Located on the west coast of North America, California is the largest U.S. State by population and the 3rd largest by area. The incredibly diverse state is a delight for any travel, because you can find something for every taste out there. The forested northern coastal regions, along with the rugged interior mountains, the harsh southern desert and the fertile Central Valley have something to offer to everyone. The main regions of California are: Southern California, the desert, the Central Coast, San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento Valley (Sacramento is also the capital of the state), Sierra Nevada, Gold Country, the Bay Area, the North Coast and the Shasta Cascades. Some of the most popular destinations in California are Los Angeles, Palm Springs, San Francisco and Napa Valley.
1. Los Angeles
The famous Hollywood sign in Los Angeles
This destination is world-renowned for its famous attractions: Hollywood, Universal Studios, Venice Beach, Downtown LA, UCLA, the Griffith Park and the Los Angeles River Bridges are just a few of the wonderful things worth a visit here.
Of course there are numerous cultural and historic attractions, museum and galleries, such as The Getty Center – one of the finest art museums in the U.S., free entrance; the Museum of Contemporary Art – the only contemporary art museum in Los Angeles; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, California Afro-American Museum and many more.
The beautiful parks are also worth a look: Griffith Park, Exposition Park, Will Rogers State Historic Park, Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, Macarthur Park.
Check out the cities surrounding Los Angeles for the most wonderful amusement parks, such as the Disney California Adventure Park and Disneyland Park in Anaheim.
2. Palm Springs
Indian Canyon Golf Resort, Palm Springs, California
This resort city in the desert region of South California is the ideal place to visit for relaxation & recreation, golf, spas and casinos. It is a great place to head to during winter and spring, when the temperatures are really enjoyable (21-23°C during winter and 27-35°C during spring); summers are usually a little too hot for most people.
Some of the best activities you can try out there are: go on a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway – this is a must do if you visit this beautiful place; visit the stunning Sunnylands estate; hike in the Indian Canyons, visit the Palm Springs Art Museum & the Palm Springs Air Museum; attend the wonderful festivals – the Palm Springs International Film Festival is held during the first two weeks of January and the Palm Spring International ShortFest, the second largest short film festival in the world, held on June 20-26 this year.
Find the best hotel deals in Palm Springs, California
If you are interested in sports and you are a tennis fan, you should check out the Indian Wells Masters, also known as the BNP Paribas Open, the best attended tennis tournament outside the Grand Slam tournaments and an amazing Masters 1000 event that is worth a look. The Indian Wells County is only a half-hour drive away from Palm Springs. Also, if you are a tennis fan and you are interested in the major tournaments, you should check out Hotels4Tennis.com to find the best hotels near most the important tennis venues in Europe.
3. Napa Valley
Large vineyard in Napa Valley, California
For a more sophisticated trip, you can choose Napa Valley, the main wine growing region of the USA, an exquisite region, renowned for its gourmet restaurants, cafes and spa-treatment centres.
You can take the Napa Valley Wine Train in Napa, try out the hot springs or have a mud bath in Calistoga, try a balloon flight with the Bonaventura Balloon Company, try out one of the 10 great golf courses in the towns in this region, or take the Napa River History Tour.
If you are there for the wine, you should check out this list of the most popular and large wineries: Beringer Vineyards and V. Sattui Winery (St. Helena), Grgich Hills Cellar (Rutherford), Robert Mondavi Winery (Oakville), Sterling Vineyards and Castello di Amorosa(Calistoga), The Hess Collection Winery (Napa).
Whatever city or region you choose, California is full of surprises and wonderful places to see and things to do. Check out the other major attractions, such as the historic area of Old Sacramento, the amazing national parks in Fresno, the beautiful beach towns in San Diego, the famous Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and more. Check out the complete list of hotels in California and the available flights to your destination on TripEconomy.com. Enjoy the Golden State!