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Top
Sights in California
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For
a great list of the most recommended things to do
in California, take a look at VisitCalifornia.com.
Visit California" has some great ideas to kick off
the New Year.
Give
the Gift of a Road Trip
Watch
a holiday boat parade in Sausalito, Santa Barbara
or Newport Beach.
Visit
a small town with Christmas spirit, from former
Gold Rush towns like Coloma and Columbia that look
like they came straight out of a Charles Dickens
novel to mountain villages.
Experience
a winter wonderland with a German twist At Big Bear
Lake. The two-day Big Bear Christkindlmarkt
features live German entertainment, carolers,
holiday vendors, free arts and crafts, and a giant
Wishing Tree.
Go
ice skating, California-style
Throughout
the season, multiple destinations in the Golden
State offer numerous seasonal skating rinks for the
holidays.
Start
planning for an Almond Blossom Cruise! Take the
cruise from the comfort, and warmth, of your car
using our map or with the Wayfarer audio tour that
gives a narrated tour with turn by turn directions,
info about almonds and stories from locals all with
incredible orchard views and stops.
Plan
a road trip between late April and August to get
your fruit fix. Leave room to fill your trunk &
bring home the best of fresh from numerous fruit
and farmstands throughout the State.
Check
out Desert Spas in Palm Springs
Whether
it's seaweed wraps, aromatherapy, or the healing
powers of hot springs, many Southern California
desert destinations offer a wide selection of
unique treatments designed to soothe the mind,
body, and soul.
Try
some Scenic Shasta Cascade Hikes
The
vast Shasta Cascade region covers 20 percent of the
state, and much of it is remote, wide-open land
ready for exploration. Five incredible examples of
hikes with rewarding views of the surrounding
volcanoes, lakes, and wilderness include Gray Butte
in Siskiyou County, Heart Lake at Mt. Shasta City,
Root Creek Trail at Castle Crags State Park,
Chamise Peak in Redding, and Brokeoff Mountain at
Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Watch
a holiday boat parade. California's coastline
lights up during the winter with evening boat
parades-fancifully illuminated yachts, sailboats,
and even rowboats that have helped create local
holiday traditions in Sausalito, Santa Barbara,
Newport Beach and more.
Do
a wine country winter weekend
Head
to Sonoma County for a Merry Weekend in Healdsburg.
Their three-day celebration kicks off with a tree
lighting and continues with live music from
Healdsburg Chorus and a very merry sidewalk
sale.
Also
in the winter see the Capistrano Lights at Mission
San Juan Capistrano. On select evenings in
December, Mission San Juan Capistrano comes alive
under colorful lights. The 10-foot wreath,
large-scale nativity scene, and Dickens-era
carolers make for excellent family photo backdrops.
Go
on a candlelit walk through the redwoods .Stroll
under the candlelit canopy of ancient redwoods at
Prairie Creek Redwood State Park in the Northern
California town of Orick. Enjoy an evening in the
sequoias at this half-mile round-trip walk on an
ADA-friendly path, with 500 luminaria lighting your
way, complemented with refreshments, music, and
storytellers.
Take
a twilight tour at Hearst Castle
Get
a glimpse of how mogul William Randolph Hearst used
to celebrate the holidays on this guided seasonal
tour of the legendary estate in San Simeon. The
experience takes visitors through decorated
grounds, the guest house, and the social rooms at
Casa Grande, complete with giant Christmas
trees.
Hop
on a holiday train. All across California, vintage
trains decked in holiday lights offer
nostalgia-filled adventures. Step aboard the
Magical Christmas Train in West Sacramento, Irvine
Park Railroad's annual Christmas Train, or the
Polar Express Train Ride in Sacramento to chug
through local scenery on your way toward a Santa
meet-and-greet. The historic Skunk Train's
redwood-lined route in Willits is infused with
Christmas magic in Mendocino County. Roll through
the Santa Cruz streets as you belt out Christmas
carols on the Holiday Lights Train. For a more
adult-focused excursion, book a ride on the Napa
Valley Wine Train's Very Merry Vista Dome with
360-degree views of wine country and a three-course
dinner paired with sips.
So
check out VisitCalifornia.com
for many more ideas.
