California Travel Guide
California is located on the western coast of the United States. The coastline of California extends from the soft sandy tropical beaches of San Diego near the Mexican border to the rugged northern coasts near Oregon. In the southern part of the state, warm Pacific waters and that famous California surf attract many tourists to its palm shaded beaches. As you go further north, the coastline becomes more scenic, but the waters are cooler and sandy beaches are scarcer. In northern California, hiking along rocky cliffs and visiting secluded beaches to see seals, sea otters or whales are more popular than swimming.
The major city in California is the multi-ethnic metropolis of Los Angeles, home to Hollywood movie stars, business moguls, California surfers and four million inhabitants. It is actually a conglomeration of several dozen communities that have coalesced into the largest city on the west coast of the US. From its tropical beaches and cosmopolitan shopping malls, it is only a few hours to the giant redwood forests of the Sierra Nevada wilderness or to year round golfing under the endless blue skies in the Palm Springs desert.
San Francisco, the other great California city, is located nearly 400 miles (600 km) to the north. This beautiful city hugs the slopes of a hilly peninsula on the shores of a vast blue bay amid the coastal mountains. It is less metropolitan than Los Angeles and lacks the warm sandy beaches but is much more picturesque. Yosemite National Park with its spectacular alpine vistas is only four hours drive to the east. The California Wine Country of Sonoma and Napa Valley is less than an hour to the north.