Planning a first trip to California’s capital? This Sacramento travel guide is built for first-timers who want the essential sights, the best food, and a simple plan that fits into a day or two. Sacramento sits at the meeting point of the Sacramento and American rivers, and it wears its Read more…
Standing under a coast redwood for the first time is hard to describe. The trunk is wider than a car, the canopy disappears into fog, and the forest floor goes quiet in a way few places in California still do. This Redwood National Park guide covers the best groves, hikes, Read more…
If wine country is on your California list, this Napa Valley guide is the place to start. Napa packs more than 400 wineries, a string of distinct small towns, and some of the best food in the state into This Napa Valley guide covers the valley layout, where to stay, Read more…
A Lake Tahoe winter is the Sierra at its most dramatic: a huge alpine lake ringed by snow-covered peaks, clear cold air, and a long list of ways to play in the snow. This guide is for first-time winter visitors, families, skiers and non-skiers alike, and anyone deciding between the Read more…
Joshua Tree National Park is one of California’s most distinctive desert destinations, where twisted Joshua trees, massive granite boulders, and some of the darkest night skies in Southern California come together in a single park. This guide covers the hikes, stargazing, places to stay, timing, entrances, fees, and dog rules Read more…
A California RV trip is one of the best ways to see the state without unpacking every night. From the cliffs of Highway 1 to the granite valleys of the national parks and the wide-open desert, an RV turns the drive itself into the trip. This guide is for first-time Read more…
If you want a national park with steaming mud pots, alpine lakes, and a summit you can actually hike, this Lassen Volcanic National Park guide is your starting point. Tucked into the southern Cascade Range in Northern California, Lassen Volcanic packs all four types of volcanoes found on Earth into Read more…
This Sequoia National Park guide covers both parks in one trip: Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park, managed together as one unit by the National Park Service. If you want giant sequoias, granite domes, marble caves, and high-Sierra meadows without guessing what to prioritize, this Sequoia National Park Read more…
This Yosemite first timers guide is for visitors who want the classic Yosemite experience without wasting a first trip on parking loops, wrong turns, or trails that do not match their fitness. Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, and the Mist Trail deliver most of the payoff. This Yosemite first timers guide Read more…
This Catalina Island guide covers how to get to Santa Catalina Island, what to do in Avalon, when to visit Two Harbors, and how to plan a day trip or an overnight stay. Catalina sits about 22 miles off the Southern California coast, close enough for a day trip and Read more…