Best California Trips

BEST CALIFORNIA TRIPS

Other states may lure travelers with destination dining and giant balls of twine, but only this one gives the great American road trip its Hollywood ending. From the Gold Rush to the Oscars red carpet, the eternal quest for fortune and fame leads inevitably to Californias shores but once you take a look at the place, you may forget why you came, and where else you could possibly be headed. Gold seems overrated once youve seen the platinum glint of the Pacific, and no movie star will ever be as big as Californias mighty old-growth redwoods.

Hang tight around the curves and hug the coastline along legendary Hwy 1, eat your way around the San Francisco Bay with guidance from Alice Waters, or take the slow train through Central Valley vineyards: theres no such thing as a wrong turn in California though you might want to bring water for detours to Death Valley salt flats. But no matter where youre headed, as shadows begin to fall, swerve to the side of the road and face the setting sun. In California, dreaming comes with the territory.

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Go California or bust with a full tank and these unofficial state anthems:

California, Joni Mitchell

No Rain, Blind Melon

Everyday People, Sly & the Family Stone

Better Git It in Your Soul, Charles Mingus

La Bamba, Richie Valens

I Dont Wanna Grow Up, Tom Waits

Welcome to Paradise, Green Day

Under the Bridge, Red Hot Chili Peppers

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TRIP 1

WHY GO If LAs celebrities Are just like us! is LA just like Boise? Well, yes, if Boise bordered 75 miles of sun-dappled coast, basked in the glow of a $275-million concert hall, hosted the Oscars and lured gourmands to savory world-class restaurants. But lets just admit it, shall we? Sometimes leaving home is good.

According to LA lore, a wannabe starlet once asked Bette Davis for advice on the best way to get into Hollywood. Take Fountain, was Davis reply, referencing a lesser-known avenue that runs parallel to Sunset Blvd. Bitchy, perhaps. Practical, yes. But just the attitude needed for navigating this glorious mash-up of a city. In 48 hours you can stroll Hollywood Blvd, nab a studio tour, dine at world-class restaurants, savor a travertine-framed sunset, shop in celebrity style and spend a morning at the beach. Flexibility is key, and if you hear or see the word Sig-alert, get off the freeway fast.

Downtown, long known for a bustling financial district that emptied at night, is in the midst of a massive Renaissance thats attracting party animals as well as full-time residents. The symbol of the revitalization is the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the landmark that launched a thousand metaphors. Billowing ship? Blooming rose? Silver bow? No matter which comparison you prefer, its agreed that this iconic structure designed by Frank Gehry and completed in 2003 kick-started Downtowns rebirth. Cascading escalators whisk visitors from the parking garage directly into the airy lobby, where tours highlight Gehrys exquisite attention to detail air-conditioning units are hidden inside smooth Douglas fir columns throughout the building and gardens.

Just across Grand Ave, hard hats construct the Grand Ave Cultural Corridor, a high-end cluster of shops, hotels and restaurants scheduled for a 2011 completion. Stroll south to the postmodern charms of the Museum of Contemporary Art, a minimalist masterpiece housing a rotating collection of avant-garde exhibits in its underground galleries. Grand Ave then takes a watch-your-balance plunge before crossing 5th St. Peek inside the 1926 Richard Riordan Central Library on your right to ogle the 64ft-high rotunda with a 42ft span. Here, a 1-ton chandelier laughs in the face of fault lines, hanging with optimistic audacity above a stark marble floor.

Another two blocks plus an escalator and elevator ride will take you to the Rooftop Bar at the Standard Hotel and 360-degree views of twinkling city lights, flickering freeways and white-capped mountains. Plot your arrival for weeknights or early evening on the weekend. Youll enjoy the view and the highlights comfy space pods, fireside lounges without the long line, $20 cover and maddening crush of scenesters (no offense to scenesters, its just the numbers that annoy). For downtown lodging without the scene, consider the Figueroa Hotel. Here, a festive Spanish-style lobby, Moroccan-themed rooms and a welcoming poolside bar infuse the hotel with a refreshing join-the-caravan conviviality.

For dinner, the evening can go one of two ways burrata or burgers. For the former, youll need to be organized (reservations accepted one month ahead) or a little bit lucky because Nancy Silverton and Mario Batalis bustling Osteria Mozza has been the hottest table in town since opening in mid-2007. The highlight at this stylish Melrose and Highland mecca is the central, first-come-first-served mozzarella bar where Silverton whips up burrata, bufala and other Italian cheese-based delicacies. The more casual but almost equally crowded Pizzeria Mozza is next door.

Sono ones moved from the mozzarella bar? Consider a deal with bright-red Lucky Devils on Hollywood Blvd, just a short drive north via Highland Ave. The Kobe Diablo, a thick Kobe beef patty slathered with avocado, double-smoked bacon and Vermont cheddar, is so gob-smackingly tasty youll be tempted to curse aloud. Or you can take another bite, sip one of 13 draft beers, and settle in for some Hollywood people-watching. Cool fact? The owner is Lucky Vanous, the hunky model from the 1990s Diet Coke ads. Just sayin.