Other places have nice beaches. We're not the only part of the world that gets a good shaking now and then, but there are some things that are so uniquely California that we thought you'd want to know so you won't miss them.
Big Trees:
Many California visitors want to know where the "big trees" are. Whether you're looking for the big, fat ones that are the largest living things or the tall, skinny one that top the list for tallest living things, you can use this guide to find them.
California Cuisine:
It may have reached restaurants where you live, but if you're as old as I am, you can remember the days before California chefs revolutionized the way we eat. With plenty of fresh produce all year long and plenty of innovative chefs, you'll find plenty of tasty ways to enjoy California cuisine.
California's Most Unusual Beaches:
There's a lot more to California beaches than the ubiquitous volleyball games, beach bonfires and surfers. This bunch of beaches all offer something unusual for you to see, from purple sand to natural phenomena.
Grunion (Sex on the Beach):
Ninety percent of the world's population of the tiny California grunion fish live just off the coast in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego Counties. They're an unremarkable-looking banana-sized, silver-colored fish that has an interesting habit. In spring and summer, at high tide and just after a full moon, they rush ashore for a "quickie," spawning just 30 seconds before they return oceanward. If you're fast and under 16 years old or have a California fishing license, you can go fishing with your hands, grabbing as many as you can before they get away.
Highs and Lows
They may not be the highest or lowest in the world, but California's landscape boasts the lowest place in North America (Death Valley at 282 feet below sea level) and Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States at 14,505 feet.
Manzanar National Historic Site
Running along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Highway 395 boasts some of the state's best scenery, skiing and most unusual sights.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Manzanar is the best-preserved of ten places where Japanese-Americans were interned during World War II.
Next Step: Best Getting Around
