How To Use This E-Book
Getting around the e-book
This Insight Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration for your visit to California, as well as comprehensive planning advice to make sure you have the best travel experience. The guide begins with our selection of Top Attractions, as well as our Editors Choice categories of activities and experiences. Detailed features on history, people and culture paint a vivid portrait of contemporary life in California. The extensive Places chapters give a complete guide to all the sights and areas worth visiting. The Travel Tips provide full information on getting around, activities from culture to shopping to sport, plus a wealth of practical information to help you plan your trip.
In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.
Maps
All key attractions and sights in California are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.
Images
Youll find hundreds of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of California. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.
About Insight Guides
Insight Guides have more than 40 years experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.
Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.
2018 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd
Table of Contents
Californias Top 10 Attractions
Top Attraction 1
Wine Country. The emerald vineyards, lush red wines, warm sunshine, and fresh California cuisine of Napa and Sonoma counties make them ideal for a road trip. Or for the best views, take a hot-air balloon ride. For more information, .
David Dunai/Apa Publications
Top Attraction 2
Yosemite National Park. From the sheer granite cliffs of El Capitan to waterfalls and green meadows, the crown jewel of Americas national parks is heaven for adventurous types. For more information, .
Martyn Goddard/Apa Publications
Top Attraction 3
Redwood forests. Awe-inspiring ancient redwoods tower over visitors in old-growth state parks. Some of these majestic giants, 1,000 years old and reaching 300ft (90 meters), are the largest living things on earth. For more information, .
Martyn Goddard/Apa Publications
Top Attraction 4
Golden Gate Bridge. San Franciscos famous bridge opened in 1937, four years after construction began. Painted not gold but international orange, the bridge is one of the worlds favorite icons. For more information, .
Daniella Nowitz/Apa Publications
Top Attraction 5
Hollywood. Synonymous with the movie industry, Hollywood today pays homage to its cinematic history with attractions like the Hollywood Walk of Fame and opulent old movie houses. For more information, .
Dreamstime
Top Attraction 6
Monterey. Coastal Monterey offers something for everyone: Steinbecks Cannery Row, the Monterey Bay Aquarium (arguably the worlds finest), plus diving in kelp forests and swimming with sea otters. For more information, .
David Dunai/Apa Publications
Top Attraction 7
PCH . In the Los Angeles area, Highway 1 is also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, or the PCH. The road twists and turns along SoCals breathtaking coast, offering gorgeous views of both land and sea. For more information, .
David Dunai/Apa Publications
Top Attraction 8
SoCal beaches. Theres a reason Southern Californians sport tans year-round from Santa Barbara to Santa Monica, and Huntington Beach to San Diego, the states southern coast is packed with miles of sunny beaches. For more information, .
David Dunai/Apa Publications
Top Attraction 9
Death Valley. The lowest point on the North American continent, Death Valley can be insanely hot in summer, but is awash with colorful desert wildflowers and cactus blooms in spring. For more information, .
Martyn Goddard/Apa Publications
Top Attraction 10
California cuisine. Alice Waters changed the restaurant industry forever when she got local farmers to supply her with the freshest seasonal ingredients for her daily changing menus. For more information, .
David Dunai/Apa Publications