Page 23 - 2020 Travel Guide to California

BERKELEY STREET SCENE, left; Gourmet
Alley at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, below;
Pasadena at sunset, bottom.
PASADENA: Rose Bowl & Bungalows
Located 10 miles northeast of downtown
Los Angeles at the foot of the imposing San
Gabriel Mountains, this pretty city of
141,000 is best-known for the Granddaddy
of ’em All, the annual Rose Bowl football
game, as well as the ever-popular Tourna-
ment of Roses Parade and a delightful
parody, the whimsical Doo-Dah Parade.
Some 800 restored early 20th-century Arts
& Crafts wooden bungalows, clustered in
the Bungalow Heaven Historic District, give
Pasadena its defining architectural look.
Shopping and dining are abundant along
pedestrian-friendly South Lake Avenue and
in revived 22-block Old Pasadena. The
Huntington combines a distinguished
library, priceless fine-art collection and
extensive and beautiful botanical gardens.
Don’t miss the landmarked 1925 Pasadena
Playhouse, California’s official state theater.
YOUNTVILLE: Vineyards &
Exquisite Dining
This manicured Napa Valley town of 3,000
doesn’t really have more restaurant
Michelin-stars than people; it only feels
that way. Starting in the 1980s, Yountville
began building a reputation for fine food to
match Napa’s fine wines. These days, star
chef Thomas Keller’s French Laundry rou-
tinely wins Michelin’s top 3-star rating, and
half a dozen other acclaimed Yountville
eateries are not far behind. Compact and
flat, Yountville is ideal for renting bikes
and pedaling past the vineyards—when
you’re not soaring over them in a hot-air
balloon. It’s also easily walkable; strolling
downtown past neatly kept Victorian
homes and shops is a great way to while
away the hours. The V Marketplace, 6235
Washington Street, adroitly combines
shopping and dining. One unique choice
for lodging is the 4-star Napa Valley
Railway Inn, composed of comfortably