CALIFORNIA TRAVEL ITINERARIES

by Lee Foster

As you peruse the bountiful travel options in the Golden State, the question arises: just what are the best things to do and see at each of the major travel destinations?

You probably don't want to be overwhelmed, so let's consider just the five choicest options for each destination.

If traveling with kids, you might enjoy a couple of suggestions for each destination titled Especially For Kids.

Here are my judgments on the choicest picks for a traveler in California:

SAN DIEGO

Suggested Itinerary:

*See the harbor from Point Loma and the Cabrillo Monument.

*Linger at the first California Mission founded by Junipero Serra.

*Witness the dynamism of the downtown Horton Plaza architecture.

*Take a boat tour of the Harbor to see the city skyline and the naval fleet.

*Enjoy an evening of theatre at The Old Globe, which might be Shakespeare or a contemporary play.

Especially For Kids:

*Allow a half-day at Sea World. Be sure to see The Penguin Encounter.

*Plan for another half-day at the San Diego Zoo. The re-created Tropical Rain Forest has provided habitat for many exotic creatures.

SAN DIEGO'S NORTH COUNTY

Suggested Itinerary:

*Take the tram tour at The San Diego Wild Animal Park.

*See the architectural splendor of Mission San Luis Rey.

*Taste Wine at Ferrara Winery, example of a family winery.

*Hike to see spring wildflowers at Anza Borrego Park.

*Tour the fruit stands around Escondido, with a stop at Bates Nut Farm.

Especially For Kids:

*Observe the animals during feeding at Wild Animal Park.

*Gaze at the large telescopes at Palomar Observatory.

LOS ANGELES

Suggested Itinerary:

*Start at the heart of Los Angeles with a walk in the Pueblo area around Olvera Street.

*Contrast this with a stroll around the new downtown starting at the ARCO Towers.

*Watch the taping of a favorite TV show on one of the network programs.

*Immerse yourself in some of the amazing art museums of the Los Angeles region, such as the Huntington in Pasadena or the Getty Center.

*In Orange County, enjoy a range of movie and restaurant entertainment options at the Irvine Spectrum Center.

Especially For Kids:

*Plan a full day at Disneyland, arriving early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

*Tour Universal Studios to see how movies are made.

PALM SPRINGS

Suggested Itinerary:

*Acquaint yourself with the desert flora and fauna at the Living Desert Reserve.

*Make a half-day tour of Joshua Tree Monument, taking in the palm-filled washes and ocotillo-strewn uplands.

*See desert plants from many of the major deserts of the world at the Moorten Gardens.

*Soak in a hot spring at a spa resort in this land of the Aqua Caliente Indians.

*Tour the Coachella valley to see date and other crops in California's year-round agriculture production.

Especially For Kids

*Ride to the top of the Aerial Tramway, from the desert floor to the pine-covered highlands.

*Take a horseback ride through one of the Indian-owned Palm Canyons.

DEATH VALLEY/MOJAVE DESERTS

Suggested Itinerary:

*Witness the profuse spring wildflowers at the California State Poppy Park, west of Lancaster.

*Enjoy the trompe l'oeil vista at Zabriske Point in Death Valley.

*Tour Death Valley Scotty's fantasy castle at the north edge of Death Valley.

*Let a Death Valley park ranger introduce you to a pupfish during one of the guided park outings.

*Hear the poignant story of the Manly Expedition survivors at the Furnace Creek visitor center.

Especially For Kids:

*Pose for the family snapshot at Badwater in Death Valley, lowest point in the USA.

*Camp out to see the starry desert night sky at Saddleback Butte, east of Lancaster.

SANTA BARBARA

Suggested Itinerary:

*Visit the Mission, one of the loveliest in California, partly because of its fountain and adjacent gardens.

*Walk the Red Tile Tour to see the unified city architecture in the downtown area.

*See the Art Museum's California paintings, including some Bierstadt landscapes.

*Peruse the California flora at the Botanic Garden, an extensive display of various California plant communities.

*Stroll Stearns Wharf and the shoreline promenade along the provided walking/biking paths.

Especially For Kids:

*Rent family-size bicycle cabs for a ride along the shoreline path.

*Wade the Pacific at a shallow, inviting beach, safe for kids, known as Carpinteria.

