|
Wine Country Taking
at least a day to drive up into the Napa-Sonoma hill country should be
on everyone’s list. Not only is the countryside beautiful, but you can
also sample some of the best wines in the world, and dip into the
restorative volcanic hot springs that feed the area .
California wine
Muir Woods At the foot of Mount Tamalpais,
this 550-acre woodland is home to one of the few remaining first-growth
groves of redwoods. The oldest of these giants is at least 1,000 years
old, and such trees once covered the coastal area of California. The
woods are named in honor of John Muir, the 19th-century conservationist. Muir Woods National Monument
Muir Woods
Monterey This
town is renowned for its world-class aquarium, the Monterey Jazz and
Blues Festivals, and Cannery Row, made famous by author John Steinbeck,
who described it as a collection of sardine canneries and whorehouses.
Established by the Spanish in 1770, Monterey was the first capital of
California – some early buildings survive. Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey harbor
Big Basin State Park, Boulder Creek Highway
9 is one of the most picturesque drives in the Bay Area, winding its
way among the green Santa Cruz Mountains and through little towns where
nothing much changes. Although it’s minutes from Silicon Valley, life
has a backwoods feel here. Stanford University Just
30 minutes south of the city, with a CalTrain depot right at the main
gates, the palm-lined beauties of this campus make it worth a trip. The
visual motif of sandstone and red-tile roofs has been carried forward
since the Romanesque Quadrangle was built in the late 1800s. The ornate
carvings that decorate the arches and pillars are extraordinarily
lovely, setting off the elaborate mosaic that graces the façade of
Memorial Church. Carmel Carmel-By-The-Sea
was founded as an artists’ colony in the early 1900s, and is now one of
the most exclusive communities in the world – having recently boasted
actor Clint Eastwood as its mayor. Its old Spanish mission, one of the
21 built along the coast is considered California’s most beautiful. Carmel Mission
Carmel Mission
Coastal Beaches At
least 20 different beaches line Highway 1 south of San Francisco. Some
of the best include Gray Whale Cove, Montara State Beach, Miramar Beach
and El Granada Beach, Roosevelt Beach, Dunes Beach, Francis Beach,
Poplar Beach, Pelican Point Beach, Cowell Ranch State Beach, Martin’s
Beach, San Gregorio Beach, Pescadero State Beach, Bean Hollow State
Beach, and Pebble Beach.
Coastal beach
Point Reyes Some
110 sq miles (285 sq km) of pristine natural coastline make this
promontory a haven for all sorts of wildlife and a thing of
unforgettable, windswept beauty. You can watch whales and sea lions from
Point Reyes Lighthouse. Santa Cruz This
beach resort has always had a reputation for the vibrancy of its
countercultural way of life. Along the beautiful coastline, the most
prominent feature is the Boardwalk’s Big Dipper Rollercoaster, which has
been thrilling Santa Cruzers since 1923. The best swimming in the Bay
Area is also here . Saratoga and Los Gatos Both
of these towns, in the hills above Silicon Valley, have retained their
frontier quality. One of the best things to do, other than drive the
scenic roads, is to visit Hakone Gardens, a beautiful Japanese park . Hakone Gardens21000 Big Basin Way, Saratoga 408 741 4994 Open 10am–5pm Mon–Fri, 11am–5pm Sat–Sun Adm
www.hakone.com
|
