Top places to see in CaliforniaThere ' s no place like home . So explore California like a native . Here ' s our checklist of not - so - obvious but oh - so - essential sites . But tell us -- are we nuts ? Today , with full expectation of howling dissent and snorts of derision , we present the Travel section ' s first California Golden 15 . We , your neighbors , do so as the holiday travel season approaches and as distant strangers peddle their compendiums of places you should visit before you die . These are 15 places we think you must visit to grasp the wonder of this state , including Joshua Tree National Park , shown here . This is not California for beginners -- not Disneyland , not Hearst Castle , not the San Diego Zoo , not even Sutter ' s Mill . This is the California that speaks to the seasoned native and the thoughtful newcomer , the California that waits beyond the well - explored city limits of Los Angeles , San Diego and San Francisco . ( Don ' t get worked up about the numbers ; the list of destinations is random , not by ranking . ) -- Christopher Reynolds ( Cheyenne Rose / Lonely Planet Images ) NATIONAL STEINBECK CENTER Salinas , Monterey CountyUnlike museums devoted to sports legends or war heroes , a museum that honors a man of arts and letters must reflect his quiet , solitary pursuit . Which is to say that such a repository may be unbearably dull . How delightful , then , is the National Steinbeck Center at the end of Salinas ' Main Street , a place whose undercurrents deliver shock after tiny shock -- here an arc of unknown history , there a jolt of social commentary . The museum is just a couple of blocks from where townspeople burned Steinbeck ' s books , enraged at his perceived betrayal of them and agriculture . The modern - looking center may seem incongruous with the unpretentious persona of the author , whose work won Pulitzer and Nobel prizes . But like his books , it shines a light on the issues , using film clips and displays that are muted set pieces , occasionally somber but never dull . To see this place and the fields that surround Salinas is to understand that Steinbeck ' s so - called Valley of the World is really the Heart of California . Info : National Steinbeck Center , 1 Main St . , Salinas , CA 93901 ; ( 831 ) 796 - 3833 , www . steinbeck . org . -- Catharine Hamm ( Bonhams & Butterfields ) THE COLD SPRING TAVERN San Marcos Pass , Santa Barbara CountyThis is more than a tavern . Born as a stagecoach stop in the 1880 s , the Cold Spring sits in the mountains 10 miles outside Santa Barbara on California 154 . Owned by the Ovington family since 1941 , the property includes an upscale restaurant ( with buffalo , venison and rabbit and other dinner entrees at $ 17 . 50 to $ 28 . 50 ) ; and a rustic bar with a massive stone fireplace at one end . Most Sunday afternoons , the bar and patio fill with blues lovers and bikers ( many of them Santa Barbara millionaires in disguise ) . They gather around the acoustic duo Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan , who have played here for more than 15 years . Order a tri - tip sandwich ( $ 7 . 95 ) from the oak pit rig around the side . Wash it down with a can of Coors ( $ 3 ) or one of the four California brews on draft ( up to $ 7 ) . Guard your seat . Some summer Sundays , 400 of those tri - tip sandwiches are sold . Info : Cold Spring Tavern , ( 805 ) 967 - 0066 , www . coldspringtavern . com . -- Christopher Reynolds ( Richard Derk / Los Angeles Times ) CORONADO BEACH , WITH GRUNION RUNNING Coronado , San Diego CountyGrunion runs are a great tradition , made greater by the many nonnatives who suspect the whole thing is a con . To set them straight , head for Coronado Beach , which runs along the near - island ' s Ocean Avenue , within 100 yards of the stately old Hotel del Coronado . This will be a moonlight adventure , because the grunion , a 5 - inch - long , blue - green - silver fish found from Baja California north to Santa Barbara , run only at night , at high tide , two to six nights after new and full moons , between March and September . ( The state Department of Fish and Game predicts run dates at www . dfg . ca . gov / marine / gruschd . asp # runs . ) once ashore , these thousands of grunion lay and bury millions of eggs in the sand . ( The eggs wash back out to sea and hatch a few weeks later . ) The grunion are edible , but if you want to grab any , you ' ll need a fishing license . It ' s easier to check out the free show at Coronado Beach ( or Silver Strand