California Travel

Forget the overdone fresh-baked cookie, wine and cheese or bottle of water some hotels offer, when you stay at these places, you'll get some really fun (and unexpected) extras. These are some of the ones we've come across during our travels:

• It's the closest you'll get to a safari without leaving the country, and at Vision Quest Bed and Breakfast near Salinas, your breakfast will be delivered by one of the elephants (accompanied by their trainer, of course).
• At the Montage Beverly Hills, meet with fashion consultant Joe Katz, one of the most charming and knowledgeable folks you'll ever meet. Joe can give you ideas, fill you in on the latest fashion trends and even arrange for dressing rooms full of items to be ready for you to swoop in and try things on. The first hour of Joe's services are complimentary to hotel guests.
• It's just a small thing, but at San Diego's Pearl Hotel, every room has a real, live fish in it (in a bowl, of course) - and they show movies once a week beside the swimming pool at their "dive in" theatre.
• In San Diego, the Grand Del Mar may not be quite on the beach, but they make up for it: they'll take you to the beach and back, set up beach chairs and umbrellas and provide beach towels, too.

If you know of others, just leave a comment.

In June, you can listen to some great music, watch hot air balloons take off or enjoy a classic car show. See what's going on.

More: California Summer Getaways | California Summer Concerts | Summer Outdoor Theatre

One of California's least-visited vacation destinations is also one of its most fascinating: the area east of the Sierras along US Hwy 395. It's a high valley, with mountains on both sides, steaming hot springs, weird rock formations, ancient trees and California's best-preserved ghost town.

For northern Californians, the best place way to get there is across Yosemite over Tioga Pass, but that won't be open until the snow melts. That leaves you plenty of time to have a look and plan a summer trip to see it all.

More: Photo Tour of Hwy 395 | Places to Visit East of the Sierras

Yosemite's Tioga Pass opens at noon today, one of the earliest openings ever and probably the shortest winter road closure in the history of the park, according to the Yosemite Conservancy. California east of the Sierras is our featured destination for the month - look for the post about that in a couple of days. The pass opening also means you can take our scenic back road trip from San Francisco to Las Vegas.

On the average, Tioga Pass opens around May 30. It's closed as early as September 4, as late as January 1 and around the first of November on average.

More: Tioga Pass Guide

This is a place you're not likely to ever visit, but it's so cute - and an important facet of the work of one of our favorite conservation organizations, the Catalina Conservancy.

Go here to see a live video feed of nesting bald eagles in two Catalina Island locales, at the West End and Two Harbors, where eight chicks are growing up in four nests, including triplets at the West End nest for the second year in a row.

Catalina Conservancy has been crucial to the recovery of both the Catalina Island Fox and the island's bald eagle population and that's only the beginning of the great work they do. If you admire their work as much as I do, consider supporting their efforts. We do.

More: Things to Do on Catalina | Eco Jeep Tour of Catalina | Catalina Getaway Planner

Participants in our April poll think Yosemite is the least expensive place to visit in California, giving it only 3% of the votes. The truth?

• If you stay in a hotel, Yosemite is more expensive than Palm Springs. If your heart is set on the Ahwahnee, you'll pay even more.
• Use this list of less-expensive places to stay near Yosemite to lower your cost.
• The National Park admission fee adds to your costs, and you have pay it even if you just drive through.

Bottom Line: Yosemite can be more expensive than you think, but if you want to visit, your options for saving are somewhat limited.

More: Yosemite Vacation Guide | Camping at Yosemite | One Day in Yosemite

The Los Angeles Philharmonic's charismatic conductor Gustavo Dudamel is infusing the LA music scene with enthusiasm for the classics. I just took a look at the summer schedule for the Hollywood Bowl (which is also run by the Philharmonic) and wow! The lineup of Dudamel-led performances and the line-up of special guests (Placido Domingo, Yo-Yo Ma) is a cut above the Bowl's usual summer classic fare.

Individual tickets go on sale on May 5 at 10:00 a.m., so if you want to see one of these great concerts (or any other summer concert at the Bowl), that's the day to snag the best seats.

More: Hollwyood Bowl Visitor Guide | Hollywood Bowl Website | California's Best Places for Summer Concerts

Participants in our April poll think Los Angeles is the second-most expensive place to visit in California, giving it 17% of the votes. In some ways, it's more expensive than you might think and in others, it's less. The truth?

• As long as you avoid pricey Santa Monica, Los Angeles hotels (on the average) are less expensive than San Francisco - but they're also less than Monterey, Napa and Santa Barbara.
• You can use this guide to getting a Los Angeles hotel for a great price to lower your lodging costs even more.
• The cost of amusement in LA can run up your costs significantly. A family of four who does all the things on our top 12 attractions list will spend over $1,100.
• You can keep those amusement costs down with a Go Los Angeles Card.

Bottom Line: Even though LA has lower hotel rates than San Francisco, it has lots of expensive attractions, which can make a trip there more expensive than you might think.

More: 6 Things You May Not Know About Saving Money in Los Angeles | LA Travel Planner | All You Need to Know About the Go Los Angeles Card

Participants in our April poll think San Francisco is the most expensive place to visit in California, giving it 21% of the votes. Depending on how you look at it, they could be wrong. The truth?

• San Francisco has some of the highest hotel rates in California, and many charge $40 or more per night for parking
• If you use these guidelines for saving on San Francisco lodging, you can pay a lot less
• Only 3 of our top 12 things to do in San Francisco have significant admission fees. Total bill for a family of 4 to do them: about $250, less than one-fourth of the cost for LA's top attractions
• Buy a Go San Francisco Card and you'll pay even less

Bottom Line: It depends on how you look at it, how much work you're willing to put in for a lower hotel rate and what you want to do, but so may things to do for free lowers your total San Francisco trip cost more than you might imagine.

More: 7 Ways to Save on Your San Francisco Visit | Is the Go San Francisco Card for You? | More Things to Do For Free in San Francisco