MONTEREY-CARMEL-BIG SUR

Suggested Itinerary:

*Visit the final resting place of Junipero Serra, the indefatigable Franciscan, at the Carmel Mission.

*Observe the marvels of offshore life along the California coast at the Monterey Aquarium.

*Tour the 17-Mile Drive at Pebble Beach and note the manner in which the Lone Cypress has survived the elements.

*Spend a half-day strolling the art galleries of Carmel.

*Walk the trails of Point Lobos to commune with the sea otter and the California poppy.

Especially For Kids:

*Introduce them to the playful sea otters at the Monterey Aquarium.

*Let them build sandcastles at China Cove in Point Lobos while you open a bottle of Cabernet to toast the Pacific.

EXPLORING BIG SUR

Suggested Itinerary:

*Stop at turnoffs along the drive, such as Bixby Bridge, to savor the Pacific.

*Meditate at Point Sur Lighthouse on the isolation of the area before the road.

*Walk the beach at Andrew Molera and Big Sur state parks.

*If you have the time, take a side road trip on Palo Colorado Road to see redwoods and the pine-covered back country of Los Padres National Forest.

*Enjoy a drink on the deck at Nepenthe, high over the Pacific.

Especially For Kids:

*Let them become apprentice beachcombers at Molera or Big Sur state park beaches.

*Arm them with binoculars to spot whales, from the Nepenthe deck, going south in January and north in March.

SANTA CRUZ

Suggested Itinerary:

*Stroll the last of the California boardwalks and take a nostalgic ride on the Big Dipper, one of the best of the old-fashioned rollercoasters.

*Enjoy a seafood dinner out on The Wharf.

*Walk Pacific Garden Mall to assess how the city is recovering from the Earthquake of 1989.

*Amble around the University of California-Santa Cruz campus to see its innovative and diverse architecture.

*Take a barbecue dinner ride on the Roaring Camp Railroad.

Especially For Kids:

*The Boardwalk is a kid pleaser, whether it's the carousel horses for the young or the arcade games and rides for older kids.

*The Roaring Camp Railroad takes kids of all ages back to the era of steam trains.

SACRAMENTO AND THE DELTA

Suggested Itinerary:

*Witness the story of the railroad in the West at the California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento.

*Observe Swiss entrepreneur John Sutter's outpost of civilization, Sutter's Fort, in Sacramento. Sutter was overrun by the Gold Rush. Adjacent is the State Indian Museum.

*Feel the political power of the Golden State by gazing up at the State Capitol dome.

*Meander through the Delta waterways by taking sideroad Highway 160 along the Sacramento River.

*Tour Locke, a Delta town originally founded by Chinese.

Especially For Kids:

*Lodge kids on the restored riverboat, Delta King, now a hotel in Old Sacramento, and immerse them in railroad romance at the State Railroad Museum.

*Authentic Indian lore and artifacts are abundantly evident in the State Indian Museum adjacent to Sutter's Fort.

GOLD RUSH COUNTRY OF CALIFORNIA

Suggested Itinerary:

*Immerse yourself in the Gold Rush at Columbia, the best restored Gold Rush community.

*Lodge in a quaint Gold Rush hotel, such as the City Hotel in Columbia or Murphys Hotel in Murphys.

*Attend a Gold Country event, such as the annual Fireman's Muster at Columbia, the spring Daffodil Hill flowering, and the Angel's Camp Jumping Frog jubilee, recalling Mark Twain's story.

*Stop at the site where it all began, in Coloma, where John Marshall discovered gold in a millrace.

*Indulge in a cozy dinner at one of the Gold Rush era dining rooms, such as the National Hotel in Nevada City, and wash down dinner with a good Gold Rush country wine, such as Zinfandel from D'Agostini.

Especially For Kids:

*Pan for gold at the Matelot Mining Company in Columbia or in the more rustic Mariposa Creek at Mariposa, after seeing the 211-ounce Fricot nugget at the State Mineral Museum, Mariposa.

*See how Indians ground up acorns in the thousands of depressions in the rocks at Indian Grinding Rock State Park.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

Suggested Itinerary:

*Walk and take the tram around Yosemite Valley to see the major land forms, such as Half Dome and El Capitan, from different perspectives and in the varying light at different times of the day.

