1) Iron Giants Dwell in Our Deserts
Imagine the scene: It’s twilight. You’re on a stargazing adventure in Borrego Springs, scouting the best spot to spread out your blanket and marvel at the Milky Way. You step around a cactus, look up, and suddenly find yourself staring down a 350-foot-long serpent who does not look particularly happy to see you. While you may be tempted to drop your telescope and sprint in the opposite direction, this Game of Thrones–like behemoth is not going to make a snack out of you—it’s just one of 130 metal sculptures scattered across the desert floor, courtesy of artist Ricardo Breceda. Middle-of-nowhere sculptures dropped deep in the desert are definitely a Golden State trademark. We’re just having a little fun with you.
2) People Who Can Live Anywhere Choose to Live Here
Here’s what they say about their home state:
Anthony Anderson, actor: “Growing up here, it’s always been the beaches in California for me. My beaches growing up were Hermosa and Manhattan Beach. I remember getting on the bus, skipping school with a bunch of kids, and riding out to the beach.”
Natalie Morales, TV host: “Californians are as laid-back as people believe and are truly all about living outdoors. That was No. 1 for me when making the move—knowing my kids can be outside year-round.”
Alex Honnold, rock climber: “The smell of the dry pine forest around Tahoe and the High Sierra—that feels like home to me. There are so many climbing opportunities with big mountains, and the rock is so good.”
Dwyane Wade, NBA legend: “I have fallen in love with taking long drives throughout the state, especially exploring central and southern California. My friends and I will pack up our clubs to golf at Pebble Beach or pile in the car to taste wine in Paso Robles.”
Francis Ford Coppola, filmmaker: “I love the drive from the Napa Valley wine country to the Sonoma wine country through the Alexander Valley. This is probably the most beautiful 45-minute trip existing anywhere.”
Bonnie Wright, actor and author: “I love the subtle nuances of our seasons. When you really stop and pay attention, nature is changing and organizing throughout the year, bringing us welcomed transitions.”
Stephanie Izard, chef: “My favorite drive yet was up to Santa Barbara. We stayed at a gorgeous hotel on the beach, hung out by the pool, and walked around the most picturesque little town I’ve ever seen. We felt like we were on a movie set the entire time.”
3) There’s Always Money in the Banana Stand
Never-nudes, Motherboys, and all fans of Arrested Development should head straight to Orange County for a truly Bluth-y experience. Rival outlets on Balboa Island in Newport Beach—Dad’s Donut & Bakery Shop and Sugar ‘n Spice—claim to be the home of the “original” frozen banana showcased on the TV show. This real-life banana stand feud was featured in season three of the cult favorite when Gob decides to open his Banana Shack right across from the Bluth Banana Stand on Balboa Island. Is one real-world confection better than the other? Maeby.
4) You Can Go to the Movies With Quentin Tarantino
OK, there’s no guarantee that the director of Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Kill Bill will sit next to you and offer to share his popcorn, but Tarantino is the owner and head programmer of the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles. “I want the New Beverly to be a bastion for 35mm films,” the celebrated cinephile says. “I want it to stand for something. When you see a film on the New Beverly calendar, you don’t have to ask whether it’s going to be shown in DCP or in 35mm. You know it’s playing in 35 because it’s the New Beverly.”
5) Gravity Is Optional
You’ll feel like you dropped into an episode of The X-Files at The Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz. Discovered in 1939, this “gravitational anomaly” comprises an area 150 feet in diameter where certain laws of physics are called into question. A variety of theories have been bandied about to explain this old-school (and extremely popular) attraction, including a buried spaceship, a hole in the ozone layer, and something called “radiesethesia.” Will you want to believe, like Mulder? Or will you get all Scully and try to debunk the experience? The truth is in here.
6) Cosplay Is Our Culture
Every July, 150,000-plus nerds converge on San Diego to attend pop culture panels, pose for photos with celebs, attend sneak previews of upcoming films and TV shows, and haggle over that near-mint copy of Fantastic Four #48. A shockingly high percentage of these Comic-Con attendees arrive decked out as superheroes, science fiction characters, and fantasy favorites. Barbie and Indiana Jones were among the most popular cosplay characters in 2023, but let’s give props to TikTok fave Andrea Seale, who delivered a dead-on impersonation of Deirdre Beaubeirdre—Jamie Lee Curtis’ character from Everything Everywhere All at Once.
