Although sometimes thought of as the land of sand, surf, and sun, California is much more than that. In addition to the beauty of Coastal California, the mountains and alpine lakes of the Sierra Nevadas and the desert region provide wonderful and varied scenery. The state also has many outstanding wine country destinations and urban parks.
A significant part of California history was the Gold Rush. One of the best places in the state to learn about that history is the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma, CA. Spanish colonial roots also run deep in California, and can be seen today at the 21 historic Spanish missions across the state.
California has nine national parks, the most of any state in the US. Redwood National Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park are located in Northern California. In the central part of the state are Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Pinnacles, and Death Valley. Southern California is home to Joshua Tree National Park and Channel Islands National Park, which is off the Pacific coast.
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5 Reasons to Make This the Year of the Cowboy
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Pick Your Path in Bishop, California
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California from Sea to Yosemite: The Southern Central Valley
Californiaās Central Valley is the heartland of California. It stretches past farm stands, alon...
Pacific Ocean to Lush Forest: Explore Californiaās Northern Central Valley
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Redding, California: Downtown to the Outdoors in Under 60 Minutes
We were lucky to be in Redding on a First Friday where artists lined the streets and the shops st...
Yosemite: Nothing else like it
Yosemite. One word, four syllables. Not a lot in the way of descriptions, but with Yosemite, it...
Uncover Californiaās Central Valley in Yolo County
Getting off the grid in California can be hard to do, but not if you know where to look. Let us h...
California Road Trip: Be Sure to Make This Stop
Not sure where to begin your next California road trip? Let us help! Just a few hours from the no...
Your Perfect 4-Day Road Trip through Gold Country, California
Gold Country, California is one of our favorite off-the-beaten-path destinations for those who wa...
Granite & Gold in Tuolumne County, California
Gold and granite have been enticing visitors to central California since the mid-1800’s. Al...
Fossils to Falls: Visiting Yosemite, California
āHi, do you have the āSandy the Squirrel’ card?ā I asked, standing in the Yosemite Na...
Winding through Californiaās High Sierra: 11 Experiences between Yosemite and Tahoe
Deciding on experiences in some of Californiaās most sought after country was a real challenge!...