*Walk to the various falls, such as Yosemite Falls and Nevada Falls, in Yosemite Valley. Use the tram to take you to the farther walls.

*Walk up to Mirror Lake to see an alpine lake naturally progressing from lake to meadow.

*Drive up to Glacier Point to get an elevated view of the Valley and the major land forms, stopping at the Wawona Tunnel for the striking mid-level vista of the valley.

*Drive south to Wawona to see the Mariposa Grove of massive inland sequoia trees.

Especially For Kids:

*Show them the Ahwahneechee Indian village recreated in back of the Visitor Center.

*Rent bicycles for a ride through Yosemite Valley.

LAKE TAHOE

Suggested Itinerary:

*Savor the view of Emerald Bay at the southwest corner of the lake.

*Get out on the lake on one of the cruise boats, such as the Tahoe Queen.

*Spend a leisurely day driving around the lake, with time to stop and explore the Nevada-side state parks.

*Get an elevated view of the area from the top of the year-round tram at Heavenly Valley.

*Drive south on Highways 89 and 88 through the Hope Valley to Kirkwood for a sense of the alpine environment.

Especially For Kids:

*Take a tram ride to the top at Heavenly Valley or Squaw Valley.

*Cruise the lake on the paddlewheeler boat MS Dixie II.

SAN FRANCISCO

Suggested Itinerary:

*Tour the downtown of the City on a Cable Car, which you can board anywhere on the line if the Powell/Market start has long lines.

*Pause at the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge to marvel at the aesthetics of the structure, then walk out to mid-span for a look back at San Francisco.

*Stroll in Golden Gate Park and take in the current art show at the DeYoung Museum, stopping for tea at the Japanese Tea Garden.

*Walk the Grant Avenue Chinatown from Post to Columbus, then turn left and walk Italian North Beach up to Washington Square.

*Indulge in a tour boat ride from Pier 41 to enjoy the appearance of the City and the Marin Hills from out on the water.

Especially For Kids:

*Rent in-line skates from a skate store on Stanyan Street for a skate outing in Golden Gate Park.

*Immerse them in the gangster world of Al Capone with a tour of the former federal prison on Alcatraz.

OAKLAND-BERKELEY EAST BAY

Suggested Itinerary:

*Explore California nature, history, and art at the Oakland Museum of California.

*Walk Oakland's Asiatown and have lunch there.

*Tour the University of California Campus, make a stop at the Lowie Museum to see the anthropology exhibits, and meander down Telegraph Avenue to visit the bookstores, such as Cody's.

*Explore north of the campus in the Berkeley "Gourmet Ghetto," headquartered at Chez Panisse restaurant.

*Encounter the East Bay Parks with a walk out Inspiration Point in Tilden Park, above Berkeley.

Especially For Kids:

*Turn kids loose amidst the wonders of science at Lawrence Hall, on a hill above the U.C. Berkeley campus.

*Rent a paddleboat or a sailboat at Lake Merritt and make an excursion out on the water.

SAN MATEO COUNTY

Suggested Itinerary:

*Treat yourself to a dining/lodging getaway at a California country inn, Half Moon Bay's San Benito House.

*Walk the beaches at San Gregorio and Pescadero to enjoy the rolling surf of the Pacific.

*Explore the one-street town of Pescadero, with its whitewashed frame houses, and stop for a seafood dinner at Duarte's.

*Tour William Bourn's Filoli Estate to glimpse the turn-of-the-century grandeur of this water baron.

*Imagine the splendor of Billy Ralston's world while strolling his former home in Belmont.

Especially For Kids:

*Walk from the ridge of the mountains to the shore as they descend through biosystems at the Coyote Point Museum of Environmental Education.

*Make the acquaintance of seashore life in the tidepools during low tide at the James Fitzgerald Marine Reserve.

SAN JOSE-SILICON VALLEY/SAN JOSE RENAISSANCE

Suggested Itinerary:

*Take a light rail ride from downtown San Jose out to the Santa Clara Convention Center and back to get a sense of the high-tech companies and their corporate headquarters.

*Peruse the high tech exhibits at The Tech Museum, which catalogs the innovations in the Silicon Valley region.

*Sample the cultural life of San Jose at its downtown Art Museum or at its Performing Arts Center.

