The iconic sights of California are legion: the Golden Gate Bridge rising out of the mist above San Francisco Bay; white letters spelling out H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D on the side of a hill in Los Angeles; surfers catching a wave in Malibu; cable cars inching up impossibly steep slopes; the spires of Disneyland; palm trees in Pasadena. In the north, San Francisco is a cultural and culinary mecca, with diverse urban neighborhoods, street festivals, and celebrity chefs serving the state's signature 'fusion' dishes and vegetarian cuisine at restaurants like Chez Panisse and The French Laundry. Oenophiles will make a beeline for the Napa and Sonoma wine country, and foodies will enjoy sampling ethnic delicacies in Russian Hill, the Mission, North Beach, and Chinatown. Whether it's visiting the penitentiary at Alcatraz or revisiting the 60s in the Haight, strolling through trendy Noe Valley, experiencing gay culture in the Castro, climbing Coit Tower, watching parrots on Telegraph Hill, riding the merry-go-round at Fisherman's Wharf, saying a prayer in Mission Dolores, browsing in City Lights Bookstore, or gazing up at a the tops of coastal redwoods at Muir Woods National Monument, NoCal has something for everyone. Nestled in the Sierra Nevadas east of Sacramento, cobalt-blue Lake Tahoe offers skiing, casinos, fishing, horseback riding, and golf, while only hours south the harsh, beautiful desert landscapes of Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks and the Mojave National Preserve provide opportunities for photographers, hikers and nature lovers. You won't want to miss shopping for art and spotting celebrities in Palm Springs, wandering under giant sequoias at Sequoia National Park, spotting bighorn sheep at Yosemite, driving along the steep cliffs of the Pacific Coast Highway, and visiting sea otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Southern California has its share of attractions, whether it's seeing manatees and pandas at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, orcas and dolphins at Sea World, taking the kids to the original Disneyland, gawking at huge sets at Universal Studios, shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, taking in a magic show at Venice Beach, partying with the stars on Hollywood Boulevard, visiting the J. Paul Getty Center & Museum in Bel Air or shopping at a farmer's market in Santa Monica. Travelers may choose from literally thousands of unique B&Bs, beachfront cottages, boutique hotels, farmstays, villas, ranches, family-run inns, campgrounds and resorts in and around every major city as well as in remoter areas, allowing easy access to hundreds of unforgettable destinations.