State Park , four miles south ) , then repair to the Hotel Del ' s Babcock & Story Bar for a nightcap . It ' s open until 1 a . m . , full moon or no . Info : www . grunion . org , www . hoteldel . com . -- Christopher Reynolds ( Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times ) SANDPIPER GOLF CLUB Santa Barbara CountyNo golf course in America can rival the history and nirvana of the Pebble Beach Golf Links on the Monterey Peninsula , but many golfers can ' t afford the $ 475 greens fee . This is where Sandpiper Golf Club comes in . This par - 72 seaside course , which charges less than a third of what Pebble Beach does , is flanked by mountains and rife with views of the Pacific . on several holes , retrieving wayward shots might require a snorkel and fins . But Sandpiper is no mere show pony . Beneath its beauty lies a challenging 7 , 000 - yard tract that has played host to PGA and LPGA events . The high rollers may lean toward a post - round snifter of brandy at the Pebble Beach Lodge . But after playing Sandpiper , a visitor may find that a glass of Pinot and a good night ' s sleep at the Days Inn Buellton , with its landmark windmill , might just hit the spot . Info : Sandpiper Golf Club , 7925 Hollister Ave . , Santa Barbara , CA 93117 ; ( 805 ) 968 - 1541 , www . sandpipergolf . com . Greens fee : $ 124 weekdays , $ 144 weekends ( cart not included ) . -- Tim Hubbard ( Aidan Bradley ) HIDDEN VALLEY Joshua Tree National Park in Riverside and San Bernardino countiesSpectacular granite formations , plus unique desert plants , make Joshua Tree National Park a rock star . Climbers from around the world scramble across its boulder fields and ascend its spires and pillars . They ' re joined by hikers , campers , nature buffs and families -- about 1 . 2 million visitors annually . A favorite spot is Hidden Valley , a recreation area concealed by huge boulders . Its surreal landscape of jumbled rocks and pinyon pines is popular with climbers and families during the day and with stargazers at night . The evening sky astounds visitors with its brilliance . Where else can you see a zillion stars framed by the stark limbs of the Joshua tree ? Info : A seven - day vehicle permit costs $ 15 . Hidden Valley Campground has 45 spaces ; nearby campgrounds include Ryan , with 31 , and Jumbo Rocks , with 125 . Info : ( 760 ) 367 - 5500 , www . nps . gov / jotr / index . htm . -- Rosemary McClure ( Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) THOUSAND ISLAND LAKE Ansel Adams Wilderness , Inyo National ForestAsk folks whether they ' ve been to the Sierra , and they ' ll likely cite a well - tromped trail in Yosemite . But plunge deeper into California ' s iconic backyard and you get to Thousand Island Lake , a spot around 10 , 000 feet above sea level where teensy granite islands glitter in the sun , where alpenglow bouncing off Banner Peak rivals the Northern Lights , where you could spend slack - jawed hours staring at the landscape . Ansel Adams snapped it ; John Muir dubbed it " Islet Lake . " Do it as a day hike , or sleep over to catch the light show over the lake at dusk and dawn . Far from Mt . Whitney ' s crowd , the lake showcases the Sierra stun factor . Quietly . Info : Thousand Island Lake is seven miles from the Agnew Meadows Trailhead off California 203 near Mammoth Mountain . Camping permit required . Inyo National Forest , ( 760 ) 873 - 2400 , www . fs . fed . us / r 5 / inyo / . -- Mary E . Forgione ( Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times ) SEA RANCH Sonoma CountyFrom birth in 1965 , Sea Ranch , 110 miles north of San Francisco near Gualala , has been a utopian experiment : top - drawer architects building low - key homes -- and a 20 - room lodge -- in harmony with a stretch of rugged Northern California coast . Fences , lawns and ostentation are basically banned ( although the chapel , pictured , is pretty wild ) , allowing the landscape to prevail . Hike , bike , ride a horse , play the resort ' s links - style golf course or kayak . Info : Rooms at the 20 - unit Sea Ranch Lodge run $ 169 to $ 395 nightly ( [ 800 ] 732 - 7262 , www . searanchlodge . com ) . Six agencies handle rental houses , at rates of about $ 170 to $ 715 nightly ( taxes and cleaning fees included , two - night minimum ) : Rams Head Realty & Rentals , ( 800 ) 785 - 3455 ; Coasting Home , ( 800 ) 773 - 8648 ; Ocean View Properties , ( 707 ) 884 - 3538 ; Sea Ranch Escape Vacation Home Rentals , ( 888 ) 732 - 7262 ; Sea Ranch Vacation Rentals , ( 800 ) 643 - 8899 ; and