Four Major Tourist Attractions in California
It is not by accident that Woody Guthrie picked the amazing redwood trees found only in California for his song about how important America is to him. The natural wonders of the redwood forest are a perfect example of what California has to offer -- attractions that draw millions of visitors every year and that can be found in few places outside this state.
While Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm are more famous California theme parks, Legoland (legoland.com/california) sets itself apart by being the most distinctive. Legoland, located in Carlsbad, is constructed around the theme of those little building bricks that almost every kid has played with at one time or another. Here, you will find incredibly detailed miniature reconstructions of landmarks such as the White House and the Las Vegas Strip. Legoland also offers roller coasters and water rides. Kids have a place to put their engineering skills to work building with Lego blocks, and the giant arcade features popular Lego-based games such as the Star War Lego trilogy.
Redwood National and State Parks
Redwood National and State Parks in northern California are home to trees that rise more than 300 feet above you. The trunks of these trees are large enough to drive a car through -- and you can do just that. Aside from being the tallest trees in America, redwoods are among the oldest -- some are more than 2,000 years old. Activities in the park include 150 miles of hiking trails, scenic drives past coastal areas and along the Redwood Creek Valley, canoeing, fishing, horseback riding and campfire programs. Animals that visitors may see throughout the park include black bears, Roosevelt elk, mountain lions, tufted puffins and cormorants.
Golden Gate Bridge
The familiar orange color of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge (goldengate.org) is called orange vermilion, and you should try to view it at different times of the day and under different weather conditions, as it never looks quite the same. The name of the bridge comes not from its distinctive color but from its span of the Golden Gate Strait, which was named in 1846 by explorer John Fremont. This bridge has been a background extra in movies ranging from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” to the 2009 version of “Star Trek.” More than 14 million people visit the Golden Gate Bridge every year, according to the authors of “Amazing Places to Go in North America.”
Hearst Castle (hearstcastle.org) was the inspiration for the fictional Xanadu, stately home of Charles Foster Kane in the classic Orson Welles’ film “Citizen Kane.” Even Hollywood could not match the opulence of the real thing, however. Publisher William Randolph Hearst spent three decades having his own private castle built and decorated. The mansion often is referred to as San Simeon, which is the small community in which the castle can be found. The main house is known as Casa Grande and spans more than 60,000 square feet. Visitors have a choice of five different tours that range from an overview that hits highlights, such as the Neptune Pool, to a special evening tour that lasts more than two hours and tries to recreate what original visitors may have seen on a tour guided by Hearst himself.
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