California

‘The Golden State’ of California has it all: snow-capped mountains, vast deserts, lush forests and long stretches of golden beach. The most populous state in the USA, California can be divided into 12 tourist regions: the Central Coast, Los Angeles County, Orange County, the North Coast, San Diego County, the San Francisco Bay Area, Shasta Cascade, Gold Country, the Central Valley, the High Sierra, the Deserts and the Inland Empire. Known as ‘the Middle Kingdom’, the Central Coast extends from the Bay Area to Los Angeles County, along the Pacific coast and to the vineyards of the valleys around Santa Barbara. The Monterey Peninsula and Big Sur are tranquil areas of great natural beauty with some of the most scenic drives in the country. No trip to California is complete without a visit to the second-biggest city in the USA: Los Angeles, the ‘City of Angels’. It lives up to its reputation as ‘the entertainment capital of the world’, offering the best in theater, symphony and ballet as well as the chance to spot stars in Hollywood. Orange County is home to one of the world’s most famous attractions, Disneyland Resort. As well as the theme parks, resorts and shopping, the county offers 67km (42 miles) of beaches and the charming rural communities of the Santa Ana Mountains. The North Coast is a land of rugged shoreline, redwood forests and vineyards. The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the world’s most popular destinations. San Francisco is a cosmopolitan city, whose cable cars and Golden Gate Bridge are instantly recognizable. In the northeastern corner of the State lies one of the country’s most beautiful and unspoiled regions – the Shasta Cascade. The region’s waterfalls, whitewater rivers, forests, icy lakes and towering mountains – including the California Cascade range – provide stunning vistas. Gold Country is where the California Gold Rush, which forever changed the State – and the country – began in 1849. The beautiful wilderness of the High Sierra, immortalized in the photography of Ansel Adams, is an outdoor enthusiast’s delight. The Deserts region, in the southeast, features expansive landscapes, brilliant skies, traces of pioneer history and glittering resort cities. Natural phenomena include the isolated Death Valley National Park and the vast Joshua Tree National Park. The Inland Empire is the fastest-growing metropolitan region in the USA. Only one hour from Los Angeles, its varied landscape – from snow-capped mountains to sand dunes and farmlands – makes it an ideal film location, and the region is known as ‘Hollywood’s largest backlot.’