Page 16 - 2020 Travel Guide to California

DISCOVER DISCOVER
California Dreaming
The Golden State offers a world’s worth of experiences to savor
BY DON GEORGE
PACIFIC OCEAN
The world’s largest ocean, the fabled
Pacific, embraces California’s entire
western boundary. It’s a place to dream,
to ponder life’s possibilities and endless
mysteries, and a place to play. Surfers
ride the sea’s prodigious waves; sailors
ply her waters; boogie boarders and
body surfers splash in her surf; kayakers
explore her coves and shore breaks;
children of all ages wade in her froth
and comb her beaches. Life happens on
the edge of the Pacific, where the sun
shines, and sets in ethereal colors.
Here, the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge
carries Highway 1, also known as the
Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH, across
the chasm at Big Sur.
THE SEDUCTIVE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
is large in every sense of the word. It’s the
most populous state in the U.S. and the third
largest in terms of geographical size. Its
economy ranks fifth in the entire world.
When it comes to visitor attractions, Cali-
fornia presents travelers with as wide a range
of riches as many countries. Whether you’re
passionate about natural activities, cultural
pursuits or dining and wining, the Golden
State has diverse delights to entice you.
Outdoor Adventurer
If you’re a nature lover and active adventurer,
you’ll be dazzled by the state’s spectacular
spectrum. On the western edge there’s the
Pacific Ocean, the largest body of water in the
world, perfect for surfing, sailing and swim-
ming. In the east there are the magnificent
mountains of the Sierra Nevada, a haven for
skiers and snowboarders in winter and
hikers and bicyclists in summer. This region
is home to Mount Whitney, the tallest
mountain in the “Lower 48” and a mecca for
climbers, topping off at 14,505 feet. Among
California’s most moving experiences are
walking through the natural cathedral of
Muir Woods and camping in the granite
grandeur of Yosemite National Park.
For boaters, birders and fishermen,
there’s Lake Shasta, home to an abundance
of fish and fowl. For whitewater fans, more
than a dozen rivers, including the mighty
American and Sacramento, provide
thrilling rides. Kayakers and canoers find
paradise in Point Reyes National Seashore
in the north and watery wonders at Morro
Bay on the central coast.
In the southern part of the state, visitors
savor the sere splendors of the Mojave Desert
and Death Valley, the lowest point in North
America, 282feet below sea level. If tide pooling
JON BILOUS/ SHUTTERSTOCK
14 2020 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA