I lived in California for almost 4 years. It has been the longest place I have lived in 15 years. The last time I lived somewhere longer was when I lived in Des Moines. I lived in Des Moines from 2003-2009. Each time I am in a new city, I try and do and see as much as possible because I am not sure when I am going to move or if I am going to be back. Sometimes I can’t believe all the places I have lived. California was a state I never gave much thought to living in, but was a place to visit for sure. There are so many cities I love in California and places that I can’t wait to go back.
This list is in NO particular order. Honestly, just cities that came to mind as I was writing. All of these are places that I have actually been to. There are some places that I would add to this list but we didn’t get to.
Modesto
This is where I lived for 3 years, so obviously it had to be on the list. I didn’t know much about Modesto before we moved here. The only thing I knew about Modesto was the Scott Peterson case. I didn’t have high expectations when I moved here, but there is actually a lot to do in Modesto. I didn’t know George Lucas was from there. There is a tour around Modesto that has plaques about American Graffiti. Every summer there is a car show around town. It’s so fun to see all the different types of classic cars.
San Francisco
I love San Francisco. There is so much to do there. My favorite thing was kayaking McCovey Cave. I did it a few times and it never got old. I got to meet McCovey Dave, and he is the nicest person ever. He is the nicest most genuine person. He will take pictures and talk with anyone who comes up to him. One of the games I went to was pretty packed. Everyone was so nice on the water. I highly recommend it!
There is so much to do in SF that you will never be able to see it all. When my parents came to visit we did a yellow go kart around SF. The most tourist thing that we did was Lombard Street. The street surpassed all my expectations.
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of California, but it is also such a hidden gem. If there was one place I would go consistently it would be Sac. While I lived on the West Coast, I was into craft beer. Sac has some of the best breweries I have ever been to. I also love that Sacramento is one big city, but each neighborhood has its own name. It’s like its own city within a city. My favorite place in Sac is a smokehouse brewery called Urban Roots. I would recommend starting your day at Urban Roots because the ribs are amazing and they only make a certain amount.
Point Reyes
Point Reyes is across from The Golden Gate Bridge. Point Reyes is a beautiful area with lighthouses, trails, and nearby water. There is something about water that is so soothing and calming for me. When I went part of the park was closed because some of the animals were on the beach. I saw a mom taking care of the babies. I saw another animal come to land to have the babies. It was such an amazing and different experience. The park had staff on the beach who was so knowledgeable. If something interesting was about to happen they would make sure everyone knew and could see it.
Monterey
If you like the water, this is the place for you. Everything is right by the water. The pier has so much to see and do. My favorite thing to do is Pebble Beach Golf Course and the 17-mile drive. It does cost $10 to enter but that’s for the entire day. Upon entry, you receive a map that has also the touristy spots to hit, which was great because I knew the things I wanted to see but I didn’t know where they were located.
Palm Springs
When I moved to California this was one of the places that were on my bucket list. For me, Palm Springs seemed like a very luxurious and fancy place. When I lived in Washington, I worked at a gym and some of the ladies were going to Palm Springs for the weekend. They didn’t call it Palm Springs, but they said they are going to “The Springs” this weekend. I have never heard of it called that before so I asked them where that was. I got the look like I was an alien or something. I wanted to see what this town is all about. I didn’t spend as much time as I wanted there because it was on a multiple-city trip. The half-day that I spent there was PACKED with things. If you don’t have a lot of time I recommend the tram that overviews the city.
Palm Springs has so much art to see around town. There is pop-up art, but my favorite is Desert X. It’s an art installation that changes every year. Joshua Tree is super close and Is a must-stop place to see.
Tahoe
Honestly, I debated on putting this one on the list. Technically Tahoe is both Nevada and California, but I consider it mostly in Nevada. Tahoe is just like Palm Springs – on my bucket list. If I left California not going to Tahoe I was going to be upset. I ended up going several times and each time I fell more and more in love. Tahoe got me into hiking and exploring more.
If you are going to hike in Tahoe I would recommend waking up early, like 6 or 7 am, to get started. The times I started hiking I had the place to myself, and by the time I got back up to the car it was packed. I would recommend planning your hike before you go out and finding a place to park and staying there as long as possible.
Los Angeles
I didn’t spend a lot of time in LA, but the time that I did spend was PACKED. I mostly went to baseball games, but that’s totally me. Most trips revolved around sporting event. I am obsessed with sports. I prefer the Dodgers over the Angels because not everyone loves sports and there is so much to do at Dodger Stadium. I didn’t even sit in my seat during the game because there is so much to see and do around the stadium. I also didn’t feel like I missed out on anything either because there was always a view of the stadium.
I didn’t have much time in LA so I had to be strategic with what to see. Griffin Observatory and Museum of Art were on my list. Griffin Observatory exceeded my expectations. The views were absolutely amazing. I recommend going early because it got crowded quick. The Museum of Art was fun but also a letdown. I don’t know what I was expecting and I’m glad that I saw it. The one thing I wish I saw but didn’t was the Joe Kelly mural.
Also, another thing that was disappointing was the Hollywood sign. I wanted to get a picture of the Hollywood center frame, but unless you want to hike up there it’s nearly impossible. I was able to get a few pictures from a couple different angles but I wanted more.
Overall
There are so many places in California that I would add to the list, BUT this is a list of places that I love and I personally have been. I would love to add Big Sur to this list but I never made it there. Where are other cities that I should add to this list?
