, generic bay-windowed boxes – and, hello, what's this? A…
Monterey
In 1822, a newly independent Mexico ended the Spanish trade monopoly and stipulated that any traders bringing goods to Alta (Upper) California must first…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Crafty architects are always trying to cut corners on clients, and architect William C McElroy has done so splendidly with this house. This is among the…
San Francisco
This tiny cottage on a quiet alley was the source of major drama from 1951 to 1952, when Jack Kerouac shacked up with Neal and Carolyn Cassady and their…
Oakland
Reconstructed in part using the logs from London's original cabin in the Yukon Territory of Canada, this historic wooden cabin allows visitors a peek…
Berkeley
At the west end of University Ave is the marina, frequented by squawking seagulls, silent types fishing from the pier and, especially on windy weekends,…
Napa Valley
This museum contains the largest displayed collection of Robert Louis Stevenson's belongings in the world. In 1880 the author – then sick, penniless and…
San Francisco
The prize for SF's steepest street is shared by this street and Filbert St (between Hyde and Leavenworth). Both have 31.5% grades (17-degree slopes), but…
Napa Valley
One of Napa’s oldest, Regusci dates to the late 1800s, with 160 acres of vineyards unfurling around a century-old stone winery that makes Bordeaux-style…
San Francisco
Off the beaten path on the western side of Twin Peaks, these 163 mosaic-tiled steps depicting local wildlife were a community effort involving 300…
Pioneer Yosemite History Center
Yosemite National Park
Off Wawona Rd, about 6 miles north of Mariposa Grove, you can take in the manicured grounds of the elegant Big Trees Lodge and cross a covered bridge to…
Lake Tahoe
Just south of the always-jammed Hwy 89/28 traffic stoplight junction, the Truckee River flows through dam floodgates and passes beneath this bridge,…
California State Mining & Mineral Museum
Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada
Rock hounds should drive to the Mariposa County Fairgrounds, 2 miles south of town on Hwy 49, to see the 13lb ‘Fricot Nugget’ (the largest crystallized…
Sacramento
The gleaming dome of the California State Capitol is Sacramento’s most recognizable structure. A painting of Arnold Schwarzenegger in a suit hangs in the…
First Church of Christ, Scientist
Berkeley
Bernard Maybeck’s impressive 1910 church uses concrete and wood in its blend of arts-and-crafts, Asian and Gothic influences. Maybeck was a professor of…
Three Rivers Historical Museum
Sequoia National Park
Holds a small collection of local ranching, mining and domestic artifacts, as well as an archive of historical photographs and newspaper clippings. The…
San Francisco
Although membership is reserved for Master Masons, visitors can freely access this prime specimen of Scottish Rite architecture, and take a peek at its…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
You'd expect to see this rustic Arts and Crafts–style building on the slopes of Tahoe, not Pacific Heights, but this Episcopal church is full of surprises…
Mt Shasta Region
At downtown’s north end stands what was the town’s pride. This once-glamorous venue was being restored to its original glory, then the work stopped. First…
Yosemite National Park
Built in 1879, this chapel is Yosemite’s oldest structure that still remains in use, including for weddings. In 1885, President Ulysses Grant's memorial…
Old Sacramento State Historic Park
Sacramento
The historic river port next to Downtown, Old Sacramento remains the city's stalwart tourist draw. The old-fashioned Gold Rush-era atmosphere and the…
San Francisco
See what the Castro's creative community has been dreaming up lately at this art space showcasing local neighborhood talent. Gallery shows here are the…
Sequoia National Park
On the northern side of the Giant Forest, Wolverton Meadow is at an elevation of 7250ft. It has picnic tables, hiking trailheads and a winter snow-play…
Napa Valley
Tour buses flock to this corporate-owned winery, but if you know nothing about wine and can cope with crowds, the worthwhile tours provide good insight…
HSU Telonicher Marine Laboratory
North Coast & Redwoods
Near Edwards St, this marine lab has a self-guided tour that leads to a touch tank, several aquariums (look for the red octopus) and an enormous whale jaw…
Monterey
This stately early-19th-century adobe home was built by John Rogers Cooper, a New England sea captain, and three generations of his family resided here…
Berkeley
The frenetic energy buzzing from the university’s Sather Gate on any given day is a mixture of youthful posthippies reminiscing about days before their…
San Jose
This leafy square in the center of downtown was part of the original plaza of El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe, and is the city's oldest public space…
Lake Tahoe Historical Society Museum
South Lake Tahoe & Stateline
This small but interesting museum displays artifacts from Tahoe’s pioneer past, including Washoe tribal baskets, vintage black-and-white films, hoary…
Sequoia National Park
Founded by the utopian Kaweah Co-operative Colony, this is one of the USA's smallest and oldest still-operating post offices, now staffed by volunteers…
Willow Creek China Flat Museum
North Coast & Redwoods
Pop over to this museum to take in its persuasive Bigfoot collection. Footprints, handprints, hair…it has all kinds of goodies to substantiate the ole boy…
San Francisco
Built in 1892 by an attorney who wanted sunnier weather than swanky Nob Hill afforded, this gorgeous Queen Anne mansion went uninhabited after its…
African American Museum & Library at Oakland
Oakland
Part of the Oakland Public Library, the AAMLO consists of a non-circulating library with huge collections on African American history and culture in…
San Jose
With a permanent collection of 20th-century works and imaginative changing exhibits, the city’s central art museum is worth a quick look. The main…
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