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California holds a special place in my heart. It was explored by the Spanish who thought CA was an island, reminding them of a 16th Century novel about Queen Calafia, who ruled a fictional Island. The Golden State, was nicknamed because of the state’s natural resources and sunny climate which are both represented by the color gold. Being born in Southern California and raised near the coast in Northern California, I’ve been lucky to see a lot of the state.
Southern California
Everyone knows Hollywood and Los Angeles.
But for me, Southern California as a kid meant the San Diego Zoo (the pandas are my favorite), Disneyland, Universal Studios and, if timing was right, the New Year’s Day Rose Parade. As an adult, I find the wine tasting in the Temecula Valley, a very underrated wine tasting destination.
The South also means beaches (although so does the North!!). With gorgeous weather most of the year (at least after the morning fog burns off), you have a plethora to choose from. Southern CA beaches often have long boardwalks and are lined with beautiful beach houses. Two well known beaches are Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach, which are basically next to each other. Hermosa is huge and a great place to go for beach volleyball. Redondo is smaller but has more restaurants and tourist shops.
Manhattan Beach is a bit north of Hermosa. It is a much swankier area with nice shops and restaurants. It also feels more crowded.
About 20 minutes further South is the Terranea Resort. There are great walking trails and gorgeous views that anyone can enjoy and a very small beach. If your lucky, you may even get to see whales!
Northern California
When you grow up in Northern California, school trips might mean going to the Exploratorium and Alcatraz in San Francisco, the Monterey Bay Aquarium (one of the best in the world, imo) and driving Highway 1 along the gorgeous Big Sur coastline to Hearst Castle, a must see for anyone visiting California. Another must see is Yosemite. It was a three hour drive from my home, so we often went skiing there. It has a very family friendly mountain and affordable accommodations. If something nicer is your style, I always wanted to stay at the Ahwahnee Hotel. Perhaps it is in my future, but up til now, I’ve only been able to go ice skating there.
I pretty much lived in Birkenstocks as a teenager, a very CA style. You can find my favorites here.
College took me even further north where I was close to the beautiful Lake Tahoe and skiing at Kirkland and Sugarbowl. There is a lot of history on the gold rush in the area, as well as the famous Donner Lake and Pass, a well known site for tragedy and cannibalism.
There is also some fantastic river rafting in Northern California. If you are 21, the Napa Valley is an easy drive.
If you only have a week, I suggest staying in one area. You need at least two weeks to see a few things in the north and a few in the south. I can’t wait until my next trip back to introduce my kids to Redwoods National Park and Joshua Tree.
And FYI – real Californians don’t call it Cali.
