The southern part of the state is home to popular attractions such as Disneyland, the beaches that inspired the television show Baywatch, and of course Hollywood. The northern part of the country is home to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, the vineyards of Napa Valley and the hills of San Francisco. The State is nicknamed the “Sunshine State” and is ideal for tourists. It is nearly impossible to cover the vast landscapes of Northern and Southern California from North Coast to Shasta in a single trip. Further away are the state’s major cities which are home to some of

America’s most rugged national parks, skiing spots, and quiet northern forests. The Golden Gate Bridge came to be regarded as one of the worlds wonders when it was built during the Great Depression; the bridge is free to cross for cyclists and walkers. The bridge has a bit of infamy attached to it with more than 1,000 people having committed suicide from it. California is home to Alcatraz, the notorious prison that held many famous convicts including the well known mobster, Al Capone. San Francisco’s Chinatown is the largest in the world and is packed with some great restaurants and cheap shopping hubs. Beverly Hills is home to the stars and features a renowned shopping precinct known as Rodeo Drive.

Auburn in California is home to the Great Statues of Auburn, they are true roadside colossi, and represent an eclectic mix of subjects ranging from Amazon archers, a nude man wrestling with a chain, to a collie pushing a wheelbarrow. To call them larger than life would be an understatement: the biggest is 42 feet tall and the weighs over 120 tons. The statues are unadvertised which further add to your initial shock when they loom into view, a few stand in a parking lot on an otherwise ordinary street. The parking lot belongs to a dentist, Ken Fox who built the statues. Fox crafted his statues in the late 60’s as a political statement. However, for the first few years the town was apposed to the statues, even to the extent of rerouting local school buses out of sight. Tempers have cooled since then, and now a 45-ton gold miner stands in Old Town Auburn, which was commissioned and paid for by its citizens.

In a world of modern plumbing being a geyser is not really a fun thing. With a geyser it’s important to keep in mind that the phenomenon is not manipulated by man: it’s an underground river that encounters hot magma deep in the earth and squirts up water to release the excess pressure, it’s not there for your vacation convenience. Three geothermal geysers in the world are predictable, they erupt as if set like a clock. Historically, California’s Old Faithful erupts every 45 minutes; at least since it was fenced off years ago and offered back to the admission paying public. An impressive entrance gate and massive parking space suggests that California’s geyser is a popular Napa Valley attraction, a stop on a day trip that might include one of several local wineries and the nearby Petrified Forests. Be sure to keep clear of the side where the wind is blowing if you don’t want to be scalded by the hot vapors.

Northern California attracts tourists mainly for the splendid wineries. Napa Valley in Northern California (CA) is the most popular tourist spot, thanks to its temperate climatic conditions and best soil for wineries. From the month of June and till late autumn, tourists flock to Northern California regions thanks to its luxurious spas, hotels and restaurants. Most travel packages to Northern California include Napa Valley as a prime stop in the various tours that are offered. A locomotive tour by the wine train is available for undertaking round trips and fine food. Some of the better wines are served in the train itself. Sonoma in Northern California is a fine tourist spot, which offers great tasting wines that are equal to those of Napa. It also has added attractions like touring the wineries, hot air ballooning, trek redwood forests and visit family farms. This makes it a great tourist spot for kids, and men and women alike.

The best beaches and tourist spots in Southern California include Huntington Beach, Crystal cove and Pismo Beach. Huntington Beach is about 40 miles from Los Angeles, Southern California (CA), this surfers city features over eight miles of sandy beaches. Crystal Cove is another sandy beach where you can walk for miles and enjoy the scenic beauty of Orange County in Southern California. Pismo Beach is a great place to drive your car or simply walk along the sandy beach and see the spectacular sceneries of numerous seaside hotels and restaurants. Santa Monica is a coastal get-away city with charming beaches and idyllic restaurants. Venice Beach is the biggest beach in Southern California and is a perfect precinct for surfing, sand and the sun. Laguna Beach is a must see on your list of Southern California tourist spots. Laguna Beach has some world-class family restaurants, tide pools, and hotels. At Dana Point you can start your whale watching tour in one of the 2,500 yachts in the jetty within one and half miles of two marinas.

Los Angeles attractions include the world famous Hollywood, the Mecca of world cinema and contain a number of recreation spots like the Beverly Hills area, Disney’s California Adventure, and the famous aquarium called Sea World.

San Diego is a coastal Southern California city that is home to some of the largest children’s play areas, for example the Belmont theme Area. Traditional family entertainment and fun is enabled by a range of rides like Thunder Boats, Crazy Submarine, Bumper Mania and the Vertical Plunge. San Diego also has an 1800 acre animal park that is almost 20 times larger than the San Diego zoo. It has some 3500 animals with 260 species, roaming around in natural settings. San Diego would probably end up being the one aspect of the tour, which lingers in your memory for a very long time.