Sam Benson - Coastal California

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From towering coast redwoods in foggy Northern California to the perfectly sun-kissed surf beaches of Southern California, these 1100 miles of Pacific Coast are a knockout beauty.

Crescent Bay (), Orange County
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In all of your California daydreaming, palm trees, golden sands and Pacific sunsets beckon, right? Heres the good news: in coastal California, those cinematic fantasies really can come true. You can learn to surf, drink a cocktail with your feet in the sand, play a game of pickup volleyball or join a drum circle. Beach towns from Santa Cruz south to San Diego, each with its own idiosyncratic personality, give you perfect excuses to hit the road. Heading north of San Francisco, dramatically windswept beaches have inspired generations of poets and painters, offering miles of oceanfront for beachcombing and tramping in solitude. If you can tear yourself away from the ocean, myriad adventures await on land. When that infamous San Andreas Fault shakes, rattles and rolls, think of it as a reminder of just how wild the coastal California experience can be.

No less astoundingly diverse than the landscape are all of the people who have staked their fortunes on coastal California. Start out exploring San Franciscos eclectic neighborhoods, from beatnik North Beach and historic Chinatown to arty SoMa and the hipsterville Mission. Then join the star-crossed paparazzi as they chase TV and silver-screen celebrities with their glam entourages in LA. Hang with radical tree-sitting lefties in the Humboldt Nation, live the very good life in Californias wine country towns, get groovy with modern-day hippies in Santa Cruz and new-age gurus in San Diegos North County, or talk fishing with salty dogs in old port towns like Eureka, Bodega Bay and Monterey.

Outdoor dining, San Francisco ()
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Maybe your coastal sojourn will be an epicurean quest. Finding the most-killer fish tacos in San Diego alone could take days or even weeks. San Francisco and Los Angeles are all-around global foodie capitals, where citizens passionately argue about the best sushi bar, gourmet food truck or pop-up kitchen. LA is also a melting pot of multicultural cooking, from Little Tokyo and Thai Town to the tamale shops of East LA. Follow your nose and let it lead you serendipitously up and down Californias coastal highways, stopping at rollicking seafood shacks, brewpubs and farmers markets, or follow two-lane back roads that wind past pastoral vineyards. Youll never be able to eat or drink your fill here, but that just gives you an irresistable excuse to come back and do it all over again.

San Franciscos Neighborhoods

As anyone who has clung to the side of a cable car can tell you, this city () gives you a heck of a ride, from the Marinas chic waterfront to the edgy Mission district. And just when you think you have a grasp on the Paris of the West, you turn another corner to find a brightly painted alleyway mural, a filigreed Victorian roofline or a hidden stairway with bay-view panoramas that will entirely change your outlook.

Renovated Victorian terrace houses, San Francisco
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Big Sur

Nestled up against mossy, mysterious redwood forests, the rocky Big Sur coast () is a secretive place. Get to know it like the locals do, especially if youre seeking hidden hot springs and beaches where the sand is tinged purple or where gigantic jade chunks have been claimed. Time your bohemian escape for May, when waterfalls peak, or October, after summer-vacation crowds have left but sunny skies still rule. Dont forget to look skyward to catch sight of endangered California condors taking wing above Big Surs dizzying sea cliffs.

Bixby Bridge (), Big Sur
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Los Angeles

LA () runs deeper than her blond beaches, Botoxed celebutantes and reality-TV entourages would have you believe. True, she has spawned tons of pop culture, from skateboarding to gangsta rap, while popularizing silicone implants and spandex. But the City of Angels has also nurtured artists, architects, writers, performers and film directors alongside yogis, alternative-health gurus and meditative religions. Ultimately, its LAs ethnic diversity and vibrant global-immigrant culture that make the biggest impression. Open your mind and youll soon love La La Land as much as we do.

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Disneyland

Walt Disney built his dream where orange groves and walnut trees once grew, throwing open the doors of his Magic Kingdom in 1955. Today, Disneyland () is SoCals most visited tourist attraction. Inside Anaheims megapopular theme parks, beloved cartoon characters waltz arm-in-arm down Main Street USA and fireworks explode over Sleepy Beautys castle on hot summer nights. If youre a kid, or just hopelessly young at heart, Disneyland could well be The Happiest Place on Earth.

Pirates of the Caribbean, Disneyland
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Redwood National & State Parks

Ditch the cell phone and hug a tree, starting with the worlds tallest, coast redwoods. Californias towering giants grow all along the North Coast, up to the Oregon border. Its possible to cruise past these trees or even drive right through them at old-fashioned tourist traps but nothing compares to the awe youll feel while treading underneath the most ancient ones protected by Redwood National and State Parks (). When the mist floats over the forest floor, these serene groves provide an almost mystical experience.

Horseback riding, Redwood National Park
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California Cuisine