California is that kind of place …
Date nights in the city, family fun days by the bay, Redwood forest hikes, beach combing, celeb sighting, day tripping — it’s all here and more for your next California escape or armchair adventure. We’re heading out again. You come too!
“Ones destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things.” —Henry Miller
Find yourself in …
Southern California
Los Angeles Orange County San Diego Palm Springs
Central California
Monterey / Carmel Santa Barbara
SF Bay Area
San Francisco South Bay East Bay North Bay
Northern California
Napa / Sonoma Mendocino High Sierra / Lake Tahoe
Popular Posts
California Bucket List
After years of traveling the state and writing about it, I decided to start this bucket list. Maybe some of these California experiences will find a place on your bucket list, too. You’ll see a check mark ✓ after the cities I’ve been to at least once, and you’ll find links to my posts about some of those places. Have a tip or suggestion for a place I should write about next? I’d love to hear from you. This is a labor of love and a work in progress, so feel free to help this list evolve and grow.
SoCal & Central
LOS ANGELES COUNTY
- LOS ANGELES ✓
- California Science Center, Los Angeles
- See Descanso Gardens
- See an MLB game at Dodger Stadium
- Dress for the opera at Dorothy Chandler Playhouse
- Go to Exposition Park
- See a play at Geffen Playhouse
- Go to the Greek Theatre
- Griffith Park Observatory
- Walk around Huntington Botanical Gardens
- See the La Brea Tar Pits
- Visit the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- act artsy fartsy at Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- See the L.A. Lakers play NBA Basketball
- Spend the Day at the Los Angeles Zoo
- Shop on Olvera Street
- Go Gearhead at Petersen Automotive Museum
- STAPLES Center
- Visit The Forum
- Walk around Third Street Promenade
- Visit Venice Beach
- Walt Disney Concert Hall
- ARCADIA ✓
- CATALINA ISLAND ✓
- Ride over on the Catalina Island Ferry (for less)
- Take the Catalina Island Undersea Expedition
- Do the Catalina Ocean Runner Adventure
- Do the Catalina Island Zipline Tour
- HOLLYWOOD ✓
- El Capitan Theater (3D Disney)
- See a Show or just walk around The Hollywood Bowl
- See a show at Hollywood Pantages Theater
- Spend the Day at Universal Studios Hollywood
- LONG BEACH ✓
- MALIBU ✓
- Beach, lunch, sunset
- PASADENA
- Shop, Eat, Play
- SANTA MONICA ✓
ORANGE COUNTY
- ANAHEIM ✓
- COSTA MESA ✓
- Stay, Eat, Play
- DANA POINT
- NEWPORT BEACH ✓
- SANTA ANA ✓
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
- CARLSBAD ✓
- CORONADO ✓
- Stay at Hotel Del Coronado
- DEL MAR ✓
- Hot Air Balloon
- Horseback Ride
- Stay, Eat, Play
- ESCONDIDO ✓
- JULIAN:
- Orchards, apple pie
- LA JOLLA ✓
- SAN DIEGO ✓
INLAND EMPIRE
- BIG BEAR LAKE
- Alpine Getaway
- LAKE ARROWHEAD
- Alpine Getaway
- ROUTE 66
- Iconic Road Trip
- TEMECULA VALLEY
- Stay, Eat, Play
DESERTS
- PALM SPRINGS ✓
- NATIONAL PARKS
- Death Valley National Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Anza Borrego Desert State Park
CENTRAL COAST
- MONTEREY & CARMEL ✓
- BIG SUR ✓
- Drive over Bixby Bridge
- See McWay Falls
- Make Sand Castles at Sand Dollar Beach
Hike in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
- CAMBRIA ✓
- Moonstone Beach