7) Our Biggest Volcano Is a Spiritual Vortex
The otherworldly beauty of 14,179-foot Mt. Shasta has inspired countless trips to Northern California and a fair share of legends too. Our favorite centers on the Lemurians, a tribe of advanced beings from a long-lost sunken continent who carved tunnels beneath the dormant volcano and occasionally appear on the slopes dressed in white robes. Andrew Oser, who leads spiritual tours of the mountain, was noncommittal about the Lemurians but did offer this: “My favorite way to describe Mt. Shasta is that it’s a 14,000-foot mirror that reflects back the deepest truth in your heart.”
8) We Think Our Burgers Belong in a Museum
The cheeseburger was invented in Pasadena in 1924 and arguably perfected two dozen years later when In-N-Out opened its first drive-thru in Baldwin Park, attracting legions of fans. Today you can visit a replica of the original In-N-Out—the photogenic mini-museum is just down the road from the original location and double-doubles as a souvenir stand.
9) Our Pools Are Elevated
A rooftop pool is the hippest place to take a dip. Swim with a city-skyline view or dance the night away at pool parties where DJs spin thumping beats. The Andaz in San Diego, The Kimpton Sawyer in Sacramento, the Freehand Los Angeles, Thompson Hollywood, The Shayin Culver City, and The Rowan Palm Springs are just a small sampling of California hotels where you can make a five-story splash.
10) Chalupas in Paradise
We dare you to find a more alluring fast-food restaurant than the Taco Bell at 5200 Coast Highway in Pacifica. This prime real estate—right on Pacifica State Beach in San Mateo County—boasts a setting you might expect with a Michelin-starred meal, not a $1 Cravings Menu. The ocean views are to die for, there’s a parking lot for surfboards, and since this is a Taco Bell Cantina, you can also pair your Cheesy Gordita Crunch with a cocktail. The oceanfront eatery is so popular, it has hosted bachelor and bachelorette parties and even wedding receptions.
11) Life Imitates Art—Literally
When Leonardo da Vinci started working on The Last Supper, he probably didn’t envision a collection of Orange County dentists, plumbers, and accountants reenacting his 15th-century masterpiece on an outdoor stage in Laguna Beach.
But that’s exactly the sort of thing you’ll see at the coastal town’s annual Pageant of the Masters. Volunteer actors recreate classical and contemporary works of art by dressing in costumes and posing against meticulously painted sets. It’s an annual tradition that we freakin’ love.
12) Disc Golf + Craft Beer = Best Day Ever
Boonville’s Anderson Valley Brewing Company is the first—and perhaps only—brewery on the planet to offer an 18-hole disc-golf course onsite. Perfect your Tomahawk Shot or Jump Putt on this 26-acre facility while sipping some Boont Amber Ale or maybe a Briney Melon Gose.
13) Go Moke, Get Stoked
Touring the Golden State by moke, an all-electric, low-speed vehicle, is officially a thing. These adorably cute, street-legal rides have already made a big splash in Newport Beach, where you can channel your inner Barbie by renting a pink jeeplet and hitting the boutiques. (Your call on whether Ken and Allan get to come along for the ride.) You can also pair mokes with Merlot and Malbec on Temecula’s Moke & Wine Tours. Half-day and full-day experiences come equipped with “moke jockeys” (aka designated drivers) who will drive you to Temecula Valley’s top wineries.
14) Mark Twain Respected Our Frog Game
Offbeat fun is nothing new to the Golden State. During the Gold Rush, entertainment-starved miners were known to throw back a few drinks and bet on anything they could think of—a phenomenon captured in Mark Twain’s 1865 short story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” The tale became a worldwide hit, putting both Twain and tiny Angels Camp on the map. Today, you can relive all sorts of old-timey fun at the Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee, held during the third week of May. The rest of the year, walk Main Street’s sidewalk Hop of Fame, where winning frogs and their wranglers have been immortalized in brass since 1928.
