California attractions

Point Loma sits on a hilly peninsula west of Downtown San Diego, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay. This seaside community is best known for its tide pools, historical landmarks, and sweeping views of the bay and the San Diego skyline. With plenty to do and see, it’s no wonder it’s one of the city’s most photographed spots.

The Sherman Library & Gardens is a Newport Beach oasis, ideal for relaxing, viewing seasonal flowers, and discovering diverse plants. Visitors find flora from near and far, including deserts and tropical forests—flanked by fountains, walking paths, and sculptures. Don't miss the library, where you can learn about the Pacific Southwest.

Santa Barbara is known as the American Riviera, and visitors can enjoy the best of the California coast along the waterfront here in Santa Barbara city. From the boardwalk to the harbor, there’s plenty to see and do here.

In the heart of Sonoma Wine Country, Williamson Winery is one of downtown Healdsburg's top tasting rooms. Visit the winery to pair award-winning wines from sustainably farmed vineyards along the famed Dry Creek Valley with small artisanal bites—usually, cheeses and tapas selected for each varietal. Tastings are available at two downtown tasting rooms and a vineyard outside of town.

The Pacific Coast Highway—also known as PCH or, more commonly, Highway 1—runs north-south along most of the United States’ West Coast. The incredibly scenic California stretch is known for its oceanfront locales, rugged cliffs, hidden coves, and numerous beaches, making it one of the nation’s most popular road-trip routes. From San Francisco to San Diego and the many charming stops in between, it’s truly one of the most naturally beautiful places on the planet to take a drive.

California’s oldest working wharf, Santa Barbara’s Stearns Wharf is home to restaurants and an aquarium. It’s a great place for a sunset stroll in the city.

San Francisco's Man-made Treasure Island was created for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition and then became home to a naval training station and other military sites. In recent years, the small isle has become a trendy destination for its urban wineries, a monthly festival, and unbeatable views of downtown San Francisco and the bay.

Iconic Half Dome rises 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) above the floor of Yosemite Valley. Perhaps one of the most famous hikes in Yosemite National Park, Half Dome was once considered impossible to climb. Now hundreds of park visitors reach this magnificent granite formation’s summit each day, and countless more gaze at its towering face from below.

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, built in 1907, is a classic seaside amusement park complete with roller coasters, games, and rides. A colorful overhead gondola offers aerial beach views, and there are plenty of indoor activities and food options. One of the oldest amusement parks in California, it is designated as a historic landmark.

Located at the base of Mount Saint Helena in Napa Valley, Calistoga is known for its laid-back charm, natural hot springs, and volcanic-ash mud baths. In addition to numerous spa resorts, Calistoga also offers proximity to world-class wineries and plentiful restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries.

Sitting just below the Golden Gate Bridge on the very northern tip of San Francisco, Fort Point National Historic Site was built in the mid-1800s to guard the entrance to San Francisco Bay during the Gold Rush. Today, the small site can be explored on foot and provides a fantastic vantage point of the bridge and bay. 

Tuolumne Grove is one of three giant sequoia groves in Yosemite National Park, the other two being Merced and Mariposa. It’s home to two dozen towering sequoia trees reachable via a short hike along Old Big Flat Road. The grove is also home to the Dead Giant Tunnel Tree, which has a car-sized tunnel cut through the middle. (Cars, however, can no longer drive through.)

Closely associated with LGBTQ culture, San Francisco’s vibrant, brash Castro district is a lively neighborhood of shops, bars, rainbow flags, and hilly streets lined with impressively restored Victorian homes. Harvey Milk—California’s first openly gay elected official—was a famous Castro resident, honored here with Harvey Milk Plaza.

What began as the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory in the 1890s is now a multilevel retail square across the street from San Francisco’s Aquatic Park. The red brick structure is recognizable by its clock tower and large “Ghirardelli” sign, which make excellent photo backdrops for visitors who come to shop, dine, and eat ice cream.

