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Alice Waters at Chez Panisse
Alice Waters at Chez Panisse
She changed the way chefs cook
Alice Waters, the first woman to win the James Beard Award in 1992, has often been touted as the visionary chef who took California cuisine in a bold new direction, introducing a celebration of locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. In addition to her well-established Berkeley restaurant, Chez Panisse (opened in 1971), Chef Waters has also made a lasting impression on schoolchildren in the region and beyond: her “Edible Schoolyard” project, started at a middle school in Berkeley over two decades ago, and dedicated to teaching children the value of eating healthy, organic, locally-sourced foods, has been a template for similar projects all over the country.
Waters is also the Vice President of Slow Food International, an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting regional organic crops; its “Ark of Taste” includes foods from all ecoregions throughout the world. Needless to say, Chez Panisse’s cuisine focuses on these concepts and much of its cuisine is locally sourced. Prix-fixe dinners are worth the splurge; there’s also a café with a lunch menu (the prix-fixe option is always a great deal for the amazing food).
Harriot Manley/ Sunset Publishing
Northern California
Northern California
Discover the San Francisco Bay Area
A crimson bridge, cable cars, a sparkling bay, and streets lined with elegant Victorian homes—San Francisco is undeniably one of the world’s great cities. Located along the Northern California at the state’s distinctive bend in the coast, the region has an alluring magic that stretches beyond the bay to diverse cities with nightlife and trend-setting cuisine.
"I left my heart in San Francisco, High on a hill, it calls to me." –singer Tony Bennett
The Bay Area is also home to some of the world’s finest wine country, including Napa Valley and Sonoma, plus waterfront towns, dramatic beaches, and the tech-savvy southern end of the bay known as the Silicon Valley, where lunchtime ideas at Google, Facebook, and Apple, turn into the next brilliant innovation.
Rachid Dahnoun
Help California Wine Country Recover—by Visiting
Plan your next vacation to California Wine Country, where the affected businesses are open and ready for visitors
A message from Visit California:
"We are incredibly grateful for the work of first responders who fought to save Wine...
Mathew Spolin/Getty Images
Spotlight: Napa Valley
Explore ultimate wine country luxury in the land where Cabernet is king
Napa Valley reigns as the land of grand estates, luxurious tasting rooms, quaint towns and elegant...
Vicki Jauron/Getty Images
Spotlight: Sonoma County
Escape to wine country with its secret vineyards, cosy inns and rich history
Tai Power Seeff
Spotlight: Napa & Sonoma
Ultimate wine country luxury
Cradling California’s most famous wine country, these two world-famous wine regions, both about an hour’s drive north of San Francisco, boast...
San Francisco's cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
Ryan Killackey
Spotlight: San Francisco
Sparkling bay, magic city
It may measure less than 50 square miles and have a population that doesn’t even surpass a million, but...
Thomas H. Story/ Sunset Publishing
Golden Gate Bridge
See one of the world’s most famous landmarks, spanning an elegant bay
With towers soaring 227 metres into the sky, its span arcing across the mouth of San Francisco Bay and all of it painted bright red-orange, the...
Chao Kusollerscharlya/Shutterstock
Spotlight: Berkeley
See a stunning museum, shop, and feast in the Bay Area’s most outspoken city
Haven for backyard artists and coffee-shop philosophers, Berkeley has deep roots in the Flower Power movement of the 1960s and ’70s. But while...
May
Rock rolls into the wine country with this three-day event in Napa that features 2019 headliners Imagine Dragons, Neil Young, and Mumford & Sons. With more than 80 performers in the May 24–26...
Jessica S./Flickr
San Francisco has only one drawback - 'tis hard to leave.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Taste the delicious dishes from these amazing California chefs
From a pastel coloured pastry shop to Michelin-starred dining rooms, top restaurants run by celebrity chefs dot the Golden State. And even if you don’t know these chefs from the TV...
SPECIAL FEATURE
Kid-friendly fun zones, special kids' menus & amazing wine for the grownups
Sure wine country is romantic, but now it’s a surprisingly great destination for families too, with a growing number of vineyards trading in elegant tasting rooms for child-friendly fun zones that...
John/ Flickr
July
Get the Spanish spirit at this colourful event. Stroll the grounds of Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards with a glass of bubbly, and take in a whirl of passionate music, flamenco dancing and food....
