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A quick summary of California is difficult. Its variety and diversity—even its weather—are more extreme than most states and depending on the type of holiday you’re after you’ll have to choose which part of the state you’d like to visit before booking your California flight. “Extreme” could sum up California: Northern and Southern Californians each claim to be a different, and separate, state; the north has old redwood forests and towns almost too small to put on a map; the south has glitz, glamour, and Hollywood stars too big to put on a map.
The common thread through California is diversity. Geographically, California has redwood forests, the rich and fertile Central Valley, the peaks of the Sierra Nevada, deserts, and hundreds of miles of coastline. The creative traveller booking flights to California will be happy to learn that the state continues to produce a wealth of creativity in both the arts and sciences, and is home to some of the leading universities in the world. Movie stars abound in LA, as do rollerblading hotties in Venice Beach, and engineers in Silicon Valley. The state is home to world-renowned cities, and people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds continue to migrate to and settle in California.
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Due to its topographical extremes, California’s weather depends on where you are.Along the coast, the climate is mostly mild. Los Angeles is high desert, and the low humidity keeps the city comfortable year-round. About 28 miles south of LA, Anaheim can go up into the mid-20s (Celsius) or 30s in the summer, with cool evenings. Anaheim winters are mild with little rain. San Francisco is foggy with cool winds.Summer temperatures occasionally go above 20; autumn tends to have clear skies and temperatures in the mid-20s. Winter rarely goes below freezing. Sacramento’s summer days can reach 37 degrees, but then drop as much as four degrees at night. The rainy season runs from late autumn into spring, and winters are cold and foggy.
Peak Season:
The peak season for flights to California, especially LA and Anaheim, is the summer, as it is for San Francisco, and Napa Valley.
Off Season:
Winter is the low season for LA, Anaheim, San Francisco, and wine country. However, winter in San Francisco is when the ballet and opera seasons are in full swing. Wine country is also fun to visit in autumn, when the wineries are in production, and spring, when the flowers are in bloom.
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Driving is the best way to cover short distances in California, or if you enjoy long drives, for covering the entire state. Make sure to carry a map as not all road signs indicate a direction, just town or city names. If you’re headed into the mountains, make sure to get antifreeze and tire chains.
Many freeways have carpool lanes called “diamond” lanes or high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Make sure to familiarise yourself with the regulations regarding the use of these lanes as some of them are monitored even during non-rush hour and fines are more than $270.
California has more than 15 airports, and given the number of small and large commercial carriers,flights in California are fairly easy.
For a scenic trip along the coast, Amtrak’s Coast Starlight has double-decker Superliners, gourmet dining car, carriages from First Class to Coach, and entertainment and games.