Big Sur - one of the most scenic spots along the Pacific Coast Highway.Napa Valley - Spas, wine tasting, wine tours.Lake Tahoe - A large, gorgeous lake great for water sports and excellent skiing in the winter.The home of the historic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Mission Santa Cruz, and the Mystery Spot. San Jose- Near San Francisco but with a distinct identity, home of the Winchester Mystery House, and the center of Silicon Valley, which is home to many technology companies.San Francisco- Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, America's largest Chinatown, cable cars, Victorian houses, mecca of cultural, ethnic and sexuality.San Diego- Beach towns, Balboa Park, Old Town, SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, and nearby Tijuana, Mexico.Palm Springs- Desert recreation with golf, spas, resorts, casinos, and the famous aerial tramway.is home to Hollywood, Venice, The Getty Center, and Griffith Park. Los Angeles - The state's largest city, and 2nd-largest in the nation.Gateway to the prime national parks of the highest Sierra Nevada mountains: Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon. Fresno- Urban center of the Mid-San Joaquin Valley.The world's largest Basque population outside of Spain is found here and fine Basque restaurants abound. Blazing hot in the summer with poor air quality, but at the foot of the Sierra Nevada's cooler and clearer altitudes and midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Bakersfield- The largest city of the southernmost San Joaquin valley, this is an important producer of oil and agriculture.Sacramento - This metropolitan area sited amongst the fertile flatlands of the Central Valley, between the San Francisco Bay and Sierra Nevada mountains, hosts the state capitol and the 19th century historic area Old Sacramento.Sandwiched in the center of California is the fertile Central Valley, home to a massive amount of agriculture. Whitney.Ĭalifornia varies greatly, ranging from the forested northern coastal regions to the rugged interior mountains to the harsh southern desert. Outside California's major cities one finds some of North America's most rugged national parks, incredible skiing/snowboarding opportunities, and quiet and ancient northern forests including the highest mountain peak in the contiguous USA, Mt. California has natural attractions as well as theme-parks and bustling city life: Southern California is home to such popular attractions as Disneyland, Hollywood and the beaches in Malibu that inspired the television show Baywatch, while the northern part of California offers the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, the hills of San Francisco, the vineyards of Napa Valley, Silicon Valley, and the capital, Sacramento. California is the largest state of the United States by population, and the third largest by area, located on its coast to the Pacific Ocean.