Royal Presidio Chapel & Heritage Center Museum
Monterey
Built of sandstone in 1794, this graceful chapel is California’s oldest continuously functioning parish and first stone building. The original 1770…
Must-see attractions in Northern California
Sequoia National Park
Visitors can drive through a 2000-year-old tree, which fell naturally in 1937. It once stood 275ft high with a base measuring 21ft in diameter. Regular…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Ramp up your art collection at Incline, a sloping gallery at the rear of an ex-mortuary where bodies were once transported for embalming. Today this is…
Mt Shasta Region
An old mining town lent the rich name to Whiskeytown Lake, a lovely, multi-use reservoir that was dedicated by John F Kennedy less than two months before…
San Francisco
First planted in 1894, these 5 acres of gorgeous flower gardens are especially delightful in the spring, when the cherry blossoms pop, and also the fall…
North Beach & Chinatown
Chinatown's unofficial living room is named after John B Montgomery's sloop, which staked the US claim on San Francisco in 1846. SF's first city hall…
Big Sur
The tortuously winding 40-mile stretch of Hwy 1 south of Lucia to Hearst Castle is sparsely populated, rugged and remote, mostly running through national…
San Jose
Historical buildings from all over San Jose have been brought together in this open-air history museum. The centerpiece is a scaled-down replica of the…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
True to its name, this hilltop park offers splendid vistas over the city to Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay. Founded in 1867, this is one of the oldest…
Napa Valley
It took 14 years to build this perfectly replicated, 13th-century Italian castle, complete with moat, hand-cut stone walls, ceiling frescoes by Italian…
San Francisco
When the weather's behaving, pedal boats and rowboats are available daily at the magnificent 1946 boathouse on Stow Lake. Folks also tend to drop by for…
Kings Canyon National Park
On excursions to Kings Canyon, John Muir would allegedly give talks on this large, flat river boulder, a short walk from the Road's End parking lot and…
Mariposa Museum & History Center
Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada
Mariposa's past comes alive, well, as much as possible considering the fairly fusty objects displayed in this museum. Menus, logbooks, train tickets,…
Oakland
This 10-acre kiddie attraction dates from 1950, and we're not sure if it's been overhauled since. We mean that as a compliment! Children's Fairyland, with…
Big Sur
Your last – or first – taste of Big Sur’s rocky grandeur comes at this craggy cliff outcropping with fabulous views of the coastline in both directions,…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
This legendary intersection was the epicenter of the psychedelic '60s, and 'Hashbury' remains a counterculture magnet. On average Saturdays here, you can…
North Beach & Chinatown
Each parking spot at this garage comes with fortune-cookie wisdom stenciled onto the asphalt: 'The time is right to make new friends' or 'Stop searching…
Yosemite National Park
Where the Merced River courses around two small islands lies Happy Isles, a popular area for picnics, swimming and strolls on marked paths and a small…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Art-fair buzz begins at this trippy gallery that's all black outside and stark white inside for maximum impact. While some artists are recognizable from…
Mt Shasta Region
The huge McCloud Mercantile anchors the downtown. There’s a hotel upstairs and it hosts a couple of restaurants that warrant a longer stay, but those just…
Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary
North Coast & Redwoods
On the shores of Humboldt Bay, this sanctuary has 5 miles of walking and biking trails, plus outstanding birding. The Redwood Region Audubon Society…
Big Sur
From the parking lot at Andrew Molera State Park, walk 0.125 miles south to this educational nature center to learn all about the endangered California…
Berkeley
Stop in to see the traditional wooden tools used for making sake and a short video of the brewing process. Tours of the factory aren’t offered, but you…
Kings Canyon National Park
During the 1920s, wealthy Santa Barbara businessman George Knapp built this simple wood-shingled cabin to store gear in during his extravagant fishing and…
North Coast & Redwoods
The best community historical museum on this stretch of the coast houses a set of typically musty relics – needlework hankies and paintings of the area’s…
Mt Shasta Region
A half-mile west of the freeway, this former hatchery headquarters is full of curious mountaineering artifacts and old pictures. The changing exhibitions…
Napa Valley
Co-owned by Bill Clinton’s former ambassador to Austria, Hall specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot, crafted in big-fruit…
Monterey
Escaping WWII in Europe, Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí lived and worked in the Monterey and Carmel area in the 1940s. Comprising over 300 Dalí…
Monterey
Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson came to Monterey in 1879 to court his wife-to-be, Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne. This building, then the French Hotel…
Yosemite National Park
Pothole Dome marks the western end of Tuolumne Meadows. It’s small by Yosemite standards, but the short, 200ft climb to the top offers great views of the…
North Coast & Redwoods
The university on the northeastern side of town holds the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT), a world leader in developing sustainable…
San Francisco
Leave it to San Francisco to plant a dell that's totally punk rock, featuring spiky, in-your-face neon blooms cultivated by the city's many hardcore…
Big Sur
Over 4 miles south of Point Lobos on Hwy 1, pull over to hike coastal headlands, where you might spot whales cruising by offshore during winter, or into…
San Francisco
No first-time loop through the Castro would be complete without a peek at this window display featuring trans Barbies and Billy Doll, a gay alternative to…
Napa Valley
Titus has a modern tasting facility with windows for days, surrounded by 40 acres of vineyards. It's best to book well ahead to sample the winery's good…
Napa Valley
Like a modern-day Persian palace, Darioush ranks high on the fabulosity scale, with towering columns, Le Corbusier furniture, Persian rugs and travertine…
Berkeley
Telegraph Ave has traditionally been the throbbing heart of studentville in Berkeley, the sidewalks crowded with undergrads, postdocs and youthful…
San Francisco
Since 1899, this has been Golden Gate Park's home where the buffalo roam – though technically, they're bison. SF's mellow, well-fed herd rarely moves –…
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park is the east shore's biggest draw with beaches and hiking for all. Summer crowds splash in the turquoise waters of Sand Harbor…
Gatekeeper’s Museum & Marion Steinbach Indian Basket Museum
Lake Tahoe
In a reconstructed log cabin close to town, this museum has a small but fascinating collection of Tahoe memorabilia, including Olympics history and relics…
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