Wet-suited surfers flock to Monterey Bay's chilly waters, especially Santa Cruz's Steamer Lane. RecreationThe great outdoors truly is great here. The results of their labors take myriad forms: centuries-old Spanish missions that dot the coast the futuristic glass-and-steel skyscrapers of San Francisco the lovely beach resort of Carmel-by-the-Sea and the quaint gold rush towns sprinkled along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevadas. Then the possibility of instant riches created towns almost overnight, and folks have never stopped being drawn to the area. The Original SettlersEven before the flood of gold rush prospectors, Northern California was home to a cast of characters that included Franciscan missionaries, Spanish ranchers and the Native Americans who had lived here for thousands of years. California's signature flora includes giant redwoods and giant sequoias. Off the coast, migrating whales are the stars while sea lions and playful sea otters make their appearances closer to shore. Zoom in on the mountains, valleys and shores and you'll find a fascinating array of plants and animals. And what camera could do justice to the grandeur of Half Dome or El Capitan? It's difficult to comprehend the colossal escarpments and the height of its waterfalls. Vistas impossible to truly capture on film abound in Yosemite National Park. Breathtaking only begins to describe Big Sur's rocky, sea-splashed cliffs, the Sierra Nevada's glacier-sculpted peaks or vineyards flourishing in dappled sunlight. The California landscape itself is dramatic. As you've probably guessed, this could only be California.įrom that first cry of “Eureka!” at Sutter's Mill to the chaotic tidal wave of the ensuing gold rush and the tragedy of the San Francisco earthquake decades later, drama has been one of the state's most notable traits. Skiing in the mountains within hours of a walk on a picture-postcard beach? Both within reach of a major city? Does such a place really exist? Then, at a swank urban bistro that evening they sit across from each other savoring a sumptuous dinner.Īlthough unusually energetic, the duo described above is realistic. The same twosome strolls along the shore, water lapping at their feet. A man and a woman in ski gear swoosh down an alpine slope. The Golden StatePicture a snow-clad mountainside. No wonder Americans looking to the future often face west. Populated by entrepreneurs, visionaries, counterculture radicals, trendsetters and a few eccentrics, the state is fertile ground for innovations and technological breakthroughs. The sense of style here is often imitated, the cuisine savored around the world.īesides physical appeal, perhaps nothing epitomizes the “Left Coast” more than the people and their almost mythical lifestyle. When a fad sweeps the country, odds are that it started in California.

Thanks to movies and television, California and all its associations-surfing, environmentalists chaining themselves to condemned trees, pollution, earthquakes-have all entered the popular imagination. Most Americans who have never been west of the Rockies have heard of Yosemite Valley, Big Sur, Lake Tahoe and Wine Country. Northern California, from the regal redwoods near the Oregon border to Monterey Peninsula's jagged coastline, is immensely blessed. Abundant resources and a stunning landscape help explain the attraction. Introduction The Golden State's allure must be powerful: Millions of people can't be wrong.

Hue and cry anderson ca