California’s cities are as varied and vibrant as the state’s landscapes — from San Francisco’s Victorian neighborhoods and LA’s sprawling cultural mosaic to the charming villages of Carmel and Pacific Grove right here on the Monterey Peninsula. These 22 urban adventures celebrate what makes California’s cities unlike any others on earth.
194. Walk Through Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco
The Haight-Ashbury neighborhood — epicenter of the Summer of Love in 1967 and forever synonymous with the counterculture revolution that shaped American music, politics, and culture — remains a vibrant, eccentric, and deeply San Franciscan neighborhood of Victorian “Painted Lady” houses, vintage record stores, independent bookshops, and cafes. Walking these streets connects you to a pivotal moment in California history, and the neighborhood’s current character as a beloved local community is as interesting as its legendary past. Learn More →
195. Explore Little Italy in San Diego
San Diego’s Little Italy — the compact, walkable neighborhood north of downtown where Italian fishing families settled in the early 20th century — has transformed into one of the most dynamic dining and design districts in Southern California. The Saturday Mercato farmers market is one of the finest in San Diego, the trattorias and coffee bars are excellent, and the neighborhood’s human scale and pedestrian-friendly streets make it ideal for families. Learn More →
196. Stroll State Street in Santa Barbara
State Street in Santa Barbara runs from the mountain foothills down to Stearns Wharf and the Pacific through a mile of Moorish-Spanish Colonial Revival architecture mandated by the city after the 1925 earthquake — creating one of the most beautiful and cohesive streetscapes in California. The result is a pedestrian-friendly boulevard of boutiques, restaurants, bookshops, and art galleries shaded by massive ficus trees, with the Santa Ynez Mountains rising behind. Santa Barbara is just over two hours south of Monterey and makes a perfect weekend destination. Learn More →
197. Visit the Gaslamp Quarter in Downtown San Diego
The Gaslamp Quarter — 16 blocks of restored Victorian commercial architecture in the heart of downtown San Diego, designated a National Historic District — is both a living museum of late 19th-century California urban design and one of the most energetic dining and nightlife districts in Southern California. The architecture is extraordinary, the restaurants span every cuisine imaginable, and the proximity to Petco Park (Padres baseball) and the waterfront makes it a natural hub for any San Diego family visit. Learn More →
198. Walk Cannery Row in Monterey
Cannery Row — immortalized by John Steinbeck’s 1945 novel as “a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream” — was once the sardine-canning capital of the world and is now one of California’s most beloved waterfront destinations. The row of converted canneries houses the Monterey Bay Aquarium, excellent seafood restaurants, wine tasting rooms, and independent shops, all steps from the bay where sea otters float on their backs and harbor seals bark from the rocks. For Monterey County families, this is home — and it never gets old. Learn More →
199. Explore the Old Sacramento Waterfront
Old Sacramento Waterfront — a 28-acre historic district along the Sacramento River boardwalk — preserves one of the most intact Gold Rush-era commercial districts in California, with brick and iron-shuttered storefronts dating to the 1850s, the California State Railroad Museum, and Delta King sternwheeler hotel moored at the water’s edge. Horse-drawn carriage rides, cobblestone streets, and river views create an atmosphere that transports visitors back to the days when Sacramento was the gateway to the Gold Fields. Learn More →
200. Wander the Art Galleries of Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea — a village of fairytale cottages and white-sand beaches just minutes from Monterey — is home to over 50 art galleries concentrated in one square mile, making it one of the most gallery-dense communities in the United States. From plein-air California landscapes to contemporary sculpture and photography, the range and quality of Carmel’s art scene is genuinely remarkable, and the monthly Art Walk on the second Saturday is a beloved community tradition. A perfectly beautiful small California city, right next door. Learn More →
201. Visit Old Pasadena’s Historic Shopping and Dining District
Old Pasadena — the revitalized historic core of this elegant San Gabriel Valley city — occupies a series of 1890s–1920s brick buildings along Colorado Boulevard that were rescued from demolition in the 1970s and now house some of the finest independent restaurants, boutiques, and bookshops in the Los Angeles area. Combine a visit here with the Rose Bowl flea market (first Sunday of each month), the Gamble House, and the Norton Simon Museum for a full day of Southern California culture and history. Learn More →
202. Experience Solvang’s Danish-Inspired Village
Solvang — founded by Danish immigrants in 1911 in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County — is California’s most charming themed small town, with windmills, half-timbered buildings, Danish pastry bakeries, and a genuine cultural heritage rooted in a specific immigrant community. The surrounding Santa Ynez Valley wine country adds world-class wineries to the experience, and during the holidays, Solvang’s festive decorations and glögg make it especially magical for families. Learn More →
203. Explore Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley
Telegraph Avenue south of UC Berkeley’s Sather Gate has been the commercial and cultural heart of Berkeley’s student community since the Free Speech Movement of the 1960s — a street of independent bookstores (Moe’s, Shakespeare & Co.), record shops, cafes, street vendors, and political energy that feels quite unlike any other commercial street in California. The combination of Telegraph Avenue, the UC Berkeley campus, and the Gourmet Ghetto on Shattuck Avenue makes Berkeley one of the most rewarding city experiences in the Bay Area. Learn More →
204. Take the Ferry from San Francisco to Sausalito
The Golden Gate Ferry from the Ferry Building to Sausalito — a 30-minute crossing past Alcatraz, Angel Island, and through the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge — is one of the most spectacular short ferry rides in the world, and arriving in Sausalito’s waterfront village of houseboats, galleries, and waterside restaurants feels like arriving in a different country entirely. Rent bikes and ride back across the bridge to San Francisco for a complete Bay Area adventure. Learn More →
205. Browse the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco
