Los Angeles to San Francisco: The Pacific Coast

Witness the apex of outdoor urban sports culture along the beaches of Santa Monica and Venice. Santa Monica, an international hub for skateboarding, also hosts a vibrant pier scene, with buildings from a bygone beachfront era providing a whimsical backdrop. You can walk along Palisades Park for spectacular ocean views, and even take a long look through a camera obscura. Then it's on to Venice Beach, with its canals (hence the name), and carnivalesque Ocean Front Walk. Watch a vast array of street performers, visit a fortune teller, or buy some of the wares from the local artists. Or watch the always-in-session streetballers hoop it up, check out where Schwarzenneger first pumped up at Muscle Beach, or hits the sand volleyball courts to see some of the world's best players.

See one of the greatest American museum collections of classical sculpture, European paintings and twentieth century photography. Walk the 134,000 square foot Central Garden designed by renowned artist Robert Irwin, and enjoy a view that stretches to Big Bear mountain on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. And don't forget to view Van Gogh's iconic Irises--one of the ten most expensive paintings in the world.

Take a stroll down America's most famous boulevard and transport yourself into the world of celluloid splendor. See the handprints of the stars of the past and present along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Gaze at the Hollywood sign perched atop the close-by hills. Get your picture taken with some of the many local 'superheroes' of recent film fame. And stop by one of the famous eateries like Musso & Frank's or the Pig 'n' Whistle and imagine the great (and not-so-great) movie ideas hatched in their opulent booths.

Enjoy the relaxed roads and learn about the roadside highway winery culture from your Tour Director as you travel from LA to San Francisco. Along the way, you’ll get a chance to get out and stretch your legs while admiring the pampered vines while your Tour Director teaches everyone about wine cultivation and its long and important history.

With a palatial estate that includes three castles totalling over 90,000 square feet, the Hearst Castle is as large as a small city. Containing more than 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, indoor & outdoor swimming pools, a full-size movie theater, and even its own private airport, the Hearst Castle estate is truly awe-inspiring. The architecture is a blend of styles that caught William Randolph's fancy, ranging from Spanish cathedral to Roman temple. If you tire of wandering the castle, see if you can spot some of the exotic animals (zebras, giraffes & more) roaming the estates unmanicured acreage.

Home to the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, as well as one of the best-known streets in America, Cannery Row, Monterey offers a rich history and a vibrant future. Enjoy the beauty of both land and sea, as you marvel at the many harbor seals, sea otters and pelicans along the waterfront at Old Fisherman’s Wharf, and the unique shops, stately homes and historic structures sprinkled throughout Historic Monterey.

Welcome to the city of the Golden Gate Bridge, steep windy roads and the formidable Alcatraz! Follow your guide down Lombard Street, the “crookedest” street in the world, through Haight-Ashbury, the district known as the center of the Hippie movement in the 60’s, and up onto Nob Hill, known for its affluent residents and spectacular views of the bay. Wander around the specialty shops and restaurants in Union and Ghirardelli Squares and go up Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill for fantastic views of all of San Francisco. Then head to Fisherman Wharf’s Pier 39, with its fashionable shops, high-end restaurants and street performers. Hear the Sea Lions before you even see them as they sunbathe on the boat docks of the pier. And explore the Golden Gate National Park for an up-close view of the famous bridge and to learn about the history and appreciate the beauty of this Bay City.

Fisherman’s Wharf is San Francisco’s #1 visitor destination for a reason. Several reasons, actually. Aquatic Park. The Maritime Museum. The famed cable cars. And, of course, Alcatraz. And that’s just for starters. There’s also specialty shopping, world-class dining, and all forms of entertainment—including the area’s most noted performers, the sea lions of Pier 39, whose barks can be heard from blocks away.

Take a look at San Francisco Bay in an entirely new way—as a working three-dimensional hydraulic model that is the only one of its kind in the world! Administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, you’ll enjoy this educational (and scaled down) look at the rise and fall of tides and the flows and currents of water as they actually happen in the Bay-Delta system. Educators, students and citizens alike are continually enthralled by this unique perspective.

Experience the natural beauty of the Pacific Coast. See crashing waves, rocky cliffs, expansive sandy beaches and bushy hillsides at the Point Reyes National Seashore.