Northern California has it all: scenic views and national parks, the famous metropolis of San Francisco, and, of course, the breathtaking coastline along the Pacific Coast Highway. Northern California is simply a must-visit destination, so we’ve decided to make a list of things that can be done once you get there.
While California was oftentimes romanticized in Hollywood, the state is loaded with culture, history, and especially cuisine. From the amazing state parks to the coastal views of Mendocino and the wine country of Napa Valley, there are many options, including a road trip through the Pacific Highway Coast during summertime.
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
The Seymour Marine Discovery Center is located in the Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory. It’s basically a marine research and education facility, built to promote a better understanding and conservation of the ocean, but also to show how relevant scientific research is in the matter.
It features a 20,000-square-foot visitor center, where you can easily visit the aquarium, and touch the sharks, sea stars, urchins, crabs, and also anemones. There’s also an interesting high whale skeleton! You can also get a little bit closer to the magnificent sea life of Monterey Bay, which is the home of many seals, otters, dolphins, cute sea lions, whales, and, of course, algae.
Alcatraz
One of the most interesting things to do in Northern California is to visit Alcatraz. The famous former maximum security federal prison is somewhere on an island in San Francisco Bay, California. It’s also known as “the Rock”, and it was a military fort long before being a military prison and then a federal one.
Nowadays, it’s a national park, and it has been designated an important National History Landmark. During its time, many important criminals were prisoners there, such as Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud, Machine Gun Kelly, and Bumpy Johnson. If you want to experience the chilling air that would give goosebumps to the strongest men, visit Alcatraz.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
The non-profit public aquarium located in Monterey, California, has more than 600 species of plants and animals and is also known as one of the most beloved aquariums in the United States. The aquarium was made on the site of an ex-sardine cannery and gets more than 2 million visitors every year. It’s known for circulating fresh ocean water through the pipes of Monterrey Bay.
Some of the most prominent attractions are the Ocean Edge Wing, a three-story tank where you can see the first Giant Kelp forest exhibit in the whole world, the marvelous Open Sea exhibit, which is formerly known as the Outer Bay, with the biggest marine observation window in the whole world, and a million-gallon shark tank, alongside the jewel jellyfish tank. It’s one of the best attraction points in California.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is no less than one of the most important monuments of the city of San Francisco, California. It was the first museum on the West Coast that fully displayed only 20th-century art.
Its collection has over 33,000 objects, including some of the most relevant pieces of photography, sculpture, architecture, painting, and media arts from all over the world. It’s one of the biggest museums in America, with 45,000 square feet of art space.
Back in May 2016, it undergo a massive expansion project in order to include an impressive piece of architectural work made by Snøhetta, which was perfectly integrated with the Mario Botta design. Another impressive area of the building is the rooftop garden, which has two open-air spaces, and a glass pavilion with a rotating selection of indoor and outdoor sculptures.
Peju Winery, Napa Valley
Peju Winery is already a legend in Napa Valley, thanks to its renowned California winery that champions direct-to-the-public wine sales. Nowadays, the winery is by far the most popular one in Napa Valley. Its visitors are always invited to sip, savor, and join their various wine options.
You can either go for a classic wine tasting, with five of the estate’s wines or even book an entire Reserve Tasting for over six guests. They will let you sample one of the best wines, alongside the delicious cuisine of Chez Montanez.
California State Railroad Museum
Also known as one of the most impressive railway expositions in the whole country, the California State Railroad Museum has 21 restored Iron Horse trains that go all the way back to the 1860s. The museum reminds us of all the important roles these trains have played in American society, especially when it comes to the development of the Golden State, but also related to the rest of the country.
One of the most known attractions is the Sacramento Southern Railroad journey, which always works between April and October. Passengers are able to “go back in time” during a 40 minutes roundtrip in an old locomotive. There’s also a reconstructed 1870 station, various photographs, and a ton of old equipment.
The Triton Museum of Art
The Triton Museum of Art is a lovely cultural gem located in Santa Clara. It was originally founded in 1965, by a prominent rancher and lawyer, W. Robert Morgan, and his wife, June. It’s Santa Clara’s first non-university art museum, and it has operated in its current location ever since 1967.
The Museum has been renovated to its actual 22,000-square-foot space back in 1987. Nowadays, more than 40,000 annual museum visitors can access the well-curated rotating art exhibitions, which include the works of California artists who once worked with different types of media.
The solo and thematic exhibitions can be seen throughout the year, alongside a wide variety of art group exhibitions.
SOMArts Cultural Center
SOMArts was founded in 1979 as the official San Francisco cultural center. Its entire purpose was to promote art throughout the entire community and encourage respect for various cultures. SOMArts offers crucial services to the art community, but also a lot of space for big exhibitions and events in the middle of San Francisco.
It has a dark room, a printmaking studio, and a ceramic studio. Besides that, it comes with more than three gallery spaces, a dance studio, a mini theater, and various offices.
Jack London State Historic Park
The Park is also known as the Jack London Home and Ranch. It is located in the Sonoma Mountains, very close to Glen Ellen, California. As you have probably guessed, it was the home of the well-known writer Jack London, from 1905 until 1916, the year he passed away.
His wife inherited the entire property and after her death, it became a museum, which finally opened to the public in 1959. Some of the most interesting features are the Winery Cottage where the writer created many of his stories, but also the House of Happy Walls which was made by his wife in his loving memory.
Walt Disney Family Museum
Located in Presidio of San Francisco, the Walt Disney Family Museum is made as a tribute to the legacy and life of Walt Disney. Visitors can enter the mind of the genius, by traversing all the interactive galleries with music, films, cartoons, and some of his earliest drawings, all narrated with his voice. This fantastic place managed to bring together inspiration, innovation, and animation. If you want to read more about California, we recommend you this book.
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