TRAVEL GUIDE: CALIFORNIA


With a size and economy that exceeds many countries, it's no wonder that one state can offer so much. California encompasses ocean, mountains and desert and plays home to celebrities, laid-back beach lovers and nearly everyone in-between. Come for the Golden Gate Bridge, the Hollywood sign or even the weather. The Gold Rush may long be over, but California will always beckon you west.


RESTAURANTS

Wolfgang Puck's Spago Beverly Hills in Los Angeles
CULINARY GUIDE
Restaurants Statewide

Browse our extensive restaurant listings in cities throughout the state to find the best dining in California. It’s all in the details as you read about some of our favorite cafés, bistros, dining rooms, and more.

HOTELS

TOP 10 VALUE HOTELS WORLDWIDE
Fitzgerald Hotel
Old-world charm coupled with the ambience of a small country inn makes this place a great choice for a cost-friendly stay in the city by the Bay. Be sure to check out the very popular Hidden Vine Wine Bar.
The Fitzgerald Hotel in San Francisco, one of our Top 10 Value Hotels in the World

Highlands Inn
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA DREAMING
Highlands Inn
Epitomizing the homey yet refined vibe of the Monterey Bay area is Highlands Inn, whose stone, glass and natural wood harmonize with the broody, rim-of-the-ocean Carmel setting.

OLD WORLD, NEW WORLD
Four Seasons Santa Barbara
The grande dame of hotels on the "American Riviera", the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara is a seaside fantasy with its milky white adobe and red-tiled roofs.
Four Seasons Santa Barbara
 Canary Hotel
DOWNTOWN REVIVAL
Canary Hotel
With a nod to its hip sister hotels in Santa Monica, Canary revels in the role of Santa Barbara's most stylish property, where casually chic locals mingle with guests at the rooftop bar and the open-air pool complete with Jacuzzi.

ORANGE COAST GRANDE DAME
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel
Set on a high bluff overlooking one of Southern California’s most gorgeous bays, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is a superb resort offering numerous beach and sporting activities.
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel

The exterior of Snowcreek Resort in Mammoth Lakes, CA
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Snowcreek Resort
This getaway in Mammoth Lakes is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. The 450-acre resort features more than 1,000 properties available either for purchase or for rent, and the area boasts activities like golfing, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, skiing, snowshoeing and more.

TOP 10 HEALTH RETREATS
California Health & Longevity Institute
This world-class facility is a leader in science-based lifestyle rejuvenation. After a certified LifeAdvisor helps you create a personalized LifePlan, you’ll be advised by a team of experts who are all there to help you learn how to live long and prosper.
California Health & Longevity Institute

The exterior of The Grand Del Mar
The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay


TRAVEL

72-HOUR VACATION
Laguna Beach
Located between Los Angeles and San Diego along the famed Pacific Coast Highway, this Orange County beach town is a genuine slice of tropical paradise sometimes known as California's Riviera, with its charming inns, romantic coves, and sophisticated style.
A lifeguard tower at Laguna Beach

A King Suite at Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa
TRAVEL SPECIAL
Gaia Napa Valley Golf Getaways

Play at one of Napa Valley's finest golf courses and stay at America's greenest hotel with these two golf packages from Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa, the first LEED Gold hotel in the country.
More Travel Specials

CLOSE ESCAPES
Top 10 Getaways – Los Angeles

Looking for a quick escape without having to board a plane? These nearby destinations, from the mountains to the desert, can be easily reached from L.A. by car or train.
Sailing in Newport Beach, Orange County

Pianetta Vineyards
72-HOUR VACATION
Paso Robles
As California's third-biggest wine region and its fastest-growing, the area boasts 26,000 acres of wine grapes and about 170 wine labels. Despite this, Paso Robles hangs onto its small-town charm, with a vibrant town square, rousing community events and bucolic back roads just minutes away.


California Wine Country
TOP 10 ROMANTIC DESTINATIONS
California Wine Country
What could be more romantic than savoring a glass of Chardonnay, cycling through vast vineyards or taking a dawn hot-air balloon ride through Northern California’s wine country? Though beautiful year-round, you'll find yourself especially enchanted in fall, when the region displays its autumn finery.

Guides for other parts of the world

(Updated: 07/01/09 KR)



Business in Chicago

Chicago remains among the most integral economic and business locales in the United States and beyond, but hardly adheres to the motto "all work and no play." Home to the nation's 44th president, this cosmopolitan town welcomes visitors with gracious, open arms.

72 Hours in Newport Beach

Sandwiched along Southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego, this coastal Orange County town boasts fabulous nightlife, glamorous entertainment and luxury shopping. Revel in the almost-always sunny skies, rolling blue Pacific, rocky shores and gleaming white sands.