California: Off The Beaten Track

You’ll no doubt be very familiar with some of California’s highlights, like Hollywood, San Francisco, and LA. Sure, they are great and all, but they all suffer from the same problem – they are all overrun by tourists! No matter what time of year you go, you will always bump into a tour group and have to queue up forever to get into attractions, restaurants, and museums.

Do you wish that you could break free from all of California’s tourist traps? Well, you can! You just need to plan a trip to one of these amazing destinations!

Mammoth Lakes

Mammoth Lakes is a resort town right in the middle of the Californian mountains. Don’t worry, you won’t be crowded by tourists even though it’s a resort. This is a fantastic ski resort throughout the winter months. Once all the white stuff clears, the area turns into the perfect location for mountain hikes and bike rides. All the different lakes offer great fishing as well. Make sure you take your camera with you, as you’ll want to snap the Rainbow Falls National Monument and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.

Monte Rio

Book a stay at the Northwood Lodge & Resort so you can explore everything that the town of Monte Rio has to offer! Plus, you can take advantage of having such great golfing facilities right on your doorstep. Monte Rio is right in Sonoma County which is known as being wine country so you will be able to sample lots of local grape varieties. If you fancy a bit more action in your vacation, you could always take a kayak or canoe down Russian River.

Hearst Castle

Located on California’s Central Coast, Hearst Castle offers fantastic vistas of the ocean. It’s also a great historic location, and is very popular with history fans. The castle dates back to 1865 and is linked to many important people in California’s history. Its outdoor pools have been the venues of some seriously fancy pool parties, and the castle itself was once the location of the world’s largest private zoo! The gardens are also worth checking out and are pretty enough for romantic evening strolls.

Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area

Less than 15 miles from the entrance of the Yosemite National Park, the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area is something of a hidden gem. This is one of the world’s oldest lakes and is also fairly large as several rivers run into it. As it is a salt lake, there is hardly any sea life in the water. Only single-cell algae can survive in the very salty water. Birdwatchers love to visit these lakes as around seventy species of migratory birds head to the Mono Basin during spring and summer.

California is a super vacation destination, and there are plenty of tourist hotspots to keep you entertained. But sometimes, it’s nice to get away from all the hubbub and head off to one of these off the beaten track locations!

Why wait any longer? Book your trip today!

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