Travel

Where to Go and What to See When Visiting California

San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge

Millions of tourists travel from around the world to visit California each year. The Golden State offers plenty of beautiful sights, including national parks and architecture. The movie industry is also headquartered in Los Angeles, so you might get a glimpse of your favorite actor or actress. You can find plenty of exciting activities to do depending on your own interests. If you are arranging a trip to California, it is important to plan out your destinations before arriving. Check out our list of places you need to experience while visiting California.

Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. The bridge connects the city of San Francisco to the more rural areas of Marin County. The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937 and cost between $25 to $30 million to build. The bridge has survived several strong earthquakes and has only closed to traffic a handful of times.

The bright, red bridge is nearly 2 miles long and 90 feet wide. When it was created, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. The Golden State Bridge held onto that title until 1981. There is a toll, so have some cash if you are planning to drive over the bridge.

The Mills Building

This is another gorgeous sight to see in San Francisco. The Mills Building is one of the most famous landmarks in the city. It was crafted from massive slabs of pristine calacatta marble in the early 1890s. The building was repaired several years later following the earthquake of 1906.

Additions were made to the Mills Building throughout the early 1900s. Currently, the building has ten stories while an additional tower hosts 22 stories. It was designed by an architect firm in Chicago.

One of the buildings’ most famous features is the Montgomery Street entrance. The entryway features a double-arch made from both white Arabescato marble and granite. Corporations, local non-profits, and restaurants all reside inside the building.

Yosemite National Park

If you are looking for peace and quiet on your vacation, you will need to check out Yosemite National Park. The area’s natural beauty attracts visitors from around the world. There’s waterfalls and redwood trees spread across the park. Yosemite is home to the world’s fifth highest waterfall in the world, spanning 2,425 feet.

Consider coming to Yosemite in the summer and spring months. You’ll want to avoid heavy snowfall in the winter.

The Redwoods

The Redwood National Park is spread across two counties in Northern California. The trees occupy more than 112,000 acres and has some of the tallest trees in the world. The park was commissioned in 1968 and was created to help save the trees and raise awareness about the environment.

You can rent a car and drive through some areas of the park. This is a great way to see many of the nature-filled sights throughout Northern California.

The Joshua Tree

The Joshua Tree National Park was popular before U2 came around. The park is nestled in a desert area in Southern California and is not as green and lush as the forests in the Northern areas of the state. It was designated a national park by then President Roosevelt in 1936.

Visitors can hike around the area, camp, and climb the canyons. The park intersects near the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert. In addition to the mountains and boulders that can be explored, there are plenty of unique vegetation in the area. Make sure to pack plenty of water when hiking through the Joshua Tree National Park.

Disneyland

You can’t travel to California without visiting Disneyland. More than 30,000 people visited the park on it’s first day in Anaheim on July 17, 1955. By the end of the first year, the park had attracted nearly four million people. Since then, the iconic park has added plenty of new rides and attractions.

You can find plenty of great deals for Disneyland tickets online. While it is possible to spend an entire week at the amusement park and resort, it is possible to enjoy the best of the park’s attractions in just one day.

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Don’t let the name fool you, this is not another Disney attraction. The building was named after the famed animator. His widow, Lillian Disney, donated $50 million dollars to the city of Los Angeles not too long after Disney’s death. She wanted to donate money to the city he loved while influencing and encouraging artists in the area. The funds went towards the creation of the concert hall, which is now home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Lillian Disney donated the money in 1987 but the building was not completed until 2003. The project was completed for $274 million dollars. The Walt Disney Concert Hall is known for its wonderful acoustics and unique architecture. 6,500 stainless steel panels surround the outside of the building while sculptures made of douglas fir trees have been placed inside the lobby. It is a must-see attraction for music lovers and those who appreciate architecture.

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Paul Tomaszewski is a science & tech writer as well as a programmer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of CosmoBC. He has a degree in computer science from John Abbott College, a bachelor's degree in technology from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and completed some business and economics classes at Concordia University in Montreal. While in college he was the vice-president of the Astronomy Club. In his spare time he is an amateur astronomer and enjoys reading or watching science-fiction. You can follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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