INNformation.com

Some INNformation about California

California has a reputation as a haven for people with creative minds, and you can see this in its multifaceted cultural offerings. Arts abound here in four main formats: large-scale, world-class organizations; smaller, quirkier museums, often showcasing the Golden State’s history and its abundant idiosyncratic subcultures (think surfers, Silicon Valley techno-wizards, and Peanuts aficionados); music venues galore; robust artists’ communities, and cultural offerings through California State Parks  and the California Museum 's Hall of Fame and Legacy Trails . Below you'll find a small sampling of California’s cultural bounty.  Want to learn more? Come to California!

Gold was what brought the world to California more than a century and a half ago. Gold of a different vein — nature’s gold — draws the world to California today. National parks , lakes, rivers, deserts, redwood glens, and wind-tousled peaks; Yosemite , Death Valley , Big Sur  and Mt. Lassen  — the list of California’s most precious commodities goes on and on. Not to mention the California State Parks  system has treasures as diverse as the state: herein you will find the largest and most diverse natural and cultural heritage holdings of any in the nation. To grasp California’s true gold, you must leave the words behind and go to one of the state’s many special places. Experience the outdoor magic at the edge of Lake Tahoe. Hoist a backpack and head for the backcountry of the Los Padres National Forest near Ojai, where you can hike to a swimming hole framed by a granite gorge. You can even take a boat out to one of the five islands of Southern California's Channel Islands National Park and camp where sea lions outnumber campers a thousand to one. And, families travelling in California will appreciate the state’s commitment to strengthening children’s connection to the great outdoors, with the California Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights .

The Golden State boasts more than 1,100 miles of breathtaking coastline, ranging from Hollywood-perfect expanses of smooth sand to dramatically windswept oceanside cliffs. If your idea of a perfect day involves beach volleyball, building sandcastles, hiking along picturesque seaside trails or catching a wave, you can find it all at California’s many beaches.

Want a taste of California? Visit a farmers’ market where celebrity chefs and foodie insiders pick out the finest organic produce. Step into sleek restaurants serving innovative, ultra-fresh California cuisine. Taste a gelato made with local chocolate and toasted hazelnuts, or handmade cheeses from local farms. Drive down a tree-lined lane to wineries in grand chateaus, or relaxed, family-run vineyards where the guy pouring and chatting in the tasting room is a world-class winemaker. Everywhere you turn in California, there are endless ways to taste, sip, savor, and enjoy. 

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! From the northern tip of California, practically all the way to the Mexican border, California offers superb snow activities. Hundreds of miles of white-capped mountains provide unparalleled opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, skating, snow climbing — even sleigh riding. For more information on California’s ski and snowboard resorts, lessons, cross-country skiing options, trip planning assistance, and much more