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California

California is a land of superlatives. The most populous state in the Union, it boasts the highest peak in the continental United States (Mt. Whitney) and the world's tallest trees (redwoods). Its Death Valley desert is the deepest (282 ft below sea level), and from its Sierra peaks spills the continent's highest cascade, 2,425-ft Yosemite Falls. With its rocky coastline, moody forests, frosted mountaintops, and sunny beaches, California is a magnet for outdoors lovers—or for anyone who tires of the surfeit of museums, theaters, galleries, and cultural offerings that seem to spring from California's soil as easily as its pear orchards and artichoke fields.

California Wine Country

All those glossy magazine photos and gorgeous film locations don't lie—California's Wine Country really is that beautiful... (more)

Death Valley and Mojave

Dust and desolation, tumbleweeds and rattlesnakes, barren landscapes—these are the bleak images that come to mind when most... (more)

Lake Tahoe

Stunning cobalt-blue Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America, famous for its clarity, deep blue water, and surrounding... (more)

Los Angeles

Los Angeles is as much a fantasy as it is a physical city. A mecca for face-lifts, film noir, shopping starlets, beach bodies... (more)

Monterey Bay

In the good life of Monterey Bay's coast-side towns, in the pleasures of its luxurious resorts, and in the vitality of its resplendent... (more)

Oakland and Berkeley

The town often referred to as the People's Republic of Berkeley retains its liberal image, though it's drastically tamer than... (more)

Orange County and Catalina Island

With its tropical flowers and palm trees, the stretch of coast between Seal Beach and San Clemente is often called the California... (more)

Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park

A major tourist destination since the late 19th century, Palm Springs had already caught Hollywood's eye by the time of the Great... (more)

Riverside and San Bernardino

Few people think of the region east of Los Angeles as a worthwhile travel destination. But despite its tangled freeways and suburban... (more)

Sacramento and the Gold Country

An agricultural hub and the seat of the California state government, the city of Sacramento plays an important contemporary role... (more)

San Diego

San Diego is a vacationer's paradise, complete with idyllic year-round temperatures and 70 mi of pristine coastline. Recognized... (more)

San Francisco

San Francisco makes it wonderfully easy to tap into the Good Life. Between the hot arts scene, the tempting boutiques, the awesome... (more)

San Jose and Silicon Valley

To many the South Bay is synonymous with Silicon Valley, the center of high-tech research and the corporate headquarters of such... (more)

Santa Barbara and the Central Coast

Balmy weather, glorious beaches, crystal-clear air, and serene landscapes have lured people to the Central Coast since prehistoric... (more)

Yosemite National Park

Vast granite peaks and giant sequoias are among the mind-boggling natural wonders of the Southern Sierra, many of which are protected... (more)