15) Our Faults Are Famous
Shake things up the next time you’re in Greater Palm Springs with Red Jeep Tours’ three-hour journey through the San Andreas Fault, the source of much geologic moving and shaking. Naturalist guides will lead you through narrow slot canyons and into a leafy native palm oasis.
16) You Can Earn an A+ in Mushroom School
Want to turn food acquisition into an adventure? Forage SF offers classes on foraging mushrooms, wild plants, and seaweed. The Bay Area company will teach you how to spot edible fungi like morels and porcinis on guided walks in Santa Cruz, Marin County, the Sonoma Coast, and the Sierra foothills. You can also learn how to forage for seaweed in Half Moon Bay or seek out wild edible plants in Oakland.
17) Our Wine Flights Really Fly
At Ancient Peaks Winery in Santa Margarita, soar above the vineyards on six separate ziplines spanning 7,500 feet and toast your bravery with a glass of Pinot Noir. Board a helicopter in Monterey or Watsonville for the flight to Eden Rift Vineyards, then sip and swirl from the seat of a Polaris ATV. At Calistoga’s Sterling Vineyards, hop on the newly reopened aerial gondola and glide 300 feet uphill to the Greek-inspired winery. Taste Cabernet while savoring 360-degree views of Napa Valley.
18) We Play With Our Food
Californians take food seriously—until we don’t. Sometimes food is just another reason to party: See the world’s largest vat of guacamole at Carpinteria’s California Avocado Festival, marvel at a 40-foot-long tamale at the Indio International Tamale Festival, or swoon over garlic ice cream at Stockton’s California Garlic Festival.
19) Brooke Williamson Will Feed You All Day Long
Why settle for one culinary concept when you can fit four under the same roof? That’s the thinking behind Top Chef champion Brooke Williamson’s Playa Provisions, a beachside eatery in Playa del Rey that will tempt your tastebuds for hours on end. Start things off with a trout dip bagel sandwich or lobster roll at King Beach Cafe. For a midafternoon treat, head to Small Batch for a scoop of breakfast cereal–inspired ice cream. Dinner is at Dockside, but reserve in advance because the word is out on the fried crab claw pop and swordfish à la plancha. To cap things off, amble over to Grain Whiskey Bar and ask the bartender to dream up a bespoke cocktail that will put an exclamation point on your day.
20) Our Museums Are Illuminating
At Glendale’s Museum of Neon Art, view outstanding examples of historic neon signs from 20th-century theaters, gas stations, motels, drug stores, and coffee shops—plus contemporary electric and light-based artworks by California’s best neon artists.
21) Our Museums Are Subterranean
Empire Mine State Historic Park in Grass Valley preserves what was once one of the oldest, largest, deepest, longest, and richest gold mines in California, with five square miles of underground tunnels.
22) Our Museums Are Hare-Brained
At the Bunny Museum in Altadena, marvel at 45,000 bunny-related objects—from a 2,000-year-old amulet to a 1970s cookie jar—that tell the history of bunnies in advertising, art, literature, fashion, and film.
23) Our Museums Are Hands-On
Three floors of Santa Barbara’s MOXI (The Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation) are filled with interactive, kid-friendly, brain-tickling science exhibits that inform and delight. A bonus: The roof terrace offers a dazzling view of the city.
24) Our Museums Are Locomotive
At Bishop’s Laws Railroad Museum, admire an 1880s steam locomotive and tour the reconstructed village surrounding it: 28 wooden buildings crammed with antique sewing machines, 19th-century dentist tools, Brownie box cameras, blue glass bottles, and other ephemera from the Eastern Sierra’s pioneer days.
25) Our Museums Are Nautical
At the Maritime Museum of San Diego, admire tall-masted sailing ships, steam-powered ferries, and a sturdy submarine. Take a bay cruise on a 1914 harbor pilot boat or sail with pirates on a 16th-century Spanish galleon.
