California is a really popular travel destination because of the fact that it is one of the world’s few destinations where you can find everything that you want. This includes elegant vineyards, ocean drives, expensive, mountains, lush forests, agricultural heritage and incredible cuisine. By visiting LuxuryRetreats.com you can find so many incredible underrated destinations and fantastic luxury retreats villa rentals in remote locations or in the top cities highlighted below.
Most people believe that California is just about surfers, movie stars and beaches. In reality, the diversity of the state is simply fantastic. You have access to all you want, in cities like the ones mentioned below.
Napa
Napa is renowned around the world for vineyards and wineries. These are world-class and can be toured with a group or on your own. You should also consider a visit if you just want to relax and sample wonderful cuisine. Seriously consider biking through vineyard roads and when in the area, check out Sonoma County, a location renowned for interesting wine-making.
San Francisco
If you visit California, you absolutely have to check out San Francisco for its stunning Pacific coastline, Victorian architecture, inclined streets and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. The atmosphere in the city is quite liberal, with numerous LGBT communities. Also, seafood is really tasty and San Francisco is well-known for attractions like Union Square, Chinatown and Golden Gate Park. As an extra tip, if you have some extra time available, be sure that you check out the smaller quirky neighborhoods as they are quite a delight.
Monterey
Monterey is not that popular, especially when compared to destinations like San Francisco. However, it is an incredibly beautiful coastal town that has some stunning rugged landscapes to offer and a really rich heritage. You can so easily tie Monterey with literary and Mexican traditions. If you love art and history, this destination should be on your list. Monterey gives you access to that and some interesting travel activities like birdwatching, hang gliding, parasailing, kayaking and whale watching.
Fresno
Fresno offers great access to the well-known Yosemite National Park, being located in San Joaquin Valley. It is just 3 hours away from Los Angeles and San Francisco. If you are a traveler interested in visiting Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks, Fresno is a great choice of a home base. To make matters even more interesting, when you visit you can quickly figure out the importance of agriculture in California since there are so many highly developed farming areas present, some of the best in the US.
Death Valley Junction
This is the lowest, driest and hottest city in the world so you may want to visit it. Landscapes are highly varied, ranging from mountains with snow tops to salt flats and sand dunes. You can actually see all this variation in just one day. Stop by some of the really popular destinations like Wildrose Charcoal Kilns and Zabriskie Points or some of the numerous local ghost towns.
Los Angeles
It is impossible not to think about Hollywood and Los Angeles when mentioning California. This is a city that has perfect weather and as you walk around its streets, it is hard not to recognize sights from really popular TV shows and movies. If you are interested in arts and business, Downtown LA is where you want to go and if you want to go for some shopping, you cannot beat Beverly Hills. When you visit LA, be sure to check out Santa Monica, Venice Boardwalk and at least one of the Sunset Strip music clubs. If your goal is to see how the rich and famous live, tours are run around the clock.
San Diego
The city is renowned for its naval operations, surfing, beaches and tourism. It is also quite a large hub for biotechnology, defense and telecommunications industries. The Mexican influence here can easily be felt, which is normal since it is so close to Mexico’s border. Tourists love the diversity that is present here, especially when it comes to cuisine. Even so, the huge draw is definitely the beach. If possible, be sure to consider other beach towns like La Jolla and Ocean Beach.
Mt. Shasta
This city is located, just as the name implies, at the base of Mount Shasta, which is 14,179 feet high. Every single day of the year you will experience natural beauty, with numerous outdoor activities being available. If you want to go hiking, you want to try the Siskiyou Trail as it has been used for hundreds of years now, ever since the Native Americans were around and needed trading opportunities.
Mt. Shasta is perfectly placed right in the middle of the distance between Oregon, San Francisco and Portland. This is why it is such a wonderful road trip destination. As a vacation destination, Mt. Shasta is growing really fast. This is due to numerous new luxury resorts, biking, mountain trekking and wilderness camping.
South Lake Tahoe
You want to check out this city to experience a huge lake, one of the largest in the entire world, located between Nevada and California. If visiting during winter months, you can easily enjoy snowmobiling, snowshoeing, snowboarding and skiing there. If you visit during summer, you will want to experience jet skiing, sailing, swimming, mountain biking and kayaking. The city may be small but it was built around tourism. This means you can find everything you want to see.
