Page 52 - 2024/2025 Travel Guide to CALIFORNIA

California was part of the United States. The Monterey History & Art Association show- cases the second-largest collection of works by Salvador Dalí in the United States. Once a resident of Monterey, Dalí contributed greatly to the region’s talented artist com- munity. Made famous by John Steinbeck’s eponymous novel, Cannery Row has mor- phed from a fishing center to a bustling street with shops and ocean-view restau- rants. Steinbeck’s hometown, Salinas, is a working-class agricultural city, known as the “Salad Bowl of the World.” Carmel, a freethinker’s retreat born as an artist village, is home to stylish shops, exquisite dining and top-notch art.
South of Big Sur, the coastline is dotted with a necklace of small beach towns. Cam- bria’s galleries and antique shops perch on pine-forested hills above the ocean. Laid-
INSIDER’S TIP
back Cayucos is an old-school beach retreat with a surf break and fishing pier near the main drag. Morro Bay’s landmark, an ancient volcanic peak emerging from the ocean floor, stands at the entrance to a beautiful estuary. Between the ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Barbara is often called the “American Riviera” because of its Mediterranean climate and red-roofed buildings. Head inland to artist enclave Ojai to unwind and take in the “pink moment” sunsets—the color of cotton candy.
The Great Outdoors
While well-known urban areas dot this region, there’s more than enough wide- open space for fans of the outdoors. Take a whale-watching boat tour in Monterey Bay, where you can spot migrating gray, hump- back and blue whales. Seventeen-Mile
THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM delights children of all ages, left; A pod of long-beaked common dolphins leaps out of the water in Monterey Bay, California, below; The Gilroy Garlic Festival is a popular summer food fair held annually in Gilroy—nearly 100,000 visitors enjoy the array of activities and delicacies, opposite.
Drive in Pebble Beach winds through forest and along the Pacific coastline as it skirts exclusive golf courses and resorts. South of Carmel, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve has long been considered the “crown jewel” of the California State Park system. The eerie-looking monoliths of Pinnacles National Park beckon to rock climbers and hikers interested in the added benefits of the explosion of colorful spring wild- flowers and soaring California condors in the park. In Big Sur, where rocky cliffs drop into the Pacific Ocean and cypress trees twist in the coastal wind, nature lovers can walk along the beach or hike deep into red- wood forests, both places where waterfalls spring to life.
Hike to the top of Bishop Peak, the tallest of the Nine Sisters, a chain of volcanic peaks. Take advantage of some sweet surf spots and catch the perfect wave. Head out from Santa Barbara on a whale-watching tour to see some of the largest mammals in the Pacific Ocean. On the Carrizo Plain, con- sidered the largest single native grassland in the state, it’s possible to see surface frac- tures of the San Andreas Fault, which puts man/nature cohabitation in perspective.
The best views of some spectacular surf moves are from the cliffs overlooking Steamer Lane, near THE SANTA CRUZ SURFING MUSEUM. Grab a spot by the railing to watch top-notch surfers get some sweet rides, and then head on in to the museum to see the best in Santa Cruz surfing history. santacruzsurfingmuseum.org
50 2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM; ERIN UNDERWOOD/SHUTTERSTOCK. OPPOSITE: MARIUSZ S. JURGIELEWICZ/SHUTTERSTOCK