26) Our Museums Are Prehistoric
See the fossilized remains of Ice Age creatures from saber-toothed cats to woolly mammoths at La Brea Tar Pits in the heart of Los Angeles. The animals perished from wading into a sea of sticky crude oil that bubbled up in what was once a grassy savannah (eons before it became Wilshire Boulevard).
27) Our Museums Are Playful
All ages enjoy the curiosity-igniting exhibits at San Francisco’s innovative Exploratorium. Youngsters can experiment and play while adults admire the waterfront views from this spectacular steel and glass structure at Pier 15.
28) Our Museums Are Innovative
Tickle your cerebrum at San Jose’s The Tech Interactive, an ultra-hands-on museum with exhibits focusing on innovations in artificial intelligence, healthcare, and space exploration. Kids and curious visitors of all ages can design their own robot, get shaken up in a simulated earthquake, or sit in an astronaut's seat and "fly" through space.
29) Sandboarding Is a Thing
You’ve heard of surfboarding. Just replace barrel waves with rippling mountains of sand, and you’re sandboarding. Climb up Death Valley National Park’s Mesquite Flat or Saline Valley dunes, wax up your board, and slip-and-slide downhill. Can’t get enough? Surf more dunes in Mojave National Preserve.
30) Every Family Member Can Be a Rock Climber
Even Grandma, as long as she’s spry and up for the challenge. It’s all made possible by the mountaineering magic of via ferratas. These protected climbing courses—you climb under your own power while safely hooked into steel cables and anchors—allow novices to experience the exhilaration of rock climbing in a very safe setting. Iron rungs and footholds aid your ascent, and an experienced guide accompanies you every step of the way. Anyone who meets the height and weight requirements can inch their way up 800-foot-high Tram Face at Palisades Tahoe, and Mammoth Mountain offers six different routes—three easy, two moderate, one difficult—for ages 12 and up.
31) Our Craft Beer Is More Fun Than Your Craft Beer
Never mind that California spearheaded the craft beer movement (which it did). And forget that the Golden State boasts more craft breweries than any other state (which it does). We’d rather point out that our beer leads the pack with its fun-loving spirit. San Diego’s Belching Beaver Brewery, for instance, doesn’t just have a great name, it also boasts the genre-busting Peanut Butter Milk Stout, an easy-drinking crowd-pleaser that has won more than a half dozen awards. We’re also keen on 21st Amendment’s Hell or High Watermelon; The Lost Abbey’s Duck Duck Gooze; Bagby Beer’s Gotta Pay the Pils; Stone Brewing’s Arrogant Bastard Ale; and Fall River Brewing’s Numb Numb Juice Hazy IPA.
32) Our Ghosts and Ghouls Will Entertain You
The Hotel del Coronado has a seriously spooky side: In 1892, 24-year-old Kate
Morgan checked into this luxurious waterfront resort and then ended her life on the hotel’s staircase. Since then, many guests have experienced strange breezes, flickering lights, and phantom footsteps believed to be evidence of the young woman’s afterlife unrest. The equally spooky Queen Mary in Long Beach is one of the “Top 10 Most Haunted Places in America,” according to Time magazine. The after-hours
Ship Walk Paranormal Tour is a perfect way to get your shiver on. San Jose’s Winchester Mystery House made the same prestigious list. Sarah Winchester’s macabre mansion features stairs that lead nowhere and doors that open to brick walls—presumably to disorient the departed. San Francisco’s Alcatraz Night Tour is another spine-chilling option, and not necessarily for the faint of heart. Paranormal expert Richard Senate once volunteered to be locked in a punishment cell in Alcatraz, an experience he calls “the most terrifying 15 minutes I ever spent.”
33) We Have 3,600 Pickleball Courts… and Counting
Montecito resident Ellen DeGeneres is obsessed with the sport. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is also hooked—and has even invested in a professional pickleball league. Orange County native Will Ferrell is an avid “dinker,” as are Billie Eilish, Leonardo DiCaprio, and the Kardashians. You’ll find pickleball courts pretty much everywhere, including many hotels and resorts. In San Diego County, Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa has four dedicated courts and free access for guests; Omni La Costa offers a weekly Pickleball 101 class; and the Fairmont Grand Del Mar offers weekend clinics. But we like West Hollywood’s take best: The Kimpton La Peer Hotel has a rooftop pickleball setup that transforms into a “Disco Court” on weekends. You can practice your flapjacks and falafels while listening to a live DJ and sipping cocktails.
