California is America’s most populous state and the third biggest in size after Alaska and Texas. Add to that the wonderful climate and world class attractions and you can understand why California is one of America’s top vacation destinations.

So you’ve arrived at Los Angeles Airport and have picked up your air conditioned hire car, opened up the map and are wondering where to go during your two weeks of California dreaming. To help you out, here are some ideas…

Go Skiing

The Sierra Nevada Mountains are the backbone of the state and apart from the dramatic scenery and lush alpine meadows, you’ll find world class ski resorts such as Mammoth Mountain and Lake Tahoe which is also America’s largest alpine lake. The mountains are also home to the Yosemite National Park and the Sequoia National  Park which includes the world’s biggest tree by volume; the General Sherman.

Spend Some Time Posing With the Beautiful People

Venice Beach is the ultimate place to show off and is home to basketball courts, a cycle trail, roller blading and more. It’s a bohemian and liberal part of the city called Venice and in the afternoons you’ll find hundreds of young people there, trying to get noticed. It may be by gliding effortlessly along on rollerblades, with their hair sweeping out behind them or trying get scouted whilst playing basketball whilst some just dress bizarrely to entertain. There‘s a circus atmosphere with street entertainers, musicians and artists all vying for your bucks but for chic and cool, it’s rarely beaten.

Hollywood and Beverly Hills

Hollywood isn’t as glamorous as you might think and in places it’s downright seedy but the attraction of the movie studios still draws thousands to it each year. Most of the studios offer tours where you can see the now disused sets of movies gone by whilst others have gone ‘theme park’ with animations adding to the picture you’ll see. Take a tour of Beverly Hills with one of the ‘Star Maps’ available locally. These will guide you around the exclusive neighbourhoods where you might catch a glimpse of Hollywood’s finest.

The Mojave Desert and Death Valley

You’ll need a decent four wheel drive car for this plus plenty of water and to tell someone responsible where you are going. Fully prepared, you can expect a fabulous time visiting one of the hottest places on earth as well as the lowest point in North America at 86m below sea level. Beware for many have died out in Death Valley through poor preparation or stupidity. Treated with the respect it deserves, you’ll rarely find a more atmospheric place in the US to visit.

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