California | AllCheapFares
California is one of the largest states in the US (trailing Alaska and Texas in size) and is referred to as the Golden State, which originates from the gold rush of 1849. Very few miners did anything but become broke, while those that supplied the miners with materials grew very rich. California is located along the west coast of the United States and is one of the most visited places on the planet. At one time, the beautiful town of Monterey was the state capital, but was eventually moved to Sacramento, located in the central part of the state.
Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and is located in the southern half of the state. It is a great and very diverse city; from Hollywood to East L.A. you can find every possible lifestyle represented in this microcosm. Los Angeles is home to traffic jams, smog, and political power in the state.
The San Francisco Bay Area is home to the cities of San Francisco, San Jose, the 3rd largest California city and the nations 10th largest city, and Oakland. San Francisco is best known for its picturesque Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars and the former prison on Alcatraz Island. Generally seen as one of the most liberal places on the planet, the Bay area also boasts the Silicon Valley, home to a multitude of high-tech companies and venture capitalists and Stanford University.
An hour north of SF begins a part of the state's renouned wine country starting with Napa and Sonoma Counties and extending to Mendocino and Lake Counties. There are several hundred open-to-the-public tasting rooms within an hour drive of each other. Staying at a bed and breakfast while visiting the wine country is part of the overall experience. For a romantic get-away, the Candlelight Inn has a heated swimming pool and serves a 3-course gourmet breakfast.
San Diego is located on the southern end of the state and offers good beaches and water-based sports. It is home to the west-coast submarine fleet for the US Navy. There are many family-friendly things to visit in San Diego including Sea World, Mission San Diego De Acala, and the Wild Animal Park. Avoid the World Famous San Diego Zoo unless you like crowds and prefer not to see large wild animals close-up. Though a package is available at the Wild Animal Park, San Diego Zoo, and Sea World that gives you one pass to all three. They don't have to be used in one day, and it's quite a bit cheaper than going to all three individually. The San Diego Zoo does have some wonderful displays, even if there are large crowds, and if the pandas are out, the crowds in the rest of the zoo tend to dim down. The tour buses are also nice to take around the zoo.