Page 27 - 2020 Travel Guide to California

SURFERS AT SANTA BARBARA beach,
right; river rafting in Trinity County,
center; hiking at Castle Crags, Shasta
County, bottom.
On Land
California has some of the world’s best golf,
including the legendary seaside Pebble
Beach Golf Links, home of Bill Murray’s
favorite annual event, the AT&T
National Pro-Am tournament. Or try any
one of the hundreds of public and private
clubs scattered across the state. If you aren’t
into the clubs, grab a frisbee and try some
disc golf at one of the more than 200 Cali-
fornia courses.
Mountain and road biking are great ways
to get a workout while experiencing the
state’s landscape, whether it be from
tricky single-track downhill trails around
Lake Tahoe, flatter cross-country trips or
perhaps an urban ride using the San Fran-
cisco Bay Area’s “Bay Wheels” bike rental
program. Skateboarding is practically the
state sport, with skate parks seen every-
where from the sport’s birthplace at Venice
Beach to the smallest inland town.
For a different sort of ride, make like
native son John Wayne and saddle up for
some horseback riding on trails near cities,
around dude ranches or on multi-
day wilderness journeys into the Sierra
Nevada mountains. If desert sands don’t
appeal to you, try those on the beaches of
Southern California that are lined with vol-
leyball nets for pickup games and
professional tournaments. California sun-
shine is also good for year-round tennis,
whether on public courts or at a posh resort.
And the fitness-focused culture of Cali-
fornia provides plenty of opportunities to
join outdoor workout “bootcamps” and
yoga sessions in city parks.
In Water
California has more than 840 miles of
coastline along the Pacific Ocean, a prime
2020 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 25