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contemporary art grazing to vintage wine sipping, world-class museum and gallery exhibitions to renowned author readings to cutting-edge performances of dance, music and theater. Some of the greatest amuse- ment and theme parks in the world entertain kids of all ages here, including Disneyland, Universal Studios, SeaWorld and Six Flags, and their intellectual coun- terparts such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences and Exploratorium. There’s an activity for every interest in this abundant state.
Culture and Cuisine
With a wide variety of immigrants from all over the world, California embraces
and embodies multiculturalism. You can immerse yourself in national traditions of all kinds, such as Japanese through the tea ceremonies and festival dances in San Francisco’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival, Mexican through Cinco de Mayo celebrations, the Chinese New Year, the Sikh Festival in Yuba City, Solvang’s Danish Days, the Calaveras Celtic Faire and Concert in Angel’s Camp and many others. You’ll also find globe-girdling pockets of Asian, African, European and South American communities throughout the state, where even shopping in the local market gives the taste of a rich multicultural stew.
And speaking of stew, the California kitchen is a glorious global melting pot. In
addition to California Cuisine, which features a celebration of local, seasonal produce in inventive combinations, eating out in California offers tasty lessons in global traditions, with restau- rants serving the cuisines of dozens of countries, from old favorites such as France, Italy and China, to relatively new favorites such as India, Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam, to rising stars like Peru.
With so much to love, how can you not fall under the spell of California? Whether you arrive planning to spend a week or a month, you’ll find an inexhaustible trea- sure trove of riches awaiting. So be prepared. You may just decide you need a lifetime to enjoy them all.
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