As a Californian may tell you, there are plenty of places to check out in California. There are plenty of sights to see and people to meet, as it’s the most populous state in the country with over 40 million inhabitants. The state is the third largest in the union and stretches along most of the west coast. Some of these locations may be obvious, and others are a little overrated. While places like Disney Land in Anaheim and the San Diego Zoo gain a lot of attention and large crowds, there are other places worth checking out, too. From forests filled with redwood trees to cityside hills overlooking the bay area, there is no shortage of sights to see. There are too many to list, but it’s always nice to have somewhere to begin. These are the 10 amazing places to visit in California, at least to start with.
10 Places to Visit in California
1. Marin Headlands
The Marin Headlands is a hilly peninsula at the southernmost end of Marin County, California. It is located just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, which connects the two counties and peninsulas. The entire area is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Headlands are famous for their views of the Bay Area, especially of the Golden Gate Bridge. There are plenty of hills to climb and trails to hike for the best views. You can even find plenty of hidden bunkers you can explore as you travel the headlands deeper. If you continue to explore, you can find the redwood trees and even see some of the wineries that make up Napa Valley. This makes it an even more mysterious and enjoyable place to travel to and explore.
2. Griffith Observatory
Griffith Observatory is an observatory in Los Angeles, California on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. It commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin that includes Downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. The observatory is a popular tourist attraction with a close view of the Hollywood Sign. It also has an extensive array of space and science-related displays. It is named after its benefactor, Griffith J. Griffith, and entry has been free since it’s very beginning. You may need a clear sky to fully take advantage of this landmark, but it’s a great place to visit nonetheless.
10 Places to Visit in California
3. Getty Art Museum
The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa. The Getty Center is located in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles atop a hill. The museum features pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, and sculpture. It also displays decorative arts and photographs from the inception of photography through present day from all over the world. The original Getty museum, the Getty Villa, is located in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles; it displays art from Ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria.
4. La Brea Tar Pits
La Brea Tar Pits are a group of tar pits around which Hancock Park was formed in urban Los Angeles, California. Natural asphalt has seeped up from the ground in this area for tens of thousands of years. The tar is often covered over with dust, leaves, or water. There are dozens of tar pits around the park, some of which reenact moments from history. Over many centuries, the tar preserved the bones of trapped animals and other interesting specimens. The George C. Page Museum is dedicated to researching the tar pits and displaying specimens from the animals that died there. La Brea Tar Pits is a registered National Natural Landmark.
10 Places to Visit in California
5. Hammond’s Beach
Hammond’s Beach is a beach located in Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara County, California. Along the coast, there are plenty of great beaches to explore here. The entire city is located alongside the Pacific Ocean and Santa Ynez Mountains. All of Santa Barbara is a sight to behold, as many of it’s inhabitants live along the mountainside. If you drive through the city, you will be greeted with sunny skies, great beaches, cliffsides, and mountain ranges. Hammond’s Beach is just one of the great beaches you can check out that stretch along the sunny horizon.
6. Santa Monica Pier
The Santa Monica Pier is a large double-jointed pier at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California, United States. It contains a small amusement park, concession stands, and areas for views and fishing. If you are looking for a lively place full of people and food, you cannot go wrong. The base of the pier typically has carnival like attractions and concession stands for those looking to shop. At the end of the pier is Pacific Park amusement park. It houses a carousel, roller coaster, and the world’s first solar powered Ferris Wheel. You get a great look of the ocean, as the pier stretches far into the Pacific. The pier has gone through several renovations over the years, beginning first in 1909.
10 Places to Visit in California
7. Los Angeles Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a 133-acre zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The city of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals. It’s the third largest zoo in California behind the San Diego and Living Desert Zoos. While it may not be as large or house as many species of animals as the two other zoos, it’s often forgotten. There are other Zoos, including the Santa Barbara Zoo that house a great selection of animals and sights. In total, there are 14 zoos and aquariums in all of California. The LA Zoo is a great start to a visit of Southern California. It’s also a great botanical garden displaying over 800 species of plants.
8. Hollywood
Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many of its studios such as Columbia Pictures, Disney, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and Universal Pictures were founded there; Paramount still has its studios there. While it may seem like an overrated place to visit, the aura here is still very low-key. You have mount Hollywood and other great views to check out, as well as all of the hillside houses. You can also check out the Hollywood Walk of Fame here that happens to stretch along Vine Street. There are a total of over 2700 stars to see that cover the sidewalks through the buzzling city streets.
10 Places to Visit in California
9. Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical Santa Clara Valley. There are plenty of interesting places to check out, either geographically or technologically. San Jose is Silicon Valley’s largest city, the third-largest in California, and the tenth-largest in the United States. Other smaller cities are located within this region and serve to make up most of it’s area. If you are wanting to see what wealthy living looks like, you will certainly see it here. Silicon Valley and San Jose in particular have the highest percentage of homes over one million dollars.
10. National Parks, Lakes, Beaches, and Mountains
As mentioned, there are numerous places to visit, but there are too many to list here. It would be a shame to skip over any of them, as they are all worth mention. Some of these places include Yosemite National Park, Redwood National and State Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Big Sur, Disneyland, and San Diego Zoo. The list does not stop there, as there is the Living Desert Zoo, Lake Tahoe, Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks, Death Valley, and Santa Barbara Zoo. There are numerous beaches, cities, lakes, mountains, and parks to see, as all of California is a tourist attraction. If you want to go to California, be sure to plan a trip that includes at least a few of these endless locations.
10 Places to Visit in California
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