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards
SPECIAL FEATURE
World-class accommodations in world-class locations
Head to the heart of California’s cities for luxurious stays at world-class hotels and resorts. From San Francisco’s historic hotels to celebrity hot spots in Hollywood and Beverly Hills,...
Lynn Gately/Flickr
Diane Bentley Raymond/Getty Images
Spotlight: Oakland
Edgy, artsy, diverse
It’s been called ‘San Francisco’s Brooklyn’ and San Francisco’s sister city, just across the water in the East Bay region, has the same kind of...
San Francisco itself is art, above all literary art. Every block is a short story, every hill a novel. Every home a poem, every dweller within immortal. That is the whole truth.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Farm-fresh produce, culinary adventures
Juicy heirloom tomatoes and just-picked strawberries. Super-sweet peaches shaped like mini UFOs. Artisan cheeses, emerald-green olive oils, local wildflower honey—California’s farmers’ markets are...
Laura Flippen
California Academy of Sciences
Top Bay Area Museums
Explore the cultural fabric of the Bay Area
Arts abound in this culturally diverse region, with different experiences and styles all over the Bay Area. Start in...
Thomas Hawk/Flickr
Spotlight: Santa Cruz
Surf's up at NorCal's friendly beach getaway
This ultra-mellow beach town along Highway One has a decidedly split...
SPECIAL FEATURE
From Gold Rush history to 8th wonders of the world, visit these favorites
Amy Meredith/Flickr
October
Get into the spirit of the season at the self-proclaimed ‘World Pumpkin Capital’ (expansive pumpkin patches surrounding this Central Coast town give the name some weight). Highlight of the...
Chris Andre
Sara Remington
World-Class Dining
Dig into a foodie heaven
Chef Alice Waters and her group of idealistic friends did not intend to spark a movement when they opened Chez Panisse in Berkeley in 1971; they...
RJ Muna
Performing Arts
Museums, music, and a hint of bohemia
Nested near the city’s cupola-topped City Hall, impressive performance spaces in San Francisco present some of California’s—and the world’s—...
SPECIAL FEATURE
Make memories at some of California's family-favourite beaches
Sand, water, and children-it’s a natural combination for easy family fun. These sandy beaches offer appealing, family friendly features, such as calm water for new swimmers, tide pools for...
Alex Farnum
Courtesy of San Jose International Airport
Spotlight: San Jose
Tech savvy, international flair
The first hit of this city’s unmistakable techy-ness starts right off the bat—if you get here by plane. Meet Space Observer, a 26-foot...
October
A celebration of the best in independent and world cinema, this high-powered but low-key event always attracts major film-makers and stars, as well as some of the hottest independent talents in...
Jonathan Scott Shensa
May 11 - May 20
May
The multi-stage Amgen Tour of California is the largest cycling event in North America and every May the course brings new...
Amgen Tour of California
It's simply a very romantic place. Just one look at any of those streets, and you couldn't be anywhere else -- it's so beautiful, and there's that location, and the sense of the free spirit. ... Who couldn't become ravenous in such a place?
SPECIAL FEATURE
Sample ultra-fresh, hyper-local, and downright amazing
When you come to California, come hungry. This is a state that really knows how to cook. Amazing and innovative chefs sprinkled with Michelin stars work with local farms and artisanal food...
George's at the Cove
SPECIAL FEATURE
Old-fashioned fun in the Golden State
Historic oceanfront playgrounds, classic city park charmers and boisterous adventures - smaller theme parks and attractions offer an array of ways to play. These smaller parks offer...
Tai Power Seeff
According to legend, Winchester Mystery House's maze of passages and building oddities were designed to confuse the ghosts of those killed by Winchester rifles.
January
Countdowns don’t get any more exciting than this. When conditions are just right ocean swells pile up against an offshore reef about 2 miles off the Northern California coastline near...
Dennis Yang/ Flickr
SPECIAL FEATURE
Kids get an inside look at wildlife, space, and more
From cool ways for your children to learn about wildlife, to an insider’s look at a space station, to a chance to walk through a rain forest or learn about the night sky, there’s a...
