California attractions

Even in "anything-goes" La-La Land, the three buildings of the Pacific Design Center (PDC) stand out for their audacity—with the Cesar Pelli-designed building nicknamed "The Blue Whale" for its size and brilliant blue glass surface. Although the center houses a design gallery and limited exhibition space, it's celebrated primarily for showcasing the cutting edge in global residential and business interior furnishings.

Hancock Park is an exclusive neighborhood in central Los Angeles, known for stately homes on leafy streets and a large city park containing LACMA (the Los Angeles County Museum of Art), La Brea Tar Pits, and Page Museum. The Hancock Park area also features the quaint storefronts of Larchmont Village, Windsor Square, and the Wilshire Country Club.

A San Diego family favorite since 1925, Belmont Park is a beachfront amusement park that offers a wide mix of rides and attractions, from rollercoasters and rockwalls to mini golf and laser mazes. There’s even a 7D theater! There’s truly something for every age group, including the thrilling Giant Dipper rollercoaster, old school Liberty Carousel, and classic arcade games for younger visitors, promising a fun family day out for all.

Enjoy a day at the San Francisco Zoo, home to hundreds of animals from around the world. Highlights include the African Savanna exhibit, dual-level Primate Discovery Center, and boundary-free South American Tropical Rainforest. Kids can pet animals in the Children’s Zoo, and kids of all ages like the daily Keeper Talks and animal feedings.

If you’re planning a trip to Catalina Island, then a journey on a Catalina Express ferry is likely to be on your itinerary. These high-speed vessels reach the islands in around one hour from three departure points in California: San Pedro, Long Beach, and Dana Point. If you’re lucky, during your trip you might even spot dolphins playing in the wake or humpback whales breaching off the bow.

Known as the "land of giants," Sequoia National Park is home to towering old-growth redwood trees known as sequoias. They are the world's largest living trees, some of which can reach heights of 275 feet (83 meters). Administered by the National Park Service, the park (and the adjacent Kings Canyon) showcases thick forests, mountains, rugged foothills, canyons, and even vast caverns.

Whether it’s food, art, shopping, or wine you’re after, it can be found at this specialty marketplace in the Town of Yountville. Formerly one of the wine country’s first estates— Groezinger Winery—this boutique shopping complex is now a Napa Valley landmark. It was first restored and converted to stores, galleries, and restaurants in 1968.

Few places on the California coast carry as much history as the Carmel Mission, a 250-year-old National Historic Landmark that’s part church, part museum. Centrally located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, the Mission is worth visiting whether you’re interested in California history, Spanish colonial architecture, or simply soaking in the region’s rich heritage. Swing by to snap a photo, or grab tickets to step inside the basilica church, gallery, and museum spaces.

Visitors of all ages can unleash their imaginations at LEGOLAND® California, a theme park that captures the colorful, playful feel of LEGO®. With dozens of shows and attractions across 10 themed worlds, this 128-acre (52-hectare) amusement park near San Diego offers fun for the whole family. Modeled after the original LEGOLAND in Denmark, it was the first of its kind in the US when it opened in 1999.

Set in the legendary Napa Valley, Sutter Home Family Vineyards has grown from a small business established in 1948 to the second-largest independent, family-run winery in the US. Now producing more than 20 varietals, they were the first winery ever to make white zinfandel. Sutter Home wines are known for quality at an affordable price point.

Most locals call this epic ribbon of seaside concrete the Santa Monica Bike Path or The Strand. The skating-, jogging-, biking- and pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare stretches alongside the Pacific Ocean from Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades to the far end of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, in Torrance.

Feel like a rockstar when you visit this Hard Rock Cafe, the Hollywood outpost of the global phenomenon slinging rock n’ roll nostalgia and American fare. Stop by for a burger after visiting the Hollywood Walk of Fame or other classic Tinseltown spots on Hollywood Boulevard. Stay for a concert or to shop for music memorabilia and merch.

Located in Mountain View, the Computer History Museum chronicles the history of computing and technology. Visit to see a range of exhibits, demonstrations and interactive activities—including the world’s largest collection of computer-related artifacts—for an educational and family-friendly day out.

Visitors to fashion-forward Los Angeles can do some shopping—but save a bundle—with a visit to Citadel Outlets. Just a quick drive from downtown, this is the place for discounts, with dozens of retailers offering outlet prices, and the convenience of opening hours from early till late.

