Page 16 - 2024/2025 Travel Guide to CALIFORNIA

DISCOVER
CALIFORNIA
DREAMING
The Golden State is both a special place and a special state of mind
BY DON GEORGE
YOSEMITE VALLEY
There may be no California landscape more iconic than Yosemite Valley, with its soaring granite cliffs and waterfalls cascading more than 2000 feet to the forests and meadows on the valley floor. Yosemite was first protected in 1864 when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant, and it became a national park including the surrounding forests in 1890 thanks to the tireless efforts of John Muir and others. Some three and a half to four million people visit each year.
The seductive state of California casts a spell on many, and everyone who visits runs the risk of falling in love and never returning home—or rather, making California their new home. Why is that? In part because in a matter of a few days you can attend the world premiere of a play, explore wineries in some of the world’s finest wine regions, beachcomb by the ocean, ski in the mountains and immerse yourself in an open-mindedness and open- hearted celebration of life that are simply part of the state’s cultural fabric.
Cosmopolitan and Compassionate
Two qualities that stand out in California are the cosmopolitan quality of everyday life and the extraordinary compassion of the people. There is a mind-stretching mix of cultures here—the sidewalk cafés of Europe, the exotic eateries of Asia, concerts and exhibitions showcasing arts from around the world, and people who have ventured to the far corners of the globe and understand its larger lure. At the same time, nurtured by this worldliness, a commen- surate compassion thrives. Californians want to learn about the planet’s diverse cultures and creations, near and far, and
they care about issues from education to equality to environmental stewardship.
Call of the Wild
The state also offers an extraordinary diver- sity of wild places and experiences. Within a morning’s drive, most Californians can be at the ocean’s edge, in the middle of a red- wood forest, at the foot of a granite peak or in the stark splendor of a desert. For one of the world’s most dramatic four-day camping trips, try hiking Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Spend the first night on the valley floor. On day two, hike up halfway and pitch your tent in Little Yosemite Valley. Grunt your way to the awe- inducing peak and back to your campsite
on the third day, and then descend to your car on the fourth. Cooking under the stars in the pine-scented night and falling asleep to the lullaby of the rushing Merced River will make memories you’ll never forget. North to south, east to west, California offers a lifetime’s worth of such experi- ences, from Mount Shasta to the Channel Islands and Anza-Borrego State Park, Death Valley to Big Sur. It’s a natural wonder.
Activities and Exhilarations
If you want to actively explore these won- ders, there’s hiking, biking, sailing, skiing, surfing—just about every activity known to woman or man. And the range of indoor activities is equally exciting, from
14 2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
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