The shopping in California is as good as it gets: Visitors can find everything from funky clothes for the MTV crowd to priceless bijouterie for the Rolls-Royce set. Look for avant-garde fashions and haute couture, imported products and art, sports gear and entertainment-industry memorabilia. In San Diego, look for Mexican arts and crafts.
There is no place better in North America to shop for wines than in Northern California. The area's hundreds of wineries offer limited runs, vintage reserves and test-production wines that are available only at the winery. You'll also find gourmet foodstuffs in wine-country shops—from fine olive oils and vinegars to chutneys, cheeses and salsas. In redwood country, you'll find redwood clocks, tables, chairs, chainsaw carvings and boxes, some tasteful, some less so. Prospecting equipment is readily available in Gold Country, including pans, picks, maps and scales.
You'll find plenty of fresh fruits, dried fruits and nuts. The dried fruits and nuts are presented in numerous ways: dipped in chocolates or yogurts, roasted, smoked, etc. It's really quite fun to find one of the factory outlets in the Central Valley and sample all the offerings. (One stop we would highly recommend is Casa de Fruta, south of San Jose in Hollister on Highway 152—it has both good produce and lots of kitsch.)
Finally, you can buy excellent original art throughout the state. Especially large groups of artists and artisans work in Arcata, Mendocino, Sausalito, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Napa and San Francisco.
Day By Day
Several trips are necessary to appreciate California—there's just too much to see and do. We have come up with two itineraries that will at least serve as an introduction to the southern or northern parts of the state.
Southern California
Days 1 and 2—San Diego.
Day 3—Get an early start and drive north on Interstate 5 out of San Diego toward Los Angeles. Exit at San Juan Capistrano to see the mission and to pick up Highway 1. Drive north along the coast, stopping in Laguna Beach to see the shops. Go on to Newport Beach and either take time for a harbor cruise (or a ferry ride to Balboa Island) or proceed to Long Beach to tour the Queen Mary. Spend the night in Long Beach.
Days 4-6—Los Angeles.
Day 7—Drive north out of Los Angeles along coastal Highway 1 to Highway 101. Stop in Santa Barbara, walk the Red Tile Tour and see any other sights that interest you. Overnight in Santa Barbara.
Day 8—Follow Highway 1 north to Lompoc and the Santa Ynez Valley, known for murals, flower farms and wineries. From Lompoc, take Highway 246 east to the "Little Denmark" town of Solvang, a charming town with buildings that look like they've been lifted from a fairy tale, windmills, and Danish restaurants and bakeries. After you've seen the sights, take 101 back to Los Angeles and overnight there.
Day 9—Depart Los Angeles.
Those who would rather experience some of Southern California's desert scenery should substitute the following for Days 7 and 8:
Day 7—Drive east from Los Angeles on Interstate 110 toward Palm Springs. See the sights and overnight in the Palm Springs area.
Day 8—Depart Palm Springs, taking Interstate 110 east and then turning north into Joshua Tree National Park for a leisurely all-day tour on the main thoroughfares in the park. You'll emerge on the northern side of the park in either the town of Joshua Tree or Twentynine Palms. Return to Los Angeles by heading west on Highway 62 and then I-10.
Those who wish to see Death Valley and other parts of the Mojave Desert will need at least three days to make the circuit from the Los Angeles area.
Northern California
Days 1-3—San Francisco with a day trip to the Napa Valley or Sonoma County wine country.
Day 4—Head south on Highway 1, pausing to visit Santa Cruz before continuing south to Monterey. Overnight there.
Day 5—Spend most of the day in Monterey, then head south on Highway 1 in the afternoon, possibly stopping at Carmel or Point Lobos State Reserve. Continue south along the Big Sur coast, drinking in the spectacular scenery. Overnight in Big Sur.
Day 6—Drive south to San Simeon and tour the Hearst Castle. Afterward, head south to Morro Bay, then northeast on Highway 41 to Highway 198 to Sequoia National Park.
Days 7 and 8—Spend two days sightseeing in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks.
Day 9—Drive up through Yosemite National Park and overnight in the area (this area is especially busy in the summer).
Days 10-12—Continue on to Lake Tahoe. Spend the next two days relaxing and seeing some of the area attractions.
Day 13—Make the half-day drive back to San Francisco, pausing briefly in the Sacramento area if you have enough time.
Day 14—Depart San Francisco.
If you have extra time, a good route through the far northern part of the state is to drive north from San Francisco along the coast, through Mendocino County and Redwood National Park, before turning east to see the Shasta/Cascades area. Return to San Francisco via Sacramento.
Also within a short drive of San Francisco is Silicon Valley. Head south where you can visit the theme park Great America or the Tech Museum, or get in some easy to strenuous scenic hiking.