One of San Francisco’s prettiest neighborhoods, the Marina District enjoys a prime perch on San Francisco Bay with pastel-colored, low-rise architecture, stylish shops, and upscale restaurants. Surrounded on three sides by either green space or water, the area draws active locals who enjoy walking, running, and biking with bay views.

Fort Mason’s use as a military site dates to 1864, but it’s now part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The 13-acre (5-hectare) site houses art spaces, a bar, restaurant, and coffee shop and is also known as the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture. Its Great Meadow is a favorite for a warm-weather picnic.

Home to San Francisco’s main governmental offices, Civic Center is a central gathering spot for visitors to major museums and performing arts venues. The tree-lined UN Plaza leads to the impressive gold-leaf dome of City Hall while surrounding Beaux Arts-style buildings invite you to stroll around the square or buy tickets to a show.

Perched high above the city of Los Angeles, the J. Paul Getty Museum (The Getty) is home to a stellar art collection—with pieces spanning the ages from Renaissance to Pop Art—as well as Richard Meier’s cutting-edge architecture and serene, seasonally changing gardens. On clear days, visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of LA and the Pacific coast beyond.

The home to San Francisco’s hipster scene and the hub of the city’s Latin community, the Mission District is one of the city’s most interesting neighborhoods. It’s known for its outstanding and diverse food scene, buzzing nightlife hot spots, and a scenic park that’s a popular weekend hangout for locals.

Rising more than 900 feet (274 meters) above San Francisco, Twin Peaks provides a panoramic view of the city and beyond. On clear days, you can see for miles from these two hills, taking in the Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio, Alcatraz, downtown San Francisco, and Berkeley, Oakland, and Sausalito across San Francisco Bay.

Despite being one of the driest, hottest, and lowest places in the United States, Death Valley National Park is actually not as ominous as it sounds. Comprising otherworldly landscapes—from volcanic hills and snowcapped mountains to sand dunes and badlands—the area is also home to much wildlife, including bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, and jackrabbits.

The white-walled Santa Barbara Courthouse is one of the city’s most famous landmarks and is considered one of the most beautiful public buildings in the US. Hand-painted frescoes, sunken gardens, and an 85-foot (25-meter) clock tower are some of its distinctive features, drawing many visitors to the nearly century-old sight.

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.

Nestled between La Jolla and the coast, Ellen Browning Scripps Park is often called San Diego’s most photographed spot and it’s easy to see why; it’s the park is home to three sandy beaches, a wide- open lawn for picnicking, and a scenic walkway along the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean with viewpoints for whale watching and beautiful California sunsets.

Founded in 1916 and nestled into the rock and oak of the surrounding area, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is set in a cluster of Spanish-revival buildings surrounding a beautiful courtyard. The museum is home to expertly preserved displays of birds, insects, mammals, and sea life, along with a planetarium.

Ansel Adams is known for his striking black-and-white photos, capturing and preserving the wild beauty of nature’s monuments. Through his poignant images of Half Dome and Vernal Fall, Yosemite became a symbol for the evocative drama of the American West, and the park took its place in the hearts and consciousness of the American public.

Dedicated to the preservation and education of air and space technology and history, the San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM features a variety of aircraft and aerial vessels, as well as artifacts and photos that depict the past, present, and future of aviation. Dating back to 1961, the SDASM is one of the country’s top aerospace museums.

One of Los Angeles’ most storied music venues, Whisky a Go Go has welcomed rock ‘n’ roll fans since 1964. Located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, the nightclub is often called “the first real American discotheque.” Over the decades, it has hosted legends ranging from Jimi Hendrix and The Doors to Janis Joplin and Led Zeppelin.

The largest art museum in the western United States, the size of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is matched by the breadth of its collection. Home to more than 120,000 objects dating from antiquity to the present, representing every part of the world, the museum’s collection encompasses nearly the entire history of art.

Yosemite National Park’s Glacier Point affords an incomparable bird’s-eye view over Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls, all with very little physical effort involved. Don't miss the small Geology Hut situated to the side of the paved trail leading to the main overlook either, which shows how the valley has changed over the course of the last 10 million years.