A comprehensive 'Golden State' adventure could stretch into months but with most of us able to find around two to three weeks maximum, it can be tough deciding on what to fit in.
I would consider starting with the cities on your wish list...
San Francisco
San Francisco - 'The City by the Bay' - located on the coast of Northern California is renowned as one of the USA's most cultured and business-oriented cities. Highlights of course include the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, Pier 39 and taking a ferry over to Alcatraz.
The hop-on/ hop-off bus tours are good value and a great introduction to the city. There are super hotels in Fisherman’s Wharf and my personal favourite area to stay in, Union Square.
The city also boasts several art galleries and museums, including the popular San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. If you are a wine enthusiast and have the time, a trip up to Napa Valley is a super day’s excursion.
Los Angeles
Unlike San Francisco, Los Angeles is vast and wherever you choose to stay, you will never be close to everything.
You will want to see the Hollywood Sign, Griffin Park, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive and some famous Beverly Hills homes. And LA of course is the heart of the entertainment industry with several movie and TV studios to visit, including Universal Studios.
If theme parks are on your list, then the original Disneyland is a must-see along with Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim and one of the first American ones I ever visited, Knotts Berry Farm.
On my last trip to California, I stayed in the Beverly Hills area and Santa Monica, and I totally loved the latter, finding it a far more relaxing place to be based. You can still access the sights from the beach area and Santa Monica Pier is packed with family-friendly activities, restaurants and shops.
San Diego
Continuing south, San Diego is a great city with much to offer visitors. There are several different beach areas such as Mission Beach, La Jolla and Coronado Beach, home to the famous Hotel del Coronado also known as The Del and the Hotel Del.
When it opened in 1888, it was the single largest resort hotel in the world and has hosted presidents, royalty and celebrities through the years, and has been featured in numerous movies and books. It is one of the few surviving examples of an American architectural genre: the wooden Victorian beach resort.
San Diego is also home to one of North America’s most iconic urban parks, Balboa Park, a cultural oasis spread over 1,200 acres that includes 17 museums, gardens galore and the acclaimed San Diego Zoo.
I didn’t think the USS Midway Museum would hold much interest for me, but I was pleasantly surprised. The ship is one of America's longest-serving aircraft carriers and the museum offers a close-up look at life on the floating city, with tours of areas such as the post office, sleeping quarters, engine room and even the ship's jail.
Monterey & Carmel
Cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH and US state highway 101) that hugs the west coast, tops most California wish lists. If driving from San Francisco to LA, I would also suggest stops in Monterey and Carmel.
Monterey is known for Cannery Row, the waterfront district that was the setting for John Steinbeck’s 1945 novel and is extremely popular with tourists for its charming boutiques and seafood restaurants. You can also take a step back in time by taking a stroll down historic Old Fisherman's Wharf.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is an excellent family attraction, home to a variety of ocean life and educational exhibits with its observation decks a prime location to watch for whales, otters, and other wildlife. Monterey also has year-round whale-watching trips, tours, and other prime spots to observe these majestic sea creatures.
One of the most scenic drives on the Monterey Peninsula, and quite possibly the world, lies on this stretch of coast. The famous 17-Mile Drive is a visually stunning section of road that hugs the pacific coastline from Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach. I have driven this and the iconic awe-inspiring landmarks along the way include The Lone Cypress, Spanish Bay, the Del Monte Forest and the world-renowned Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Carmel-by-the-Sea is a charming and romantic seaside town on the Monterey Peninsula, renowned for its scenic sandy beach, historic Spanish mission and enchanting village ambience.
Within its tree-shaded streets, hidden passageways and quiet courtyards, you will find individual boutiques and cafes.
Downtown Carmel also has lovely historic hotels and charming bed-and-breakfast inns, as well as dozens of excellent restaurants and local markets.
Surprising to many, the legendary Big Sur is neither an actual city/ town nor a specific point on a map but is actually more of a state of mind.
Today, it refers to the 90-mile stretch of beautiful, rugged coastline between Carmel to the north and San Simeon (Hearst Castle) to the south.
Highway 1 winds along its length and is flanked by the majestic Santa Lucia Mountains on one side and the rocky Pacific Coast on the other.
Big Sur’s version of the Golden Gate is the Bixby Bridge, a must-see road trip spot and probably the most Instagrammed feature along the Highway 1 coastline. The concrete span, one of the world’s highest bridges of its kind, soars 260 feet above a steep canyon carved by Bixby Creek.
There are many other highlights along this route, but the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is one of my favourites, featuring seven marked trails that take travellers to tucked-away coves, up to waterfalls, along miles-long creeks and through redwood-clad forests.
The shortest of these, at under a mile, is Waterfall Overlook Trail, taking visitors to one of Big Sur’s most popular attractions.
McWay Falls is a culmination of all the geological features typical to the landscape and is lauded for its immense beauty with a secluded beach flanked by jagged bluffs covered in shrubs, wildflowers and cypress trees. The flowing falls tumble 80 feet from the granite cliffs before being swept up by the ocean.
Morro Bay
An additional overnight stop to consider driving south along coastal Highway 1 from Monterey/ Carmel is the fishing village of Morro Bay, with its bustling waterfront located in San Luis Obispo County.
Morro Bay offers an unspoiled slice of California, from kayaking, sailing, hiking and fishing to shopping, dining and miles of natural beaches.
Morro Rock is a distinctive and recognisable landmark, perched proudly on the edge of the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the harbour. Home to nesting peregrine falcons, it is part of a chain of nine volcanic peaks extending from San Luis Obispo to Morro Bay known as the Nine Sisters.
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is a picture-perfect seaside city with a host of enviable attractions on offer, including surfing, kayaking, wine tasting, and whale-watching along with historic hotels, excellent restaurants, dramatic colonial architecture plus an easily walkable downtown area.
The Pacific Ocean is its main draw with a walk along the long promenade and a dip in the ocean a must.
National Parks in California
California has nine national parks - more than any other state - and I am privileged to have visited several.
The most famous is Yosemite, internationally known for its spectacular waterfalls, soaring monoliths and stunning landscape.
I am a huge fan of the Sequoia National Park with its large redwoods and the General Sherman tree, the world's largest, standing at 275 feet tall with a base of 36 feet in diameter.
If driving to Las Vegas from San Francisco is in your plans, you will pass through Death Valley, America’s lowest, hottest and driest national park whereas from Los Angeles you can visit Joshua Tree National Park, close to Palm Springs.
Palm Springs
Set in the Coachella Valley at the foot of several mountain ranges, Palm Springs is a unique desert oasis just a two-hour drive (or short flight) from Los Angeles that has long been a playground for Hollywood celebrities.
In the early 20th century, health enthusiasts came because of the city’s dry heat and luxurious resort hotels.
Today, there is a thriving modern and vibrant community, an eclectic food and drink scene, and plenty of outdoor activities, including the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the world’s largest rotating one of its kind.
Nevada
Finally, I am skipping over the state line to Nevada, as most clients like to include a Las Vegas stay and a Grand Canyon visit in any California trip, providing a perfect finale. The city that never sleeps, has something to entertain everyone, an endless choice of hotels and countless shows to see.
If time is tight, a day trip to the Grand Canyon is an option but if possible, an overnight stay is recommended.
The new Grand Canyon Skywalk is a horseshoe-shaped glass walkway that cost $30million to create and towers 4,000 feet above the canyon giving the feeling that you are walking on air.
It’s difficult to experience everything in a single California trip, but I will be delighted to discuss creating an itinerary to include your top priorities.
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