Everyone who visits the U.S. state of California is sure to want to visit the top spots and see the iconic attractions of the Golden State. It truly abounds with beautiful and historic sites, entertainment venues and luxury hotels, restaurants, exhibition centers and stores. A trip to California is unthinkable without visiting Hollywood and Silicon Valley, Disneyland and Beverly Hills. But besides these wonderful places in California, there are quite a few others that are worth the traveler’s attention. They are the ones we are going to talk about today. We will introduce you to the less touristy places in this state.
Wilder Ranch State Park in Santa Cruz
If you find yourself in northern California near the small town of Santa Cruz, look no further than Wilder Ranch State Park, the region’s unique nature preserve. It’s an incredibly beautiful place on the Pacific Ocean with stunning sea views along the coastal cliffs with sea lions basking their bellies in the sunshine.
You can get there by renting a car. The park is not crowded. You can come here for a picnic. The area used to be the site of the Santa Cruz Mission Ranch with beautiful Victorian-era buildings that belonged to the Wilder family. The park itself offers tours so visitors to the ranch can learn about the history of cattlemen and farmers, see the homes they lived in, the beautiful gardens, the historic adobe, and the water mechanic shop. Visitors will have a real chance to take a step back in time two centuries.
Lombard Street in San Francisco
Because of its winding nature, this street has been called “the curviest street in the world.” We’re talking about Lombard Street in San Francisco. It is the most famous tourist route in this city. It is located on Russian Hill, and is a stretch of road (400 meters) with eight sharp turns at a slope of 27%. Driving down Lombard Street at high speed is prohibited, you can only move at a speed of 8 km / hr. And “crawl” cars on the steep road, lined up in a long line. And tourists who want to see this unusual street also line up (or take a ride on it by car).
Crooked Street is paved with red brick and is drenched in greenery: there are trees and shrubs and lots of bright flowers that make Lombard Street very beautiful. On both sides of the street are built cute little houses, and it seems that you are in some kind of children’s fairy tale. In the evenings it is all lit up with bright lights. If you go to Lombard Street, be sure to arm your camera!
Alcatraz in San Francisco
Hurry up! This San Francisco attraction is on the verge of falling apart! When you’re in this city, be sure to visit the legendary Alcatraz prison. The place is not for the faint-hearted. But it is the history, the history of the city, the history of the country that will really make the “goosebumps” run down your body. Getting on the ferry number 33 you will ride the same route that used to take prisoners to prison on the island.
Upon arrival, you will be greeted by a park ranger who will tell you the history of the island and the prison. Armed with an audio guide or a guide you will have a fascinating and slightly eerie journey through the walls of the fortress, hear stories about famous prisoners, escape attempts, hunger riots, solitary confinement and even hear the voices of former Alcatraz “residents” through headphones and learn ways to “tame” prisoners. This is where Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly “spent their time”. In San Francisco, this historical museum is visited by almost every tourist.
Yosemite National Park
No other place in California is as beautiful as Yosemite National Park. Its landscapes are absolutely unique: in one place – a clear river, which slowly flows among the rocky slopes, in another – high dense sequoia groves, in the third – noisy high waterfalls, in the fourth – monolithic granite mountains, in the fifth – wide green valleys. You could go on and on listing all the beauties of Yomesiti, but it is better to see them with your own eyes if you go for a walk. And don’t think your trip will be a one-day trip!
Yosemite National Park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the second most visited in the United States. Many people take a tent and head to the Valley, surrounded by vertical cliffs, or the Half Dome. The road to the granite ridge is not easy, but once you get up there, you’re sure to be speechless. Yosemite Falls, one of the top 10 highest waterfalls in the world, is worth the hike. If you’re a rock climber, you should definitely rope down The Lost Arrow Spire, a freestanding granite column, or alternatively, climb El Capitan, a vertical granite monolith, a favorite spot for rock climbers.
Death Valley National Park
On the border of California and Nevada is the hottest, driest place in the United States. This is Death Valley National Park. Honestly, this is one hell of a land where not a single blade of grass grows, where you won’t find a single living soul (oh, excuse me, there are a few families of the ancient Timbish Indian tribe who live in the Fernies Creek area). The entire land is covered in a cracked crust, with sand dunes and fossilized canyons, a huge Ubehebe crater that stands out sharply against the high snow-capped mountains. Still, tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world come to see this deadly beauty.
To get to Death Valley you will need to rent a car, because regular buses don’t go there, or book a tour at one of the travel agencies in Las Vegas or Los Angeles. But whichever way you come from, you’ll find fantastic views everywhere you go. Some remind you of faraway Mongolia or Argentina’s Patagonia. It is very hot here day and night, even in winter the temperature stays within +20°C. It is in the winter time when travelers come here (in summer, few people risk to visit this devilish desert). You may ask, why come here? To see this natural wonder, the geological end of the world, and indeed, the real valley of death.