*Taste wine made by the pioneer Mirassou family at their winery east of San Jose.

*Escape from the world of computer chips to rustic Los Trancos Reserve for a walk in the oak trees along a trail describing earthquake effects.

Especially For Kids:

*Instruct a robot to do tasks for you at The Tech Museum in downtown San Jose.

*See spacecraft and high tech displays at the NASA Visitor Center at Moffett Field.

MARIN COUNTY AND NORTH COAST

Suggested Itinerary:

*Immerse yourself in the glorious redwoods of Muir Woods, the closest redwoods to San Francisco.

*At Point Reyes, make the Earthquake Walk, observe the Miwok Indian Village, or hike out Bear Valley Trail to the coast, as time allows.

*Proceeding up the coast, note the Russian presence in California at Fort Ross, a restored Russian fortification.

*At Point Arena, meet one of the classic lighthouse constructions in the western U.S. See the ingenious fresnel lens that magnified a spare kerosene light to be visible 20 miles out to sea.

*In Mendocino, indulge in a picturesque California seaside town and its quaint B&Bs, such as the McCallum House.

Especially For Kids:

*Introduce them to the hushed, cathedralic groves of redwoods at Muir Woods.

*Show then an Aleut Indian kayak at Fort Ross. Aleuts, employed by the Russians, hunted sea otters along this coast.

SONOMA REGION

Suggested Itinerary:

*At the Sonoma Mission, see the most northerly penetration of Spanish influence in California.

*Visit the home of General Mariano Vallejo to make the acquaintance of a survivor, a Spanish Californian who knew how to function in the American California after the Gold rush.

*Taste wine in Sonoma at the original winery, Hacienda, of the father of California viticulture, Agoston Haraszthy.

*In Glen Ellen, visit the tragically burned Wolf House of writer Jack London, now a state historic park.

*In Santa Rosa, see where the gifted horticulturalist, Luther Burbank, stimulated the flourishing fruit and vegetable agriculture of California with his experiments.

Especially For Kids:

*Make an adventure trip out of a Sonoma Farm Trails outing. You never know what you'll find, from beekeepers to apple juicers.

*Show them the life of the soldiers and the priests at the Sonoma Mission, well interpreted at the state historic park.

NAPA WINE COUNTRY

Suggested Itinerary:

*Tour wineries and taste wine, perhaps on a first trip with stops at Chandon, Mondavi, and Sterling.

*Meet the spirit of the genial commentator on the Napa wine country, Robert Louis Stevenson, at the Silverado Museum in St. Helena.

*Visit the wine country in September when the season has changed, the harvest is in full swing, and the green vine leaf of summer has changed to striking red.

*Take a hot air balloon ride to give yourself an aerial perspective on the Napa region.

*Soak in one of the hot pools or mud baths of Calistoga.

Especially For Kids:

*Show them the Old Faithful Geyser at Calistoga, which is faithful, spurting out every 50 minutes or so.

*Acquaint them with the Petrified Forest west of Calistoga, where they can see felled trees turned to stone, and emerge with a souvenir of petrified wood.

REDWOOD COUNTRY

Suggested Itinerary:

*Stop at the Humboldt Redwoods Park for an orientation at the Visitor Center.

*Meander along the Avenue of the Giants at Humboldt Park, noting the superlative trees, such as the Dyerville Giant.

*Self-tour the large redwood milling operation at Scotia, a company town.

*Walk to the tallest trees, located in Redwood National Park, after stopping for information at the Visitor Center near Orick.

*Lodge in the main redwood towns, such as Eureka, with its Eureka Inn, and the Victorian village of Ferndale, where a good choice is the Gingerbread Mansion.

Especially For Kids:

*Track the Roosevelt elk herds in Prairie Creek Park to get close to these magnificent animals.

*Take home as a souvenir a redwood burl and watch it sprout over the years.

This article was written by Lee Foster of Foster Travel Publishing. Contact him at his website www.fostertravel.com or via email at lee@fostertravel.com. Copyright Lee Foster.

Lee Foster's most recent travel guidebooks are Northern California History Weekends (Globe Pequot), which won a Lowell Thomas Award, and Adventure Guide to Northern California (Hunter Publishing).

Lee Foster's new literary book is Travels in an American Imagination: The Spiritual Geography of Our Time.

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