Page 12 - 2017 Travel Guide to California

EDITOR’S NOTE
Surprises
Along the Way
On the bluffs in San Francisco overlooking the Golden Gate and the
Marin Headlands, there’s a place that comes upon most visitors as a surprise.
The popular walking path here on Lands End winds around the city’s north-
west corner high above the sea, narrow and wooded in places, open and flat
in others, with expansive views over the water. But sitting atop a flat outcrop
far below is a scatter of brown stones that takes on a pattern when you look
closely, and you wonder if you’re seeing things.
A side path will get you down there and when you come around the last
bend you see that you’re right, the stones have been placed to form a labyrinth
similar to those of famous European cathedrals. Step inside and take a slow,
meandering walk to the center, where you can take deep breaths of the clean
Pacific air and contemplate your good fortune to be standing at this magical
place on the edge of a continent.
There are many surprises like this on the pathways and roads of California.
Take a turn in wine country and you might discover a boutique winery you
hadn’t heard about. Climb over a mountain pass and have your breath stolen
by the beauty of the landscape before you. Drive through the forest in the
northern reaches and encounter trees seemingly older and larger than time
itself. Drop into a roadside café and learn that it’s as good as anything starred
by Michelin.
On the coast, you can discover hidden coves and pristine beaches where
you can surf, kayak, swim or paddle board. In the cities, catch world-class
opera, symphony, jazz or theater. Head to the desert for restful spas, dramatic
landscapes and surprising museums, not to mention one of the country’s top
music festivals.
California is San Diego’s summer sun, Los Angeles’ entertainment glitz, San
Francisco’s famous bridges and Silicon Valley’s technological innovation. It’s also
Death Valley National Park, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, the volcanic peak
of Mount Shasta, the fertile Central Valley that feeds the nation. In short, it’s every-
thing you could hope it to be, all linked by the network of long and winding roads
that take you wherever you want to go and are part of the adventure.
In these pages we help you prepare, with profiles of the state’s 14 tourism
regions, essays on history, cuisine, museums, theme parks and many other
topics, plus resource pages with information on visitors bureaus, driving dis-
tances, California Welcome Centers and more.
As you make your plans for a trip to the Golden State, you’ll have a lot to
look forward to. California offers a profound richness of experience, and
much like the center of that labyrinth on the bluffs in San Francisco, it’s all
within easy reach, peppered with pleasant surprises along the way.
—L A R RY H A B EG G E R , Editor
10 2017 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
2017 TRAVEL GUIDE TO
CALIFORNIA
PRESIDENT & GROUP
Joseph P. Turkel
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Larry Habegger
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Judi Scharf
ART DIRECTOR
Mark Tzerelshtein
WRITERS
David Armstrong
Christopher P. Baker
Susan Brady (Resources)
Laura Del Rosso
Christine Delsol
Bill Fink
John Flinn
Don George
Marcy Gordon
Jeff Greenwald
Lenore Greiner
Robert Kaufman
Maribeth Mellin
Laura Ness
Jill K. Robinson
Michael Shapiro
Bonnie Smetts
Lavinia Spalding
Matt Villano
Peter Watts
Laurie Weed
Jacqueline Yau
CIRCULATION
Julia Wall
MANAGER
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
Gloria Mungo
DIRECTOR OF
Craig Sweetman
RETAIL MARKETING
ACCOUNT MANAGERS
CALIFORNIA OFFICE
CANADIAN OFFICE
Collier C. Granberry
Dexter Taylor
Joe Turkel
1288 Columbus Ave., Suite 292
San Francisco, CA 94133
TEL: 1-888-700-4464 • FAX: 416-497-0871
E-MAIL: tigc@rogers.com
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40047932. Contents © copyright 2017
Printed in Canada
ISSN 1926-304X (Print)
ISSN 1927-7245 (Online)
ÉRNE Mc CABE