Frommer's California 2003 Book

	List of Maps	ix
	What's New in California	1
1	The Best of California	5
1	The Best of Natural California	6
2	The Best Beaches	7
3	The Best Golf Courses	9
4	The Best Offbeat Travel Experiences	10
5	The Best of Small-Town California	11
6	The Best Family Vacation Experiences	12
7	The Best Architectural Landmarks	13
8	The Best Museums	15
9	The Best Luxury Hotels & Resorts	16
10	The Best Affordable Small Hotels & Inns	18
11	The Best Places to Stay with the Kids	19
12	The Best Restaurants	20
13	The Best Culinary Experiences	22
14	The Best of the Preforming Arts & Special Events	24
15	The Best Websites	25
2	Planning Your Trip to California	27
1	Visitor Information & Money	27
2	When to Go	28
	California Calendar of Events	29
	Whale-Watching	30
3	Tips for Travelers with Special Needs	35
4	Getting There	37
5	Planning Your Trip Online	39
	Frommers.com: The Complete Travel Resource	40
6	Getting Around	41
	The Coast Starlight: All Aboard for Nostalgia	44
7	Recommended Reading	45
	Fast Facts: California	46
3	For International Visitors	48
1	Preparing for Your Trip	48
2	Getting to the United States	53
3	Getting Around the United States	54
	Fast Facts: For the International Traveler	55
4	San Francisco	60
1	Orientation	60
	Neighborhoods & Districts in Brief	65
2	Getting Around	67
	Fast Facts: San Francisco	71
3	Accommodations	73
	Family-Friendly Hotels	79
4	Dining	88
	Dining with the Sun on Your Face at Belden Place	94
5	The Top Attractions	103
6	Exploring the City	111
7	Organized Tours	116
8	Golden Gate National Recreation Area & the Presidio	117
9	Outdoor Pursuits	121
10	Shopping	122
11	San Francisco After Dark	126
5	The San Francisco Bay Area	133
1	Berkeley	133
2	Oakland	139
3	Sausalito	142
4	Angel Island & Tiburon	144
5	Muir Woods & Mount Tamalpais	146
6	Half Moon Bay	147
7	San Jose	151
	The Winchester Mystery House: A Monument to One Woman's Paranoia	153
6	The Wine Country	155
1	Napa Valley	155
	The Ins & Outs of Shipping Wine Home	156
	Riding the Napa Valley Wine Train	160
	Hot-Air Ballooning over the Valley	162
	Find the New Yor--in a Calistoga Mud Bath	169
	Gourmet Picnics, Napa Style	180
2	Sonoma Valley	181
	Gourmet Picnics, Sonoma Style	190
7	The Nortern Coast	193
1	Point Reyes National Seashore	193
2	Along the Sonoma Coast	200
3	Mendocino	207
4	Fort Bragg	213
5	The Avenue of the Giants	217
6	Eureka & Environs	219
7	Crescent City	226
8	Redwood National & State Parks	228
8	The Far North: Lake Tahoe, the Shasta Cascades & Lassen Volcanic National Park	233
1	Lake Tahoe	233
	A Tale of Two Shores	234
2	Mount Shasta & the Cascades	256
	The Republic of California	258
	Shasta vs. Shasta	259
3	Lassen Volcanic National Park	266
4	Lava Beds National Monument	272
9	The High Sierra: Yosemite, Mammoth Lakes & Sequoia/Kings Canyon	275
1	Yosemite's Gateways	275
2	Yosemite National Park	279
3	Mammoth Lakes	290
4	Devils Postpile National Monument	298
5	En Route to Sequoia & Kings Canyon	299
6	Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks	300
10	Sacramento, the Gold Country & the Central Valley	308
1	Sacramento	308
2	The Gold Country	316
	Coloma: Where the Gold Rush Began	326
	A Visit to Volcano	328
3	The Central Valley & Sierra National Forest	334
11	The Monterey Peninsula & the Big Sur Coast	340
1	Santa Cruz	340
2	Monterey	346
3	Pacific Grove	357
4	Pebble Beach & the 17-Mile Drive	362
5	Carmel-by-the-Sea	365
6	Carmel Valley	372
7	The Big Sur Coast	373
	Camping in Big Sur	378
8	Pinnacles National Monument	381
12	The Central Coast	384
1	San Simeon: Hearst Castle	384
	Weekends at the Ranch: William Randolph Hearst & the Legacy of Hearst Castle	388
2	Morro Bay	392
3	San Luis Obispo	394
4	Pismo Beach	399
5	The Central Coast Wine Country: Paso Robles & the Santa Ynez Valley	402
6	Santa Barbara	412
7	The Ojai Valley	421
8	En Route to Los Angeles: Ventura	425
9	Channel Islands National Park	428
13	Los Angeles	432
1	Orientation	432
	Neighborhoods in Brief	438
2	Getting Around	441
	Fast Facts: Los Angeles	442
3	Accommodations	443
	Kid-Friendly Hotels	461
4	Dining	469
	Sea Breezes & Sunsets: Oceanview Dining in Malibu	474
5	The Top Attractions	490
	Stargazing in L.A.: Top Spots About Town for Sighting Celebrities	493
6	Exploring the City	496
	Stargazing, Part II: The Less-than-Lively Set	498
7	TV Tapings	512
8	Beaches	513
9	Outdoor Pursuits	517
10	Shopping	520
	Dressing the Part: Where to Find Hollywood's Hand-Me-Downs	524
11	Los Angeles After Dark	528
14	Side Trips from Los Angeles	539
1	Long Beach & the Queen Mary	539
2	Santa Catalina Island	542
3	Big Bear Lake & Lake Arrowhead	547
4	Disneyland & Other Anaheim-Area Attractions	557
	The Art of the (Package) Deal	560
5	The Orange Coast	570
	Artistic Laguna: A Guide to Gallery-Hopping	575
15	The Southern California Desert	580
1	En Route to the Palm Springs Resorts	580
2	Get Your Kicks on Historic Route 66	581
3	The Palm Springs Desert Resorts	587
	Fairways & Five-Irons, Desert Style	590
	Here's the Rub: Two Bunch Palms Desert Spa	593
	Sweet Treat of the Desert: The Coachella Valley Date Gardens	595
4	Joshua Tree National Park	606
5	Mojave National Preserve	609
6	Death Valley National Park	613
16	San Diego & Environs	617
1	Orientation	617
	Neighborhoods in Brief	620
2	Getting Around	621
	Fast Facts: San Diego	624
3	Accommodations	625
	Family-Friendly Hotels	634
4	Dining	640
5	The Main Attractions: The Zoo, SeaWorld & the Wild Animal Park	651
6	Beaches	656
7	Exploring the Area	657
8	Outdoor Pursuits	665
9	Shopping	668
10	San Diego After Dark	670
11	North County Beach Towns	673
12	Julian: Apples, Pies & a Slice of Small-Town California	678
13	Anza-Borrego Desert State Park	682
Appendix	California in Depth	685
1	California Today	685
2	History 101	685
	Dateline	685
	A Tale of Two States	690
	Index	692