California is that kind of place: from redwood forest hikes to date nights in the city, feasts of fresh-caught crab to family fun days by the bay. Ready for your next exploration (or armchair adventure)? We’re heading out again. How about you?

Fun Things To Do In …

My California Bucket List

After years of traveling the state and writing about it, I decided to start this bucket list. California has so many amazing destinations to experience. 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 visit next? I’d love to hear from you. This is 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 ✓
- Santa Anita Park
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 ✓
- Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach
- The Queen Mary
MALIBU ✓
- Beach, lunch, sunset
PASADENA
- Shop, Eat, Play
SANTA MONICA ✓
- Pacific Park
- Santa Monica Pier

ORANGE COUNTY

ANAHEIM ✓
- Disneyland California
- Knott’s Berry Farm
COSTA MESA ✓
- Stay, Eat, Play
DANA POINT
- Bay Cruise
NEWPORT BEACH ✓
- Take a Whale Watching Cruise
- See Segerstrom Center for the Arts
SANTA ANA ✓
- Bowers Museum
- Discovery Science Center

SAN DIEGO COUNTY

CARLSBAD ✓
- Legoland California
CORONADO ✓
- Stay at Hotel Del Coronado
DEL MAR ✓
- Hot Air Balloon
- Horseback Ride
- Stay, Eat, Play
ESCONDIDO ✓
- San Diego Zoo Safari Park
JULIAN:
- Orchards, apple pie
LA JOLLA ✓
- Kayak the 7 Caves
- Birch Aquarium at Scripps
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 ✓
- Tramway, tours, dine, play
NATIONAL PARKS
- Death Valley National Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Anza Borrego Desert State Park

CENTRAL COAST

MONTEREY & CARMEL ✓
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Carmel Day Trip: Beach, Dine; Shop
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 ✓
  - USS Hornet Museum
- 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 ✓
  - Hiller Aviation Museum
- SAN MATEO ✓
  - CuriOdyssey
- SAN JOSE ✓
  - Tech Museum of Innovation
  - San Jose Museum of Art
  - Winchester Mystery House
- SANTA CLARA ✓
  - California’s Great America
- SANTA CRUZ ✓
  - Santa Cruz Boardwalk
  - dine, shop, surf
- SARATOGA
  - Montalvo Arts Center
- WOODSIDE ✓
  - Filoli Center
  - Alice’s Restaurant
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
NORTH BAY ✓
- MARIN COUNTY ✓
  - Muir Woods: Hike among Old Grow Redwoods
- NAPA COUNTY ✓
- POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE ✓
  - Point Reyes Weekend Getaway
- SAUSALITO ✓
  - Bay Area Discovery Museum
  - Marine Mammal Center
- 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 ✓
- Ski, dine, bike, hike
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

California: Best Places + Cool Spaces