GoldenPath Guide
Explore California — Golf · Wine · Food · Destinations
California Travel

Discover the Best of California

Golf courses, wine country, coastal drives, iconic destinations and practical travel tips — an independent guide to planning your perfect California trip.

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Golf

California Golf Guide

From the Pacific cliffs of Torrey Pines to the desert courses of Palm Springs — how to play the Golden State's best public courses.

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Wine & Food

Wine Country & Cuisine

Napa vs Sonoma, Temecula tasting rooms, and the food scenes of LA, San Francisco and San Diego.

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Destinations

Iconic Destinations

Highway 1, Big Sur, San Diego, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and the redwoods — the places that define California.

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Itineraries

Planning a Trip

Day-by-day routes for a 5-day Southern California getaway or a full 7-day Northern California road trip.

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Travel Tips

Practical Tips

Best time to visit, renting a car, what to pack and how to tackle California's beaches — advice that saves you time.

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Cities

California Cities

From San Francisco and Los Angeles to the coastal towns in between.

Cities
Nature

Nature & Parks

Yosemite, the redwoods, Death Valley and the Channel Islands — the wild side.

Parks

Featured GuidesStart with these

Destinations

Pacific Coast Highway Travel Guide

All you need to know for one of the world's most scenic drives — Highway 1 from Monterey to Big Sur.

Featured guide
Travel Tips

Best Time to Visit California

A month-by-month look at weather across the state so you can plan around coast, desert and mountains.

Featured guide
Golf

Best Public Golf Courses in California

Outstanding value and scenery at courses you can actually book — no membership required.

Featured guide

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Regions

The 12 Regions of California

From the fog-bound North Coast to the sun-baked desert, how each region feels and what to do there.

Explore regions
Road Trips

The Ultimate California Road Trip

Routes, stops, gear and the open-road feeling — everything to plan the drive of a lifetime.

Hit the road
Family

California with Kids

Theme parks, beaches, mountains and practical advice for traveling the state with children.

Family fun
Hidden Gems

Best-Kept Secrets

The uncrowded, under-the-radar places locals love — the California most visitors miss.

Find hidden gems
Seasonal

Fall Events & Festivals

Harvest festivals, wine season and halloween happenings across the state this autumn.

See fall
Road Trips

Gold Country Road Trip

California's 1849 mining towns, apple orchards and the backroads that linked the Gold Rush.

Route 49
Road Trips

Route 66 in California

The Golden State's stretch of the Mother Road — historic stops on the centennial.

Get your kicks
Destinations

Mammoth Lakes

A year-round alpine base — skiing, hiking and mountain lakes in the Eastern Sierra.

High country
Destinations

Santa Barbara

Spanish-colonade charm, a relaxed coast and wine country just inland.

American Riviera
Golf

Best Playable Courses

California's top-ranked courses you can actually book — from Pebble Beach to affordable hidden gems.

Book a round
Golf

PGA West Stadium

Pete Dye's desert monster and the famous island-green 17th — the round that made desert golf famous.

Play it
Destinations

San Francisco

A GoldenPath guide to San Francisco.

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Destinations

Los Angeles

A GoldenPath guide to Los Angeles.

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Destinations

Death Valley

A GoldenPath guide to Death Valley.

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Family

Family Activities

A GoldenPath guide to Family Activities.

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Golf

Monterey Golf Trip

Pebble, Spyglass, Spanish Bay and a budget gem — the densest golf on the West Coast.

Golf paradise