Strolling through the historic town of San Juan Bautista, nestled at the foot of the Gabilan Mountains, I feel like I’m walking through the pages of a history book. Adobe structures dating to the 1700s …

The first time I wandered past 309 9th Street in Pacific Grove, I felt like a child who had stumbled onto a magical enchanted wonderland in an otherwise typical residential neighborhood. A kaleidoscope of vivid …

Even if you can’t surf, you can catch a wave at the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, 701 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 467 miles north of San Diego. The museum overlooks famed surfing hotspot Steamer …

This stretch of coastal highway – the 17-Mile Drive, as it’s called – is a beautiful, winding scenic route that traverses Pacific Grove and Carmel. Driving non-stop will take at least 25 minutes, but if …

After visiting the Museum of Medical History, you’ll be glad you live in this century. A window to our healthcare past, these unique displays show the evolution of medical equipment and practices. Surgeries were often …

We all know that real California is about the cheese – you know, those happy cows and all. But do you know how all that cheese is made? At Hilmar Cheese Company, the largest single-site …

Welcome to the feeling of camping in the 1970s: Advance registration for single sites is not available at Jalama Beach Park, located west of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County. From Highway 1, the 14-mile Jalama …

It’s hard to imagine an agricultural town like Salinas being home to well-known movie and television stars. But celebrities from George of the Jungle, Mighty Joe Young, and even the model for The Lion King …

A state of tranquility envelops me as I wander through Jim Needham’s Gravity Garden, located a stone’s throw (so to speak) from the Carmel coastline, three miles south of Carmel where Highway 1 meets Fern …

Some say that Art Beal was an eccentric. Others call his work folk art. However you see it, California State Historical Landmark #939, known as Nitt Witt Ridge, is a one-of-a-kind creation. Making use of …

When I first saw Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo, I instantly recognized how it got its name. I wasn’t sure whether to be grossed out by the sight of so much used chewing gum …

When planning dinner at Wool Growers Restaurant, 609 H Street in Los Banos, it’s a good idea to skip lunch. Bring a hearty appetite and pace yourself – they serve a lot of food. Being …

The next time you want to invite two dozen friends over for breakfast, you can feed them all with one scrambled egg – if you’re cooking an ostrich egg, that is. Weighing 3-4 pounds, an …

It was a great pleasure for me to visit the Cannery Row district in Monterey, California. Cannery Row is lined with old-time sardine fisheries, where the fish were caught in mass quantities and canned or …

Driving through the heart of the Central Valley from Sacramento to Bakersfield, one will notice an abundance of flat, green farmland. After all, the area has a reputation for being one of the world’s most …

Where are the great wines of California? If your thoughts immediately jump to Northern California’s Napa/Sonoma region, then you’re missing the wines of Paso Robles in Central California. Paso Robles boasts over 200 wineries nestled …