San Francisco’s Ferry Building Marketplace — a beautifully restored 1898 Beaux-Arts terminal on the Embarcadero — houses the finest collection of local artisan food producers in California under one soaring skylit roof: Blue Bottle Coffee, Acme Bread Company, Cowgirl Creamery, Hog Island Oyster Co., and dozens of other beloved Bay Area producers. The Saturday Farmers Market outside the building draws the city’s best chefs and most discerning food lovers. A required stop for any food-loving family visiting San Francisco. Learn More →
206. Tour Nob Hill and Its Historic Hotels
San Francisco’s Nob Hill — where Gold Rush millionaires and railroad barons built their palaces in the 1870s and 80s — is still presided over by four of the most storied grand hotels in California: the Fairmont, the Mark Hopkins, the Huntington, and the Stanford Court. The cable cars of the California line summit the hill, and the views from Huntington Park across the bay to the East Bay hills are spectacular. Even without staying at these legendary hotels, walking through their lobbies is a free taste of Gilded Age San Francisco. Learn More →
207. Visit Japantown in San Francisco
San Francisco’s Japantown — one of only three remaining Japantowns in the United States, and a community that has survived earthquake, incarceration, and urban renewal — is centered on the Japan Center mall and Peace Plaza, surrounded by Japanese restaurants, bookstores, mochi shops, and cultural organizations that have sustained the neighborhood for over a century. The Cherry Blossom Festival in April and the Nihonmachi Street Fair in August are beloved community celebrations open to all. Learn More →
208. Walk the Embarcadero from the Ferry Building to Fisherman’s Wharf
San Francisco’s Embarcadero — the broad waterfront promenade running from the Ferry Building along the entire northeastern waterfront to Fisherman’s Wharf — offers one of the great urban walks in California, with views of the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz, and the hills of Marin framing a constantly changing parade of ferries, container ships, and sailboats. The walk passes the historic piers, the restored Ferry Building, the ballpark, and eventually the Fisherman’s Wharf with its crab stands and sea lions. About two miles, and worth every step. Learn More →
209. Visit The Grove and Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles
The Original Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax in Los Angeles — operating continuously since 1934 — is one of the great outdoor market experiences in Southern California, with an extraordinary collection of independent food stalls serving everything from Cajun food to Belgian waffles to fresh-squeezed citrus juice beneath shaded open-air arcades. The adjacent Grove shopping center adds an outdoor mall experience with a trolley, fountain shows, and family-friendly dining. A warm, nostalgic Los Angeles original that endures through every era of the city. Learn More →
210. Explore Palm Springs’ Mid-Century Modern Neighborhoods
Palm Springs is the greatest surviving collection of mid-century modern architecture in the world — a city where post-war optimism, Hollywood glamour, and desert light combined to produce hundreds of extraordinary homes, hotels, and commercial buildings by masters like Richard Neutra, Albert Frey, and William Krisel. Modernism Week each February draws design lovers from around the world, and year-round architecture tours, the Palm Springs Art Museum, and the Aerial Tramway make it a full family destination. Learn More →
211. Walk the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica
Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade — a pedestrian-only shopping and entertainment corridor three blocks from the Pacific — is one of the most successful outdoor retail districts in California, with street performers, restaurants, movie theaters, and shops creating a vibrant, family-friendly energy at all hours. Combine it with a walk to the Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park for a complete beach city afternoon. The farmers market on Wednesdays is one of the finest in Los Angeles. Learn More →
212. Stroll Ventura’s Downtown and Coastal Arts District
Ventura’s compact and walkable downtown — bookended by the San Buenaventura Mission and the Ventura Pier on the Pacific — has evolved into one of the most charming small-city cultural districts on the Southern California coast, with art galleries, independent restaurants, vintage shops, and a farmers market that reflects the community’s blend of beach culture, Latino heritage, and arts vitality. The beachfront promenade and easy access to Channel Islands National Park make it an ideal base for a Central Coast family weekend. Learn More →
213. Explore Downtown San Jose’s SoFA Arts District
San Jose’s SoFA (South of First Area) district is the creative heart of Silicon Valley — a dense block of galleries, performance venues, street art, and restaurants clustered along South First Street that offers a surprisingly rich cultural scene in a city more often associated with tech campuses than art. The San Jose Museum of Art and the Children’s Discovery Museum are nearby, and First Fridays bring live music, open studios, and a festive community spirit to the entire district. Learn More →
214. Stroll the Wharf and Waterfront of Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey
Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey extends into the bay above waters where sea otters, harbor seals, and brown pelicans cluster just below the pilings — making it one of the most wildlife-rich wharves in California. The crab stands, chowder houses, fishing boats, and local seafood restaurants recall the commercial fishing heritage that shaped Monterey for over a century. For local families, it’s a beloved fixture; for visitors, it’s an introduction to Monterey’s authentic working waterfront character. Learn More →
215. Browse the Shops and Historic Charm of Downtown Pacific Grove
Pacific Grove — Monterey’s Victorian neighbor on the tip of the Peninsula — is a small city of remarkable character, with turreted Victorian homes, a lighthouse, monarch butterfly sanctuary, and a walkable downtown of independent bookstores, antique shops, cafes, and local restaurants along Lighthouse Avenue. The pace here is gentler than Carmel or Monterey, the prices more reasonable, and the community spirit genuinely warm. Asilomar Beach and the rocky coastline tidepools are five minutes away. A Monterey County gem that deserves more time than most visitors give it. Learn More →
Download the Complete Guide
Want all 250 experiences in one place? Download our printable PDF guide — perfect for road trips, planning sessions, or keeping on the fridge as a reminder of everything California has to offer.
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