Peter Alfred Hess/Flickr
Tai Power Seeff
Spotlight: Silicon Valley
If you don't believe us, just Google it
Welcome to California’s tech-centric brain pool. Wrapping around the south end of San Francisco Bay, the communities collectively known as Silicon...
SPECIAL FEATURE
Check these amazing experiences off your bucket list
Kiss a beluga, see cool movie props, and learn about Walt’s secret hideaway on exclusive and behind the scenes tours at California’s theme parks and attractions. Here’s a roundup of actvities...
Photo by Michael Saechang/Flickr
Courtesy of Lenny Rush/ NPS
Muir Woods National Monument
Cross the Golden Gate Bridge to the land of the giants
To experience one of California’s most unforgettable must-sees, visit this remarkable grove, a stone’s throw north of San Francisco. Tucked into...
Squidish/Flickr
Tesla Road - Livermore Wine Country
Unhurried charms east of San Francisco
This often-overlooked wine country - roughly 1-hour drive east of San Francisco, is one of those places that make you feel like you’ve (...
California Welcome Centers in the San Francisco Bay Area
Abundant beauty, family fun, culture
Come visit and explore the Bay Area. San Francisco, the City by the Bay, not only offers beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay but an...
Terry Huesbye
Slide Ranch
Bring your kids to this educational nature haven, 30 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge
On the western edge of Mill Valley, tucked between Stinson Beach and Muir Beach, Slide Ranch...
Tai Power Seeff
Livermore
Ranches, vineyards, and relaxed appeal east of San Francisco
With warm sun and wide open spaces cradling vineyards, ranches, and wine country estates, the Livermore Valley makes an appealing destination just...
Eiojo Torpe/Getty Images
Sausalito
Explore this quaint town that’s just over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco
Just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, a steep hillside covered in chaparral and eucalyptus drops from Highway 101 to a flat, sunny shoreline, two...
SPECIAL FEATURE
Where to release your inner fashionista
Shopping is an art form in California. Whether you are in search of the perfect cocktail dress or an authentic Mexican piñata, you will find it here. Want to sample fresh fruits and...
Prayitno/Flickr
Adam Hester/Getty Images
Five Brooks Ranch
Ride horses on the pristine beaches of Point Reyes National Seashore
It doesn’t get more idyllic than horseback riding at Five Brooks Ranch at Point Reyes...
Zuma Press Inc./Alamy
Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site
See where the genius playwright found his joy
Thirty miles east of San Francisco, the Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site ...
Getty Images
Spotlight: Alcatraz
Everything you need to know before visiting the San Francisco island, home of the country’s most notorious prison
In 1854, the West Coast’s first lighthouse was built on San Francisco Bay’s Alcatraz...
Vacationland
4 AWESOME WINE COUNTRY RESORTS
Luxurious spas, farm-to-table dining, and easy access to dozens of wineries—these Napa and Sonoma resorts offer the indulgent getaway you need
Ready for some “me time” amid decadent surroundings? Reserve your spot at one of these spectacular Wine Country resorts.
...
Richard Wong/Alamy
John Muir National Historic Site
Explore the East Bay home of the legendary conservationist
After wandering the rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains, conservationist and Sierra Club founder ...
Erica Davis/Getty Images
Half Moon Bay
This delightful little beach town possesses serious surf DNA and is just a short drive from San Francisco
Half Moon Bay is situated 45 minutes south of San Francisco on Highway 1, but it might as well be half a world away. Home to the world-famous...
Jayme Burrows/Stocksy
BENICIA
Discover this Bay Area seaside village sparkling with surprises
Amid the hustle and bustle of San Francisco’s North Bay, the quiet waterside burg of Benicia...
Kodiak Greenwood/Cavallo Point
Cavallo Point
This resort on the Sausalito waterfront beautifully transcends its Army barracks past
Take an interesting back story and then add spectacular scenery and fabulous perks. Cavallo...
Spotlight: Mendocino
Given Mendocino’s Pacific-out-the-window location, it’s little surprise that restaurants here excel in seafood. Salmon, albacore, rock cod, Dungeness crab, and abalone are...
Whether by foot, car, or train, experts will do the talking while they show you the ins and outs of the valleys. Van and bus tours can be booked through hotels or tourism...
Spotlight: Disneyland Resort
While Cars Land grabs much of the spotlight in Disney California...