34) We Invented Tiki Bars
World War I veteran Donn Beach fell in love with Polynesian culture and wanted to bring his passion for rum-fueled drinks to the states. He opened Don’s Beachcomber (later renamed Don the Beachcomber) in Hollywood in 1933, sparking a trend that continues to this day. Tiki-Ti in Hollywood was founded in 1961 by a Don the Beachcomber bartender, and today the bar serves 94 tropical cocktails. Bakersfield’s Tiki-Ko is a classic of the genre, serving up concoctions like the Lady Monsoon and Tequila Guavolution. False Idol is a San Diego speakeasy that’s hidden behind a stainless-steel door inside Little Italy’s Craft & Commerce. For the ultimate in mai tai mayhem, head to the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar inside San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel. At this 1945 watering hole, the Island Groove Band plays from a thatched-roof barge on an aquamarine pool, and surprise thunder-and-lightning storms steal the show.
35) Nobody Cruises Better
Driving isn’t always about getting from point A to point B. At Monterey Touring Vehicles, you can rent a 1954 Chevy Bel Air Convertible, a 1981 DeLorean, or dozens of other vintage rides. Recommended route: Start on 17-Mile Drive and then head down Highway 1, cruising along two of the state’s most scenic thoroughfares.
36) Hang With Mickey Mouse on His Home Turf
Head to Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland Park to get better acquainted with the smiling mouse and his pals. Start by taking a spin on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the first Disneyland Resort ride devoted to Walt Disney’s original star. Let the kids burn some energy on the boat-shaped play structure in Donald’s Duck Pond and the green spaces of CenTOONial Park. Then zip off to climb the dreaming tree or visit the candy factory in Goofy’s How-to-Play Yard. Lots of parent-friendly benches and a mellow, play-at-your-own-pace atmosphere combine to create an important element of any great theme park day: a little time to exhale.
37) Absolutely Everybody Can Take Part in the Fun
No matter the abilities or special needs of anyone in your crew, the Golden State’s top attractions excel at accessibility. Sesame Place San Diego and The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, for instance, are both Certified Autism Centers where staffers are trained to support autistic guests. The parks offer amenities such as quiet rooms and sensory guides to help lower any stress and maximize fun. Other California theme parks, zoos, and aquariums—from SeaWorld San Diego to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo—offer skip-the-line ride passes, listening-assistance devices, noise-cancelling headphones, and dietary guides. Stop in at Guest Services to find out what’s available.
38) Ride 20 Roller Coasters in One Afternoon
Santa Clarita’s Six Flags Magic Mountain boasts 20 thrilling coasters, the most of any park on the planet. Love speed? Start at Superman: Escape from Krypton, the park’s fastest ride, which zips around at up to 100 mph. Then head over to X2 for a spin on well-contained chaos: The ride features head-first drops and cars that rotate 360 degrees while moving at 76 mph. Test your nerve on Wonder Woman Flight of Courage, the world’s longest and tallest single-rail coaster, or feel the g-force on Goliath, a “hypercoaster” that offers a 255-foot drop at 85 mph.
39) We Have Pirate Pride
The pirate ship Time Bandit sails Big Bear Lake’s alpine waters, bringing a bounty of yo-ho-ho to those who remember the 1981 film (and their grandkids). Join the crew for 90 minutes of corny jokes and kid-friendly fun. Or head to Monterey’s Cannery Row to experience Treasure Hunt: The Ride, an immersive adventure based on the legend of Monterey pirate Hippolyte Bouchard.
40) Join an Arctic Rescue Mission
Grab the handlebars of your snowmobile-shaped roller coaster car on the Arctic Rescue ride at SeaWorld San Diego. A series of sudden, high-speed launches give you the feeling of zooming over rugged tundra at speeds as fast as 40 mph. When the thrills come to an end, get an up-close look at the Wild Arctic exhibit and learn about the park’s real-life Rescue Squad, which has saved more than 40,000 animals. A short walk from the ride is the Rescue Jr. area, where kids can check out real rescue squad vehicles and climb around on ocean-themed play structures.
