California is one of the most beautiful and diverse states in America. It offers visitors a wide array of activities and attractions, including some of the most iconic landmarks on our planet. There are so many places to visit in California that it can be hard to decide what to do first!
But fear not: I’ve narrowed down my top 10 favourite places so you don’t have to choose between them all! From golf courses to museums, from beaches to deserts and more—and everything in between—this list has it all!
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a must-visit for any traveller. It is located in California, and it has everything you need to make your trip incredible. It’s the third largest national park in the United States, with an area of nearly 4,000 square miles that includes parts of Mariposa County and Tuolumne County.
The park offers plenty of activities to do while you’re there: hiking, camping out under the stars at night or during winter months when temperatures can drop below freezing (if they don’t get too cold), exploring caves by candlelight or lantern light (try this activity on a rainy day), or even just taking some time out from all those activities so that you can relax with nature herself!
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is a museum located in San Francisco. It was founded in 1853 and its current building was completed in 2004. The museum has over 40,000 animals, making it one of the largest museums in the world.
The main attraction at this natural history museum is its rainforest environment that houses more than 100 different species from all over the world including monkeys, snakes and even elephants! You can also go inside an aquarium with sharks or see insects up close at their insect zoo!
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is a zoo and safari park located in Escondido, California. It is home to over 3,700 animals of more than 650 species. In addition to being one of the largest zoos in the world, it also has an excellent reputation as one of America’s best family-friendly experiences.
The park opened its doors on May 27th 1941 with just 94 acres and 200 species under its care; however, since then it has grown into an international destination for travellers from all over America who want to learn about wildlife conservation through experiencing first-hand what these creatures can do!
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park offers everything that you might expect from a modern-day safari: exciting animal encounters (including elephants), thrilling rides (elevators), and interactive exhibits featuring some pretty amazing creatures like gorillas or polar bears!
Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark and one of the most famous San Simeon properties in California. It was built by William Randolph Hearst and has been used as a location for many films, including The Godfather Part II and Scarface.
The grounds of Hearst Castle include gardens, tennis courts, an aquarium (the largest private aquarium in California), and an art gallery filled with works by artists such as Andy Warhol or Ed Ruscha; there’s even a baseball field where you can play catch with your kids!
If you’re looking to spend some time out on the water while visiting San Simeon then this would be one place worth checking out regardless of what else you might have planned on doing during your stay here!
Pacific Grove, California
Pacific Grove is a small town near Monterey that’s known for its Victorian homes and the Asilomar Conference Grounds. This place is home to many different types of people, so it’s a great place to visit for a weekend if you’re looking for something different.
The town has been around since 1876, but most people know it as “the Victorian Village.” It was named after James Dickey (who was also from nearby Monterey). The main street in Pacific Grove features beautiful Victorian architecture all along its length—some even have gardens with flowers!
If you want to get out of town while visiting California, there are plenty of other things worth seeing while staying here: hiking trails through coastal forests; tide pools with colourful sea creatures; or exploring hidden waterfalls deep in forested valleys just off Highway 1 northbound towards San Francisco Bay Area
Muir Woods National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument is a redwood forest located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 12 miles north of San Francisco. It’s the only coastal redwood forest in existence and was established on September 25, 1908, as a part of the federal government’s California State Park system.
The monument has been managed by the National Park Service since 1915 and received its present name in 1938 when it became part of Muir Woods National Monument.
Muir Woods is one of America’s most beloved national parks; it hosts more than 100 species of birds, 500 types of wildflowers and over 100 species native to California! Visitors can hike through these beautiful redwoods or even camp there if they want an experience beyond what they’d get at surrounding areas like Yosemite Valley or Big Sur Beach State Beach Campground (which we’ll talk about later).
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium is the largest aquarium in California, with a collection of more than 20,000 animals from around the world. The aquarium has two levels: an underwater tunnel that connects to an outdoor exhibit and a sunken area where you can walk among sharks and other sea creatures. The underwater tunnel includes touch tanks where you can pet fish or take photos with your own camera against various backgrounds.
The main attraction at this aquarium is its undersea exhibits; it’s one of the few places in America where visitors can get up close and personal with their favourite animals like dolphins, sea otters and sharks! You’ll also find several other sections that highlight other aspects of marine life such as coral reefs or tide pools (where sea critters like crabs hide).
Monterey Bay Aquarium also has some great exhibits for kids including touch tanks so they can see what happens when fish try to escape but end up being caught instead!
The Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world. It was built in 1934 and opened to traffic on May 28, 1937. The bridge connects San Francisco with Oakland, CA and it has become an icon for both cities.
The Golden Gate Bridge is 555 feet (169 metres) long and has two main towers that rise more than 1,200 feet (366 metres). The roadway consists of two cables suspended from steel towers at each end of the span—one cable connects Point Bonita on Marin County’s northern tip with Fort Point in San Francisco Bay; another cable connects Yerba Buena Island’s southern tip with Angel Island in San Francisco Bay.
The Golden Gate Bridge was designed by engineer Joseph Strauss who won a competition held by Caltrans for $35 million dollars ($330 million today) after his design beat out several others including engineer Bernard Schneiderman who proposed building a suspension bridge linking Marin County with Sausalito across Yerba Buena Strait instead.
Monterey Bay Aquarium Wildlife Center
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a great place to visit, especially if you enjoy learning about animals. The aquarium has an amazing exhibit on jellyfish and sharks, as well as sea otters. There are also other great exhibits such as one on cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises).
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Wildlife Center offers many educational opportunities for children and adults alike. After seeing the actual animals up close at the aquarium itself, you can take part in activities like making crafts out of seashells or creating your own model animal!
California is a great state for visiting
California is a great state for visiting. It has many different types of places to visit, and there are activities for everyone. California is also a great place to go with friends or family because there are so many things to do and see.
Conclusion
We hope that we’ve given you a sense of where you can go in California and what to expect, but there are so many places to see that it’s impossible to cover them all here. If you want more information on any of these destinations, check out our blog posts or books on the subject. We also recommend checking out our other posts about California travel tips!