To the west of the United States, bordered by the Pacific Ocean, California represents the allure of a “world end”, both highly urbanized and very wild. Sea, mountain and desert are at the gates of cities, themselves rather open to nature.
California is at first familiar clichés that are exported with emphasis: the sprawling megacity of Los Angeles; Hollywood movie stars; joggers and rollers of Venice Beach; the San Francisco hills traveled by cable cars ; the sirens of Santa Barbara and the surfers of Malibu; the famous Golden Gate Bridge and the most high-tech companies in the world concentrated in the Silicon Valley campaign.
California also offers a kaleidoscope of wild and majestic landscapes: the relentless desert of Death Valley, the extraordinary park of Yosemite, the forests that rise to the sky of Sequoia National Park, the misty cliffs battered by the swell of Big Sur.
Blue skies and mild temperatures almost year-round (except the sea, rather cool!) Give California an incomparable quality of life, source of economic and migratory dynamism that makes it the engine of the American dream.
Here are some California cities you should travel to
San Francisco
San Francisco is a city that is incomparably different from the rest of the United States in its cultural diversity, unconventionality, tolerance, and outward-looking outlook.
Beyond the way of life, its singularity is also found in urbanism. Compared to other cities, the city center is not crushed by skyscrapers. In many neighborhoods, Victorian homes still stand. Sown at the mercy of the famous hills and streets (very) sloping, they undeniably contribute to make San Francisco one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
It will enchant you, for sure, with its human size, its many neighborhoods (as different in their decor and atmosphere as their population), its great museums, its cultural and culinary scene, its cable cars that hit the streets , its beaches and parks, to the iconic Golden Gate Glowing in the axis of the bay.
Rich city, San Francisco has an average income more than 50% higher than the national average. But not everything is rosy. Some corners, like the Tenderloin, at the west margins of the Downtown, concentrate the abandoned by the hundreds. Hotels choices are also diverse here, you can find hotels in San Francisco for any budget.
San Francisco has the coolest climate on the California coast. In July-August, fog banks, derived from the thermal difference between the overheated Californian lands and the cold waters of the Pacific, sometimes envelop the city for days, exfoliating to the Golden Gate. San Francisco has earned another nickname: Fog City!
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is a huge city – it’s actually a lot of cities, right? – and full of super different places from each other. Santa Monica and her pier of American series. Venice with its beautiful canals, the coolest US streets, the most eclectic boardwalk, Californication locations and the best tater tots of our lives. Hollywood with its amazing homes and cinema views. Downtown Beverly Hills . Malibu . Del Rey . It’s a lot to do, see, know and experience. We spent a week in LA and it was definitely not enough. Even if you need a car to get around the longest distance of the city, it is a delight to stroll through the neighborhoods as if they were really small towns.
Anaheim
Located south of Los Angeles, Anaheim is one of California’s most visited tourist destinations, thanks to Disney’s Disneyland California park complex. With a total of over 18 million tourists a year, the city stands out for its attractions and entertainment for all audiences.
In addition to having Disney, Anaheim is also suitable for sports fans, as throughout the season it is possible to follow good games of baseball and hockey, among others. To top it off, the city also has a lively nightlife full of options. Anaheim has many themed restaurants, such as Palapa, which specializes in Hawaiian food with a seafood-filled menu, and Mi Casa, which is considered one of the best Mexican restaurants in the region. On the other hand, those who are interested in a typical American food with hamburgers and fries, Umami Burger is one of the most popular among tourists.
San Diego
My favorite city in the entire state , San Diego is a great place for a family outing, as the county – the first in the US, bordering Tijuana , Mexico – offers attractions for all tastes, pockets and ages.
Although less well known than some others, this is the second largest city in the state and the eighth in the country, with about 1.3 million inhabitants.
Much of its culture reflects its proximity to Mexico, so you can find a variety of Mexican cuisine restaurants in the area, as well as Latinos from all over the city living and dine in San Diego .
The city is the destination of many young people around the world who want to study English – like me, a few years ago – as well as American students from some of its universities. Thus, the city is very young and has attractions that mainly think of this public.