41) You Can Snooze With the Elephants
Don’t just spend the day at a zoo, museum, or theme park. Spend the night, too, enjoying the scenery or wildlife like a true insider. At San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the overnight Roar & Snore Safaris include after-dark tours, breakfast, and glamping-style tents with sleeping pads, cots, or actual beds. Safari West in Sonoma County offers treehouse-style accommodations, while zoos such as the Sacramento Zoo, Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Oakland Zoo, and Santa Barbara Zoo host their own sleepover experiences. Bring your own camping gear, and they’ll supply the s’mores fixings, camp activities, and breakfast.
Some museums do overnights, too, including the Fleet Science Center in San Diego, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Los Angeles Natural History Museum, and the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. You can also pack your sleeping bag and tent for special-event nights at Gilroy Gardens theme park or the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Kids will love staying up past bedtime to ride the rides after everyone else has gone home.
42) We’ll Let You Step Right into a Video Game
As soon as you walk through the rainbow-colored “warp pipe” into SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, you know you’ve entered a new theme park dimension at Universal Studios Hollywood. Red-and-white mushrooms and piranhas dot this video game kingdom. The castles of Princess Peach and Bowser, backed by Mount Beanpole, frame the sky. Start racking up points in a real-life version of the classic games. Push buttons to “throw” shells on the indoor ride Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, then make the most of the interactive stations—smacking giant alarm clocks, punching POW buttons, and using your own shadow to jump at fireballs. Competitive types can track their scores by purchasing a Power-Up Band; the rest of us can just celebrate afterward with a Luigi Burger at Toadstool Cafe.
43) We Travel in Style: Foilboards, Carlsbad
What could be cooler than gliding across the ocean’s surface on a foilboard? The board is adapted from traditional surfboards but has a larger, hydrodynamic fin underneath, which creates enough lift to let you fly. Book a lesson with E-Surf San Diego.
44) We Travel in Style: Snowmobiles, Hope Valley
Rev up the adventure as you drive your own “mountain sled” on a wintertime tour with Lake Tahoe Adventures. Sure, you need to bundle up to face the cold, but the payoff is a shimmering, frosty-white wonderland.
45) We Travel in Style: Lowriders, San Diego
The roots of San Diego’s lowrider movement can be traced back to the post-World War II era in California’s Mexican-American communities. Lowrider cars gleam with lacquered paint, religious symbols, and velvet trim—and are designed to be driven slowly as a rolling work of art.
46) We Travel in Style: Hot-Air Balloons, Napa
Go up, up, and away to survey Napa Valley’s lush, vine-covered hills from hundreds of feet above with a sunrise hot-air balloon ride.
47) We Travel in Style: Swan Boats, L.A.'s Echo Park
Date night is more romantic if you spend it gliding across the water in a swan boat on Echo Park Lake, just northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
48) We Travel in Style: Cable Cars, San Francisco
San Francisco commuters conquer their city’s famously steep hills by hopping on a vintage cable car, holding tight to its leather hand-straps, and hanging on for the ride. You can always tell when a cable car is coming because its clanging bell can be heard from blocks away.
49) The Danish Capital of America Is Here
In 1911, a group of Danish Americans purchased 9,000 acres in the Santa Ynez Valley, an area that turned out to be prime wine country. The founders brought Danish cuisine and architecture with them, and now millions of visitors flock to Solvang to see its windmills, thatched roofs, and rooftop storks—and snack on aebleskivers between Pinot Noir tastings.
50) Full-Throttle Fun Abounds
Ditch the furiousness and just go fast at one of the closed-track driving facilities in the Golden State. The BMW Performance Driving School south of Palm Springs will put you behind the wheel of an ultra-speedy M Series BMW, and you can let loose and see what it can do. Skip Barber Racing School operates out of Sonoma Raceway, offering a wide variety of racing and driving experiences on a 12-turn track. And at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca near Salinas, you can watch top IndyCar pros rule the asphalt.