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Affordable
tips
for traveling
with little kids,
stress-free
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When
you have little ones, traveling can be a serious
source of stress. Ideally, you want vacations to be
relaxing opportunities to get away from the demands
of daily life. However, the extra work of keeping
everyone content on the trip can make it feel less
like a getaway. Fortunately, you can reduce the
stress of traveling with small children, and you
don't need to spend a bundle to do it. Here are a
few affordable tips for stress-free traveling with
your kids:
Get
Ahead of Luggage Worries
One
thing most parents worry about when traveling with
little kids is keeping track of luggage. Small
children are notorious for putting things down
somewhere then wandering away. In an airport and if
your youngster is big enough to carry their own,
Mapping Megan notes this can be a recipe for
disaster. Moreover, there's always a concern that
another passenger might accidentally grab your
luggage, leaving you stuck without your
things.
One
way to reduce these worries is to get everyone in
your family matching luggage. This will ideally be
in a bright, difficult-to-miss color. This way
you'll notice if your little one wanders away from
their carry-on, and you're less likely to have
someone grab your things by mistake. Search for
something that rolls, which will be easier for your
little one to manage, and check out online luggage
deals so you don't have to spend an arm and a
leg.
Bring
Along Entertainment
One
of the best things you can do to keep little kids
content on the road or in the air is provide plenty
of entertainment. Bring along lots of books and
quiet toys, and load up a few favorite movies on a
tablet, phone, or computer. Then, when they get
fidgety, point them toward one of their toys. An
audiobook can also be the perfect source of calm
entertainment in this situation.
Little
toys and pre-loaded movies can also save you a ton
at the destination. You'd be amazed how quickly
pay-per-view movies at the hotel can add up -
having something already downloaded will cut costs
substantially.
Plan
All-Ages Activities
When
figuring out what to do on your trip, you may be
tempted to pick a lot of activities that are either
mainly for the grown-ups or mainly for the kids.
However, the more outings you can plan that have
multi-generational appeal, the happier everyone is
going to be. You don't want the vacation to be a
constant flux between "fun for them" and "fun for
you."
Museums
are a great option for all members of the family,
particularly if they can balance great visuals with
plenty of information. Science museums geared
toward children can be particularly engaging for
both little ones and adults. As EdSurge notes, you
can use the interactive exhibits as an opportunity
to introduce them to some scientific concepts. You
might even learn something new along the way, too!
Many museums are free to kids under a certain age
as well, so check particulars before you
visit.
Another
idea is to give you and your kids an outlet for
energy. Physical activities and outings in nature,
such as hiking or visiting a beach, tend to appeal
to all ages, and they're a great way to stretch
your legs when you've been cooped up in a vehicle.
On top of that, they won't break the
bank.
Build
In Plenty of Breaks
Little
kids have endless energy…until they don't.
Anyone who has spent time around a toddler knows
the importance of regular naps. Make sure to build
this time into your day. These breaks are a good
opportunity for you, as well. You can use this time
to unwind and read a book, or take a nice relaxing
bath.
If
you're traveling with other adults, you can trade
babysitting duty during nap times and spend the
downtime doing something the kids wouldn't enjoy.
It's a great way to corral stress and make the most
of your pennies and your moments.
Traveling
with little ones doesn't have to be stressful, nor
does it mean overspending. With the right plan you
can ensure that you and the kids all have a great
time on your trip. Enjoy your adventure together as
a family, and build memories to look back on
forever!
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Glass
Beach
Fort Bragg, CA
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Glass
Beach is a beach in Fort Bragg, California that is
abundant in sea glass created from years of dumping
garbage into an area of coastline near the northern
part of the town. In the early 20th century, Fort
Bragg residents threw their household garbage over
cliffs owned by the Union Lumber Company onto what
is now Glass Beach, discarding glass, appliances,
and even vehicles. Locals referred to it as "The
Dumps." Fires were lit to reduce the size of the
trash pile.
The
California State Water Resources Control Board and
city leaders closed the area in 1967.Various
cleanup programs were undertaken through the years
to correct the damage. Over the next several
decades the pounding waves cleaned the beach, by
breaking down everything but glass and pottery and
tumbling those into the small, smooth, colored
pieces that cover Glass Beach.