Beach Rentals , ( 707 ) 884 - 4235 . -- Christopher Reynolds ( Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) TOMALES BAY Marin CountyFor certain people , no fruit of the sea is better than a fresh oyster . And in California , there ' s no better place to eat them than at Tomales Bay , about 40 miles northwest of San Francisco . The bay , an index finger of water that separates the Point Reyes Peninsula from mainland Marin County , is a protected ecosystem where oysters are farmed . In Marshall are two standouts for those who love to slurp the succulent mollusks : the Tomales Bay Oyster and the Hog Island Oyster companies . But you don ' t have to drop a fortune to sample some . At their stores in Marshall , you ' ll find bushels of small , medium and large oysters and other shellfish . Bring work gloves , because you ' ll have to shuck the oysters yourself . Info : Tomales Bay Oyster Co . , 15479 Highway 1 , Marshall , CA 94940 ; ( 415 ) 663 - 1242 , www . tomalesbayoysters . com . Hog Island Oyster Co . , 20215 Highway 1 , Marshall , CA 94940 ; ( 415 ) 663 - 9218 , www . hogislandoysters . com . Reservations are required for the picnic area . -- Kathy M . Y . Pyon ( Grant Turner / Bloomberg News ) MONTANA DE ORO STATE PARK San Luis Obispo CountyCalifornia ' s craggy jawline is on full display in the cliffs , bays and dusty divots of Montaña de Oro State Park , six miles south of Morro Bay . The sea winds here hit you straight in the kisser . The entire effect -- land , water and shadows -- is painterly , the exact spot God placed his easel . At one of the 50 drive - in campsites , I once found a raccoon sitting in my car trunk , eating Pringles . Down by the water , the usual California menagerie -- sea otters , dolphins and families from Torrance -- roughhouses along a rocky surf line . North of the park , a long spit of sand draws hikers and fitness buffs . But it is the 1 , 000 - foot cliffs that are the most mystic and stirring . In the evening , just after sunset , the sky and the water turn a deep plum . Waves crash ; the wind purrs . A jazzy Brubeck waltz plays in your head . Forget the snowboarders and the starlets . Here , at this moment , California was never so cool . Info : Montana de Oro State Park , ( 805 ) 528 - 0513 ; campground reservations , ( 800 ) 444 - 7275 . -- Chris Erskine ( Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times ) LITTLE PETROGLYPH CANYON Naval Air Weapons Station , China Lake Near Ridgecrest , Kern CountyNo one knows for sure who decorated Little Petroglyph Canyon with images out of a dreamscape , some thought to be more than 10 , 000 years old . Or why the basalt walls of a narrow wash in the bone - dry Coso Mountains at the northern edge of the Mojave became a magic canvas for flocks of bighorn sheep , hunters with bows and arrows poised and more . But the area is probably the richest Amerindian rock - art site in the hemisphere . To see the canyon , you must contact the Navy base or join a tour offered by Maturango Museum . It ' s a rough 40 - mile drive to the trail head , followed by a hike and a scramble along the canyon . Visits only in spring and fall . Info : Maturango Museum , 100 E . Las Flores Ave . , Ridgecrest , CA 93555 ; ( 760 ) 375 - 6900 , www . maturango . org . Private tours through the Naval Air Weapons Station , ( 760 ) 939 - 1683 . -- Susan Spano ( Manuel Nunez ) THE BATHS AT ESALEN Big Sur , Monterey CountyTo fall for the baths at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur , you don ' t need to know that Joseph Campbell , Hunter S . Thompson , Linus Pauling , Timothy Leary , Joan Baez , Ansel Adams and Henry Miller all loved the place or that the institute offers workshops on a range of topics related to religion , philosophy , psychology , art , sex and healing . To want to get naked at the Esalen baths -- which are clothing optional , with men and women bathing together -- you just need to see the two - story , terraced bathhouse , designed by Big Sur architect Mickey Muennig . Built into the cliffs above a bay , it occupies what is arguably the finest piece of real estate on the Big Sur coast . People who join workshops or go on retreats at Esalen can visit the hot spring at will . Those who book massages ( $ 150 for 75 minutes ) can use the bathhouse before and after the treatment ; others are welcome by reservations between 1 and 3 a . m . ( yes , we mean a . m . ) for $ 20 . Info : www . esalen . org . -- Susan Spano ( Esalen Institute ) CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY 46 San Luis Obispo CountyAmong such fabled roads as California 1 in Big Sur , U . S . 