51) Sand Castles Are Serious Business
In Carmel, autumn’s biggest event is the annual Great Sandcastle Contest sponsored by the Monterey Bay chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Sand-construction teams build shapely mermaids, fanciful sea creatures, and tower-topped castles one bucket at a time. The judges happily accept non-monetary bribes, and the best architecture wins the coveted Golden Shovel Award. At day’s end, the surging tide returns all contest entries to the sea.
52) You Can Thank the Academy
With a trip to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, you can let the magic of special effects transport you to Hollywood’s night of nights. The Oscars Experience lets you hold a coveted eight-and-a-half-pound statuette and deliver an acceptance speech in front of a virtual audience of industry bigwigs. (Video evidence of your achievement is emailed afterward.) You might be tempted to prattle on about all of the little people who helped you on your journey, but don’t blab for too long—the music will swell and you will get played off the stage.
53) Our Whales Are Show-Offs
Gray whales, humpbacks, and even massive blue whales are common sightings year-round along California’s coast. On a half-day whale-watching cruise out of Newport Beach, Dana Point, or Monterey, you’ll see the massive cetaceans perform tail flukes, spy-hops, or even full leaps out of the water (breaches). Whether it’s your first whale sighting or your 100th, the thrill never wears off.
54) We Host the World’s Wackiest Race
What began as a two-block jaunt down Main Street in Ferndale in 1969 has since morphed into a 40-mile odyssey across Humboldt County. Arcata’s annual Kinetic Grand Championship simultaneously begs for and defies description. Entrants must build their own kinetic sculptures, defined as “all-terrain, human-powered art vehicles, engineered to race over road, water, mud, and sand.” Design flourishes like animated faces and fire cannons are practically mandatory, and costumes are strongly encouraged. A winner is crowned every year, but that seems beside the point.
55) Dogs and Santa Surf, and So Can You
People go a bit crazy for surfing here, and so do their dogs. Faith, a goggles-clad American pit bull terrier, took home the top prize in the large dog division at last year’s World Dog Surfing Championships in Pacifica. It’s an August tradition that needs to be on every canine lover’s to-do list. Later in the year, Kris Kringle hits the waves at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. The resort hosts an annual Surfing Santa & Stand-Up Paddleboard Contest that benefits Surfers Healing, a surf camp for children with autism. You, too, can rule the waves. Surf classes are offered up and down the coast, including Santa Barbara Surf School, Surf Diva in La Jolla, Banzai Surf in Huntington Beach, Adventure Out in Santa Cruz, and Tommy Tsunami Surf School in Half Moon Bay.
56) This Is Where Comedy Legends Get Their Start
For more than 45 years, The Groundlings Theatre & School has been a Los Angeles improv institution and the training ground for many big names in comedy, including Will Ferrell, Phil Hartman, Lisa Kudrow, Jon Lovitz, Melissa McCarthy, Laraine Newman, Paul Reubens, Maya Rudolph, and Kristen Wiig. The 30-member company still entertains audiences nightly, and although Ferrell and others have moved on, you can still see Stephanie Courtney, better known as “Flo” from Progressive Insurance ads, and Patty Guggenheim, who yukked it up as Madisynn on the Disney+ series She-Hulk.
57) Ski or Ride on July 4
There’s no need to travel to the southern hemisphere for off-season skiing. On Independence Day at Mammoth Mountain, skiers and snowboarders shred the slopes wearing shorts and tank tops instead of parkas and ski pants. Mammoth’s high altitude, deep snowpack, and north-facing trails produce one of the West’s longest ski seasons, typically lasting from November through July.
58) Superblooms Are the Best Blooms
The Golden State’s spring flower show is always beautiful, but the term “superbloom” refers to a high-octane version of the annual display. What makes the magic happen? Superblooms occur when rain falls in frequent intervals between October and February—especially when that rain follows a long period of drought. This leads to widespread germination of wildflower seeds that may have lain dormant for years. Your best bet for witnessing something spectacular? Watch the weather, keep a bag packed, and embrace the spontaneity.