Originally owned by the California Fruit Company, followed by Del Monte Foods, The Cannery was once a major fruit and vegetable canning plant in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since its 1937 retirement however, The Cannery’s historic building has been preserved and now houses a myriad of shops, boutiques, and restaurants on Leavenworth Street.

From 1910 to 1940, hundreds of thousands of immigrants—mostly from Asia and Mexico—were processed at the US Immigration Station on Angel Island; many were also detained and interrogated. The restored station is now a museum dedicated to the education and interpretation of this period of American history.

Located aboard an actual military vessel, Alameda's USS Hornet Museum celebrates military history, and showcases what life was like for servicemen aboard the WWII ship. Visitors find permanent exhibits, Naval aircraft, and docent-led tours. Don't miss the military relics on display, and ready volunteers waiting to answer your questions.

Located in Yosemite Valley, Mirror Lake is famous for its reflections of Half Dome and Mount Watkins (when the water level is high enough). Mirror Lake draws photographers, hikers, and swimmers looking to cool down, particularly in the summer months.

For some of the best hiking in Los Angeles, Runyon Canyon Park is a top destination. Expect panoramic city views as you explore, hike, and sweat alongside Angelenos working out and walking their dogs. The 160-acre (65-hectare) open space hugs the Hollywood Hills, and offers a scenic respite from the bustling LA streets below.

Carlsbad Village is the downtown area at the heart—and waterfront—of Carlsbad, a fun-loving Southern California beach town. On a visit to Carlsbad, you’re likely to spend most of your time in the village. It’s where you’ll find the shops, restaurants, music venues, galleries, and hotels, including the famous Carlsbad Inn: a Bavarian-style hotel steps from Carlsbad State Beach.

Close to Melrose Avenue and Rodeo Drive, Robertson Boulevard is a major shopping destination (and celebrity haven) in Los Angeles. Running between Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and Culver City, the thoroughfare’s designer boutiques make it a draw for fashionistas, while its stylish restaurants are A-lister approved.

Fans of the curious and bizarre feel at home at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it houses rare and unusual plants from threatened rainforest environments. Pass a wide, welcoming front lawn and step inside the giant, white greenhouse to discover the beauty of the natural world.

Home to both the San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Ballet, the War Memorial Opera House opened in 1932 and is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. The grand beaux-arts venue seats more than 3,000 people for opera performances and ballets, as well as other events such as concerts and lectures.

Clocking in at 445 miles long, the Sacramento River, California’s longest river, flows from the northern Klamath Mountains near Mt. Shasta clear to the waters of the San Francisco Bay. Visitors stroll its banks in Old Town Sacramento, while more outdoorsy folks opt for camping, canoeing, and fishing up in Red Bluff and Redding.

Sample and enjoy wines with a view at Viansa Sonoma Winery. Located at the summit of Sonoma Valley, the winery offers panoramic views over its property, which includes 33 acres (13 hectares) of estate vineyards and 97 acres (39 hectares) of natural wetlands, home to a number of indigenous waterfowl.

Set in the south end of the Third Street Promenade shopping district two blocks from the Santa Monica Pier, this luxury open-air mall combines two of the best things in Santa Monica—shopping and the beach. Stop by for brand-name shopping, community events, and upscale dining, but don't leave without visiting the best part: A rooftop dining deck with ocean and mountain views.

One of the most popular shopping destinations in the San Diego area, Carlsbad Premium Outlets offers bargain-seekers big savings on premium and name-brand clothes, shoes, accessories, and home goods. Home to more than 70 shops and numerous restaurants—and with discounts up to 65% off—it’s a must-visit if you’re in North San Diego County.

Discover the history of a generation of writers known as the Beats at the Beat Museum, which pays tribute to the movement in memorabilia, books, and a video documentary. This small museum, situated on a busy corner of San Francisco’s Italian North Beach neighborhood, is easy to include on a tour of the city.

Most visitors are drawn to Yosemite Valley's famous cliffs and waterfalls, but fewer know of the park’s pioneer history and how they shaped the future of Yosemite National Park. In the town of Wawona, the Pioneer Yosemite History Center is dedicated to these pioneers and showcases historic buildings and stories from Yosemite’s past.

Home to more than 1,100 animals, including 29 endangered species, the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens offers the chance to get up close with jaguars, tigers, snow leopards, and more. The zoo’s appeal is not just of the furred variety: it is also home to many birds and reptiles, and it’s a horticultural paradise with more than 7,500 plants.