Where
to Go - the Coast and Central Valley
Coast
Range***
Scenic
rocky cliffs and beaches for much of the northern and central parts
make one of the best roadtrips in the country along Highway 1, while down south are long stretches
of fine sands, plenty in the way of marine wildlife -
including seals and sea lions, sharks and whales - and belting surf.
All that and three sensational cities with numerous funky little resort towns in between!
SW
USA Photos | Yosemite
Pictures | Joshua
Tree Pictures
San
Francisco***
compact layout with a community feel, interestingly hilly with trams
and a fantastic world famous bridge, wacky and alternative but also
smart culture, good outdoor recreational opportunities nearby, the
seals like it, one of the most popular cities in the country,
more information
Los
Angeles***
88 cities within this one, the City of Angels, so take your pick
of the best bits, but make sure you visit Venice beach and tour
the flash houses as well as downtown, more
information
San
Diego**
choose it over Los Angeles if you want to
feel more relaxed and welcomed.
Try Downtown for traditional buildings, and for evening meals the atmosphere of the Gaslamp Quarter can
be very pleasant.
Surfing is good along the nearby beaches,
the Embarcadero waterfront has a Maritime Museum and nearby Balboa
Park is a landscaped botanical delight of near centennial age with
Spanish style buildings, theaters, and worthwhile museums.
Mission Bay, a reclaimed marshland, has the original Sea World.
Consider also taking a look at the bridge to Coronado.
Highway
1*** get yourself a motor and take this route if you like
a scenic road trip, it's arguably the prettiest road in the USA.
Following the coast you will find a classic, curving coastline passing
by many famous towns and cities, a terrific way to experience the
West Coast if you don't mind the driving.
Watch out for busy traffic on its two/three/two lanes in high summer,
plus fog and tight bends to further test your concentration.
Big Sur**
the biggest attraction beyond the coastal cities is this stunning
region.
Coastal beauty is protected here with virtually no street lights,
and few amenities, but several parks and attractions; the Julia
Pfeiffer Burns State Park will show you a waterfall into the sea;
the Andrew Molera and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park or Venata Wilderness
will get you hiking.
Ventura to Channel Islands*
just north of LA and directly off Ventura the Channel Islands National
Park is essentially a wildlife refuge, with an abundance of seals,
seal lions and the like. You can get to the islands from Ventura
and Santa Barbara by ferry or take a plane.
Santa
Barbara***[picture
above right] an affluent, tranquil resort town with endless palm
trees and gorgeous old Spanish style architecture, but kept down
to earth by a mass of students.
Splendid architecture everywhere, but everywhere, is a big attraction:
there's the Courthouse, El Presidio rebuilt Spanish fort, the old
Mission, the Museum of Natural History and many more, or stroll
the seafront.
Hearst Castle** an exceedingly over
the top statement of wealth created for a wealthy newspaper publisher,
worth a tour if you like the movie, Citizen Kane, but book ahead,
they're popular.
Monterey* a wealthy town with a particularly
Spanish/Mexican history. Head for Downtown and the Monterey State
Historic Park for the historic bits. Visit the Stevenson House if
you are a fan of Treasure Island.
It's also good for marine life with the superb Monterey Bay Aquarium
and whale watching trips.
Santa Cruz** a beautiful beach resort
with an historic beach front, so head for the Boardwalk with original
amusements, take a spa.
Bodega and Jenner* - good towns for exploring the marine wildlife
of the northern coastline.
Napa and Sonoma Valleys* these valleys
cut through the Coast Range from the Sacramento Valley, and are
the top wine growing regions in the state.
Calistoga, St Helena and Sonoma are worthwhile stops while touring
the many wineries for freebies in Sonoma and not-so-freebies in
Napa, also so try a spa or mudbath here.
Sacramento
and San Joaquin Valleys*
Between the hilly Coast Range and
the mountainous Sierra Nevada are these two huge fertile valleys,
mainly farmland but also some worthwhile attractions at the northern
end.
Gold
Rush Sierra Nevada Foothills* at the bottom of the north west slopes of the mountain range are
the hills and rivers that created the great 19th C gold rush.
Lots to explore just like the prospectors before you, try the Empire
Mine State Historic Park for the old mines and North Star Mining
Museum for the tools used to mine them;
Jackson has the Kennedy Mine and related museum; Cave City 9 and
Murphy's have further tourable mining cavern;Sutter Creek
still has good architectural references to it's 19th C mining days.
Sacramento* the state capital, mainly for the history buff, as Old Sacramento
has an abundance of period buildings.
Sutter's Fort is how it all began; an old steamboat sits on the
river, plus there are several good museums: the California State
Railroad, Indian Museum and the Discovery Museum.
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