There
are three Glass Beach sites in Fort Bragg where
trash was dumped into ocean between 1906 and 1967.
Glass Beach Site Two and Three (1943-1949) are
located at the end of the path that begins on the
corner of Elm Street and Glass Beach Drive. These
sites are accessible by foot and by a short climb
down the cliffs surrounding the beach. Site One
(1906-1943) is located south of Sites One and Two
and can only be accessed by water because there is
no trespassing on the cliffs above the
cove.
In
1998, the private owner of the property determined
that Glass Beach should belong to the public, and
in 2002 it was incorporated into MacKerricher State
Park. The beach is now frequently visited by
tourists. Collecting is not permitted on the park's
beach, although sea glass can be found on other
local beaches outside the park boundary. A Glass
Festival is held annually on Memorial Day
weekend.
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Trona
Pinnacles
Trona, CA
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The
Trona Pinnacles is one of the most unusual
geological features in the California Desert
National Conservation Area. They grow at an
elevation of 1,800 feet above sea level and are
located approximately 10 miles south of Trona,
California. The unusual landscape consists of more
than 500 tufa spires (porous rock formed as a
deposit when springs interact with other bodies of
water), some as high as 140 feet, rising from the
bed of the Searles Lake (dry) basin. They now sit
isolated and slowly crumbling away near the south
end of the valley, surrounded by many square miles
of flat, dried mud and with stark mountain ranges
at either side.
The
Pinnacles are recognizable in more than a dozen hit
movies. Over 30 film projects a year are shot among
the tufa pinnacles, including backdrops for car
commercials and sci-fi movies and television series
such as Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek V: The
Final Frontier, Disney's Dinosaur, The Gate II,
Lost in Space, and Planet of the
Apes.
Access
to the site is from a BLM dirt road (RM143) that
leaves State Highway 178, about 7.7 miles east of
the intersection of State Highway 178 and the
Trona-Red Mountain Road. The 5-mile long dirt road
from State Highway 178 to the Pinnacles is usually
accessible to 2-wheel drive vehicles, however, the
road may be closed during the winter months after a
heavy rain. They are well worth the
visit.
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San
Francisco Bay
Discovery Site
Pacifica, CA
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Located
in the town of Pacifica, California, the site of
the discovery of San Francisco Bay consists of the
point at which the Portola Expedition, 1769,
crossed over Sweeney Ridge, and for the first time,
came to view one of the world's largest sheltered
anchorages. From the top of Sweeney Ridge one can
see not only inland to the Bay, but north along the
ocean coast as far as Point Reyes.
In late October of
1769, Captain Gaspar de Portola and his party of
sixty men (with a caravan of 200 horses and mules
for riding and the pack train) had come from San
Diego in search of Monterey Bay, but from their
overland approach, they had failed to recognize
it.
On November 1,
1769, Sergeant Ortega with a squad of scouts began
a three-day reconnoitering tour. Somewhere along
the five mile stretch between Mussel Rock and the
summit (Point Reyes), Ortega saw San Francisco Bay
on his first day of scouting. Three days of
slow travel then brought the expedition to the site
of modern Palo Alto where a new base camp was made
to await Ortega's probing of the east side of the
estuary. Ortega returned in four days with
discouraging news. He observed great stretches of
burned-over land leaving no pasture for the
expedition's livestock. A council was then called
and the decision was made to return to San
Diego.
The Portola
Expedition ultimately accomplished its purpose of
finding Monterey Bay. The San Francisco region was
further explored by Lieutenant Pedro Pagas in 1772
and by Juan Bautista de Anza in 1776. The
importance of the inland bay was further emphasized
by the establishment of a presidio and two missions
in the environs of the
bay. Today,
the site of the discovery of San Francisco Bay
consists essentially of two knolls from which the
member of the expedition acquired the view. There
are two commemorative monuments that celebrate the
Gaspar de Portola Expedition. The Portola Site
monument, shown here, was erected in 1968 when the
site received its National Historic Landmark
designation.