395 on the eastern flank of the High Sierra and California 29 through the Napa Valley , California 46 keeps a pretty low profile . But between the nascent wine town of Paso Robles and oceanfront Cambria , it ' s about as fine a drive as can be , cutting for 40 miles across mounded Thomas Hart Benton hills . In spring there are wildflowers , and just about every turn leads to a pocket of wineries ( including family - operated Fratelli Perata on Arbor Road ) , where you can sample the region ' s highly prized Zinfandels , Cabernet Sauvignons and Pinot Noirs . But be warned : Highway 46 turns eerie east of Paso Robles , winding through lonely , brooding country on its way to the Central Valley . Known in those parts as " Blood Alley , " it ' s infamous for fatal accidents , including the head - on collision near the hamlet of Cholame that killed 24 - year - old James Dean on Sept . 30 , 1955 . -- Susan Spano ( Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times ) GENERAL GRANT TREE Kings Canyon National Park , Tulare CountyIn a state that doesn ' t hold with tradition , the General Grant Tree stands tall . In 1925 , Charles E . Lee of the tiny town of Sanger successfully petitioned President Coolidge to have the giant sequoia in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon designated " the nation ' s Christmas tree . " Ever since , Sanger residents have led hundreds of people each year on a winter trek to the tree . It has no tinsel or lights , just the tree as it has stood for 2 , 000 years . In 1956 , the tree notched another distinction as the nation ' s only living national shrine . Sanger passes down this California tradition to every third - grader in town who gets to " meet the great tree up close and personal " on their own special trek . Info : The 82 nd Trek to the Tree is Dec . 9 . Drive to Grant Grove , or take a chartered bus from Sanger for $ 23 to $ 42 . 50 ( some rides include meals ) ; ( 559 ) 875 - 4575 , www . sanger . org . -- Mary E . Forgione ( National Park Service ) THE INN on MT . ADA Santa Catalina Island , Los Angeles CountyCall it the Hearst Castle alternative . Unlike the rich man ' s digs at San Simeon , the late William Wrigley Jr '. s hilltop hideaway on Santa Catalina Island welcomes you to stay overnight , savoring the splendor enjoyed by the late chewing - gum magnate and Cubs team owner . Why is this 1921 house , now the Inn on Mt . Ada bed - and - breakfast , quintessentially Californian ? Because it marries breathtaking beauty with private power and wealth . Surveying Avalon ' s sapphire - hued harbor hundreds of feet below , you can pretend Catalina is your personal playground . OK , so the inn is about one - ninth the size of Hearst ' s Casa Grande . It offers other perks . Each of its six guest rooms comes with a golf cart , breakfast and lunch , evening wine and appetizers . Rates start at $ 350 per night . But for just $ 30 , any visitor , by reservation , can sit on the porch , enjoying lunch , Champagne and that million - dollar vista . A heady experience indeed . Info : ( 800 ) 608 - 7669 , www . innonmtada . com . -- Jane Engle ( Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times ) DRAKESBAD GUEST RANCH Lassen Volcanic National Park , Plumas CountyDrakesbad , a 19 th century ranch in the shadow of Mt . Lassen , is a summer place -- and an adventure in time travel . The lodge was electrified only in the 1990 s , and its six guest rooms still feature kerosene lamps . ( Bungalows , cabins , an annex and a duplex add up to 19 total units . ) After a day of hiking , fishing or horseback riding amid the park ' s tall trees , hissing hydrothermal vents and scenic seasonal lakes , guests circle chairs around the outdoor fire ring under stars that hang low and bright . ( Altitude : 6 , 200 feet . ) No room keys . All meals family style . Soda and beer in buckets on the covered porch . Some nights , sitting in the spring - fed pool and peering through the steam across the meadow , you catch deer peering back . In 2008 , Drakesbad will be open June 5 to Oct . 13 , first reservations taken Feb . 15 . The 2007 rates were $ 128 to $ 195 per adult per day , meals included . Info : ( 530 ) 529 - 1512 , Ext . 120 , www . drakesbad . com . -- Christopher Reynolds ( Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) http : / / www . latimes . com / travel / la - tr - 1118 - top 15 - pg , 0 , 6571730 . photogallery ? index = 1