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Travelers to California visit its wine regions, cities, beaches, mountains, lakes, amusement parks, and historic sites.

Snowy ski areas and warm deserts bring winter visitors, surfing and water sports attract summer vacationers, and national parks including Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and Redwood are year-round attractions.

From the cliffs of Big Sur to the farms of the Central Coast and the shores of San Diego, California is a vacation destination for all.

Three photos from Thailand with the words Destination of the Year overlaid on top

One of Our Favorite Hotels in California

Top Destinations

Off the Beaten Path

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Pair of photos from the Ovo Patagonia hotel in Argentina

composite of images of products tested by editors

A colorful illustration referencing retirement themes

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, Fort Bragg in Northern California

Alila Vineyard in Napa Valley

One of Our Favorite Hotels in California

Sunset over Yosemite mountains

Trees and rocks in Joshua Tree National Park

Footsteps along the sand

Landscape stock photograph of coastline with boardwalk at Moonstone Beach in Cambria, California, USA

View of flowers and mountains in the Trinity Alps

Looking through purple wildflowers towards a winding road

Sierra Nevada Mountains, Sierra Nevada Range, Fall colors, Eastern Sierra’s Fall, Fall with water, lake with boats, red canoe on lake, Crystal Crag, Twin Lakes - Mammoth Lakes

View of Salt Creek Beach, in Dana Point, Orange County, California

Interior of the Ruth Bancroft Garden

Woman on the beach, Ten Bay beach, Eleuthera island, Bahamas.

Johnson’s Beach river recreational area in Guerneville, CA

Venice Beach in Los Angeles California USA

Entrance to a desert hot springs hotel in California

View of vineyard

JSX private plane

Overhead view of dishes served at Mattei’s Tavern

A crowd at a festival during sunset

Mount Shasta standing above beauitful Lake Siskiyou

Garden and ocean view at The Self Realization Fellowship Hermitage & Meditation Gardens in Encinitas

Southern California beach with Santa Monica pier in background

Cabins and fire pit

Exterior of Farmhouse Inn

San Francisco, California

Boardwalk in Venice Beach

Horses at Greenhorn Ranch

Aqua Viva lounge space at the Conrad Los Angeles hotel

Trees and rocks in Joshua Tree National Park

Camping tents in Yosemite

The dining room at the Mission Pacific Beach Resort

Footsteps along the sand

Thousand Steps Laguna Beach California

Patio with lawn games

Firefall in Yosemite

Napa Valley Wine Train with a holiday wreath

A pink car in front of a resort entrance.

the wooden log boardwalks of Stanfield Marsh stretching along side the beautiful lake of Big Bear. Gorgeous blue sky and mountain forest.

A Christmas tree made of legos

Beach along Big Sur

Exterior of the Monterey Beach Hotel

A summer day at Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, California. Pleasure boats cruise the calm turquoise blue waters.

Women participate in the “Witches Paddle”

House in the desert in Twentynine Palms, CA

A roller coaster of Belmont Park

Open side doors of a McLaren GT

Redwood trail through Humboldt Redwoods State Park

sunset in Sonoma Coast State Park, California

Sunset over Yosemite mountains

Cuffey Cove landscape

Deck at Rosewood Miramar Beach

Garlic Capital of the World mural off of Monterey Street at Fifth Street in historic downtown Gilroy, Calif.

A pair of photos one showing a vineyard mountain view and the other a picnic.

A woman stands on a deck in the desert

The golf course at Pelican Hill Resort

Aerial view of the property at Pelican Hill Resort

Waves crashing along the Mendocino Coastline

M100 at Northspur through the Redwoods with the The Glenn Blair Bar Train

Carlsbad waterfront beach houses with dock, California

Black family enjoys the beautiful beach in St. Augustine, Florida

Santa Barbara beach surrounded by palm trees and mountains, California, USA

Landscape with Pacific Ocean beach, Cambria, California, USA

A beautiful day at the Sand Harbor area of Lake Tahoe

Bald Hills Road in Redwood National Park winds through a spring bloom of fragrant Mountain Lupine.

Desert wildflowers of Anza-Borrego.

An archway at Meditation Mount

Downtown Solvang at Night During Christmas Time

Fall foliage at Conway Summit in Mammoth Lakes