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Fannette Island, the only island in all of Lake Tahoe, rises 150 feet from the lake’s Emerald Bay.
Best Visiting Places In California
I hope you make it to each location on our 101 Best California Experiences list, which celebrates how much there is to see and do here. (Print our checklist in color or black and white.) But if you’re looking for a short list—perhaps you want visitors to get a taste of the state without the Hollywood sign—I’ve picked 10 places that resonate. the deepest to me. This is a list that, after covering California travel, nature, and culture for over 30 years, I find myself reciting it most often.
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I feel a certain depth to these places, and usually a lightness, perhaps because no one needs to sell them. You show up, take a deep breath, listen a little, look around, and you’re reminded of your luck—our luck—to call California home.
I’ve been here three or four times and it’s always been great, but never the same twice. On my last visit, last fall, I got up early to shoot sunrise photos, drove through torrential downpours to Inspiration Point above the bay, then watched the clouds part. The sun’s rays flooded in, the bay began to glow, and a rainbow arched above. The smell of the wet forest hung in the air. At the time, there were two families at the point besides me, and some kids were dancing in the tiny parking lot. I looked at my parents and they looked back silently. No one wants to wake up early in the rain, but sometimes it pays off.
I have been eating at the ferry building since it was remodeled in 2003. as a food-centric retail and restaurant complex — oysters from Hog Island, comfort food from Gott’s Roadside, Neo-Vietnamese at the Leaning Door (which should reopen later this year).
Elsewhere on the waterfront, I nodded off to live jazz at Pier 23, biked to Fort Point, enjoyed the view of the Golden Gate from Torpedo Pier, and bought plenty of snacks at the Warming Hut on the San Francisco Bay Trail bike path. And almost every walk by the water brings me to a disturbing memory: one in 1987. On May Day, some friends and I went to the Golden Gate Bridge to join in its 50th anniversary celebration. A great many other people had the same thought. About 300,000 of us were stuck in a pedestrian barrier for hours and the bridge actually collapsed under the weight. Even when it’s not cold, seeing that bridge gives you a little shiver at first. Then I recover. I think this is the optimistic orange coloring at work. (Thanks, Sherwin Williams.)
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The Valley’s Swinging Bridge Area (where the bridge doesn’t swing at all) is one of my favorite photo spots in Yosemite Falls. But I’m also a big fan of the Wawona Suspension Bridge, 30 miles south and still within park boundaries. And this one actually swings over a swimming hole. This is where our friends Ed and Mona brought me, my wife Mary Frances, our daughter Grace, and a group of fellow friends a few years ago for an afternoon of snacking and soaking in the South Fork of the Merced River. No mass of tourists, just a bunch of old friends and their kids frolicking on the sun-dappled rocks.
McWay Falls tumbles over an 80-foot cliff onto the beach at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park along California Highway 1 in Big Sur.
I don’t believe I’ve ever been to Big Sur without stopping by Nepenthe Restaurant. Not because of the food, which is fine. And not really because of the image, which is more than good. Because of how her neo-bohemian, global wanderer brings these elements together.
I caught the sunrise from Zabriskie Point and Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, both great, golden memories. But neither matches the apocalyptic feeling you get standing on the salty floor of a Badwater pool as the sun sets, the sky darkens, and excited tourists whisper in half a dozen languages. On the way to one of the first sunsets, I listened to pianist Keith Jarrett’s “The Koln Concert” in my car. Now every time I hear that album I can close my eyes and see the long shadows of Badwater.
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In 2020 In May, as the first phase of pandemic closures eased and several national parks suddenly reopened, thousands of Californians scrambled to camp anywhere, anytime. I came to Hidden Valley. Soon all the campsites were full. I hopped from campfire to campfire with my notebook, mask, and camera, listening to the townspeople and their children tell how they dropped everything to take a few free breaths among these large boulders and begging trees.
When I was 10, my family and I joined an outfitter on a two-day rafting and camping trip on this stretch of river. I remember loving the hustle and bustle of the rapids, the idea that right here someone saw something shiny, started a gold rush, changed the world. I also remember being fascinated by the worldly wit of two older (20-something) television writers who were part of our group. Almost 50 years later I joined another installer on the same route. There are no witty TV writers. But between bouts of water, a young woman (20) behind me told me how she had just kicked heroin and rejoined her family. As they say, you never step into the same river twice. Maybe that’s why these waters call me that. And although the thresholds seem much smaller now, they are still exciting.
Since the Los Angeles Times building was a few blocks away for about 25 years, I’ve seen this food hall from all angles through good times and bad. Now the market is more alive and thriving than ever, but since I no longer work downtown, I only get a glimpse and a taste every now and then. I really like the heavy combo plates from Tacos Tumbras a Tomas, but I miss the constant relationship.
As a teenager on the beach below, I spent hours throwing frisbees and body surfing. These days, when I’m visiting from out of town, I head to the bluffs, admiring the bright design of the Salk Institute along the way, grabbing a picnic table and treating my family to $7 sandwiches from the Cliffhanger Cafe. While we chew, hang glider pilots run and jump into the wind 350 feet above the waves. This place always makes me happy.
Best Things To Do In California
Known as the geographic and emotional heart of Barrio Logan, Chicano Park is located in Logan Heights, San Diego.
I’ve been browsing Chicano Park on the bridge to Coronado for years, even though I knew there were supposed to be cool murals down there. This was partly because Barrio Logan had a reputation for being a cool neighborhood, but mostly I was just lazy. I eventually got there though and loved all that infrastructural concrete filled with bright colors and Chicano imagery. Now, so many cafes, galleries and restaurants have sprung up in the neighborhood that some people are nervous about gentrification, and visitors come in all sorts of ways. A few years ago, I joined a few dozen tourists, almost all seniors, who came straight off the Princess cruise ship, bypassing other San Diego attractions to see murals and eat tacos. Here are the travel destinations that never stand still. Neither should we.
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California born and raised Christopher Reynolds since 1990. The Los Angeles Times has written about travel, the outdoors, arts and culture. Simply put, California has it all. The Golden State stretches for hundreds of miles and boasts a truly diverse geography. Trust us: If you’re looking to book a West Coast getaway, look no further than this beautiful state. No matter what time of year you travel, you’ll be treated to beautiful weather and plenty of sunshine. (Except
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Perhaps one of the best parts of traveling to Cali is the variety of activities. There are picturesque beaches perfect for lounging or kayaking adventures, wineries perfect for the most romantic of day dates, and trails that will challenge even the best hiker. Not to mention the hard-to-beat views and stunningly colorful landmarks and attractions like the Painted Ladies, the Golden Gate Bridge and a few slices of European heaven. Wherever you go, you’re sure to find something interesting. Every type of personality, from foodies to thrill seekers, will have no trouble finding a memorable experience.
So whether you want to get to the beach, the desert, the mountains or even an urban city, you will find it all among these most beautiful places. Sing along
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