- Pacific Coast Wine Trail
- PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK
- SANTA BARBARA ✓
- Stay, Eat, Wine Taste, Beach Bike, Play (Funk Zone)
- Channel Islands National Park
- SAN LUIS OBISPO ✓
- Get Social at Art After Dark
- Go to Bubblegum Alley
- Walk to Point San Luis Lighthouse
- Ziplining at Vista Lago Adventure Park
- SAN SIMEON
- Hearst Castle
CENTRAL VALLEY
- LODI:
- Lodi: Go Wine Tasting
NorCal (Bay Area and beyond)
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
- SAN FRANCISCO ✓
- Alcatraz Island
- Aquarium of the Bay
- AT&T Park
- Bay Cruise
- Beach Blanket Babylon
- Botanical Garden
- California Academy of Sciences
- Camera Obscura, Lands End, Cliff House
- Chinatown
- Conservatory of Flowers
- de Young Museum
- Exploratorium
- Fisherman’s Wharf
- Legion of Honor
- Pier 39
- San Francisco Opera
- San Francisco Symphony
- San Francisco Zoo
- Segway Tour
- Seward Slides
- Walt Disney Family Museum
- EAST BAY
- ALAMEDA ✓
- BERKELEY ✓
- Berkeley Art Museum
- University of California Botanical Garden
- OAKLAND ✓
- Chabot Space and Science Center
- Oakland Museum of California
- Oakland Zoo
- MARTINEZ
- John Muir National Historic Site ✓
- WALNUT CREEK
- Lindsay Wildlife Museum
- SOUTH BAY ✓
- GILROY:
- Gilroy Gardens
- Gilroy Garlic Festival
- PALO ALTO ✓
- Museum of American Heritage
- SAN CARLOS ✓
- SAN MATEO ✓
- SAN JOSE ✓
- Tech Museum of Innovation
- San Jose Museum of Art
- Winchester Mystery House
- SANTA CLARA ✓
- SANTA CRUZ ✓
- Santa Cruz Boardwalk
- dine, shop, surf
- SARATOGA
- Montalvo Arts Center
- WOODSIDE ✓
- Filoli Center
- Alice’s Restaurant
- GILROY:
- COASTSIDE
- Half Moon Bay ✓
- Half Moon Bay Kayak
- Horsback ride on HMB Beach
- La Nebbia Winery
- Lemos Farm
- Moss Beach / Montara ✓
- Hike Montara Mountain
- Hike Seal Cove Bluffs
- Montara Lighthouse
- Moss Beach Distillery
- Pacifica ✓
- Pacifica State Beach, boogie board/surf
- Devil’s Slide Trail
- Hike Milagra Ridge, Sweeney Ridge Trails
- Pescadero ✓
- Ano Nuevo State Reserve
- Arcangeli Grocery Company
- Bean Hollow State Beach
- Butano State Park
- Camp at Costanoa Coastal Lodge
- Harley Farms Goat Dairy
- Pie Ranch
- Pigeon Point Lighthouse & Hostel
- La Honda ✓
- Portola Redwoods State Park
- Long Ridge Open Space Preserve
- Half Moon Bay ✓
- NORTH BAY ✓
- MARIN COUNTY ✓
- NAPA COUNTY ✓
- POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE ✓
- SAUSALITO ✓
- SONOMA COUNTY ✓
- Bodega Bay: Go Whale Watching; Eat Crab
- Fort Ross: Hike, Wine Taste, State Park
- Gualala: Walk the Coastal Bluffs & Pygmy Forest
- Glen Ellen: Hike in Jack London State Historic Park
- Healdsburg: Paddle the Russian River
- Jenner: Walk in Stillwater Cove; Goat Rock State Beach
- Sonoma: Hot Air Balloon over Wine Country
- Petaluma: Butter & Egg Day Parade & Festival (April)
- The Sea Ranch: Seek Serenity by the Sea
NORTH COAST
- MENDOCINO ✓
- Mendocino: wine, dine, hike, beach
- Redwood National Park hike
- Russian Gulch State Park Waterfall
SHASTA CASCADE
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
HIGH SIERRA
- LAKE TAHOE ✓
- Yosemite National Park
- Sequoia National Park
- Kings Canyon National Park
- Mammoth Lakes
GOLD COUNTRY
- VALLECITO:
- Moaning Cavern
- COLUMBIA:
- Columbia State Historic Park
- GRASS VALLEY:
- Empire Mine State Historic Park