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Bridgeport
Bridge
Bridgeport, CA
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One
of the most beautiful bridges in Nevada County, if
not in all of the Gold Country, is the Bridgeport
covered bridge on the South Fork of the Yuba River
in the South Yuba River State Park. The present
road to French Corral, Nevada County, leaves
Highway 20 midway between Smartville and Rough and
Ready. That paved road twists and turns for 5 miles
before passing close by the longest single-span
covered bridge in the nation.
The
233-foot-long Bridgeport Bridge, or Wood's
Crossing, was originally constructed in 1862 and
was part of the Virginia Turnpike Company Toll Road
that served the northern mines and traffic to and
from Virginia City and the Comstock Lode in Nevada.
More than a century ago, pioneers and miners paid a
$2 toll to drive their wagons and horses across the
river. Now, traffic is limited to pedestrians only
and there is no toll.
On
October 20, 1997, there was a flood on the South
Yuba River that almost took out the bridge. It was
135 years old at the time and workers put in
10-hour days making repairs on the landmark wooden
bridge. But it still needs more work. On April 24,
2014 the State Assembly Budget Subcommittee voted
4-0 to support the State Senate's recommendation to
fully fund restoration of the bridge. Visitor
Center hours: 11am to 4pm all days from Memorial
Day to Labor Day and Thursday to Sunday from Labor
Day to Memorial Day.
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The
Hubcap Ranch
Pope Valley, CA
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Wouldn't
you stop if you were driving along and came to a
spot that has more than 5,000 hubcaps, hundreds of
old license plates, highway signs of every
description, odd-shaped tail lights that defy
counting, and zillions of beverage can bottoms
fashioned into little fans that twinkle in the sun?
Such a spot can be found north of Pope Valley on
the road to Middletown. It is rather difficult to
miss because the entrance stands out like a diamond
in the rough.
The
man behind this unusual collection was Italian-born
Litto Damonte, who spent most of his life in San
Francisco before retiring to Pope Valley in 1942.
The hubcap king started his collection of "highway
art" by nailing pieces to the garage in back of his
home. Over the years his collection grew to the
point where it covers the house, patio, porch,
trees, fences and outbuildings.
"Anything
that hit the ground and broke, he made into art,"
says his grandson Mike Damonte."He really liked
anything that was shiny." In 1987, two years after
Litto died, Hubcap Ranch was named a State Historic
Landmark, complete with a plaque proclaiming it an
"exceptional twentieth century folk art
environment." Mike Damonte took over the ranch in
1982 and has been a faithful servant of the
hubcaps, allowing a steady stream of car clubs,
preschools, European tourists and biker gangs to
stop and gaze upon the gleaming assemblage.
If
you go, be polite and quiet, people live
there!
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Earthquake
Walks
Olema, CA and
Pt. Arena, CA
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When
we talk about land movement, we normally associate
it with big real estate deals that boggle the mind.
But in the case of a little spot near Olema, in
Marin County, we're talking about earth-shaking
news! In 1906, the San Andreas Fault shook, rattled
and rolled, causing widespread damage throughout
California.
At
Olema, the effects were noted mostly by terrain
movement. Fences and trees moved more than 10 feet,
primarily because the Pacific Plate and the Eastern
Plate converge at this point. Pressure between the
two plates far below the surface builds up over
time, setting up stresses that cause upheavals when
they let go. During the 1906 upheaval, the Point
Reyes Peninsula moved 16.4 feet to the
northwest.
Just
west of Olema, Bear Valley, which is a part of the
Point Reyes National Park, offers visitors the
opportunity to walk the earthquake trail and learn
more about our shifting and ever-changing world. A
short paved loop explores the Fault Zone and
interpretive signs describe the geology of the
area. This trail begins at the southeast corner of
the Bear Valley Picnic Area, across the street from
the Bear Valley Visitor Center.
A
lesser-known place to view the San Andreas Fault is
from Point Arena Cove in Mendocino County. One
could say that the fault's lowest point is in the
Pacific Ocean west of Point Arena. You can have
lunch at the wharf and enjoy a glass of wine while
looking across the cove to the telltale streaks in
the cliff, hoping that they don't move anytime
soon.
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Please
tell us about your favorite California travel spots
or travel tips!
Great
links:
Ideas
for or fun road
trips
California
Hwy 395 Road
Trip
Strangely
Awesome Stuff
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