Californië bezienswaardigheden
Filmfanaten zijn ervan overtuigd dat Alfred Hitchcock gelijk had: vanaf Fort Point gezien zorgt de Golden Gate Bridge voor een duizelingwekkend beeld. Mistliefhebbers geven de voorkeur aan het uitzicht vanaf Vista Point in Marin, aan de noordzijde van de brug, om de wind langs de touwen van de brug te zien waaien. Vanaf Crissy Field kun je de hele brug goed zien, samen met windsurfers en kite-surfers kunt u er een prachtige foto maken. In tegenstelling tot op de Bay Bridge zijn op de Golden Gate Bridge wel fietsers en voetgangers toegestaan.
Vanaf de Golden Gate Bridge zelf heb je een prachtig uitzicht over San Francisco en Marin County, en op Alcatraz, Angel Island en grote oceaanschepen die de rode torens van de brug passeren. De Golden Gate Bridge verbindt San Francisco met de Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Sausalito en het Muir Woods National Monument.
Al bijna 150 jaar zorgt Alcatraz voor spanning bij zowel daders als onschuldigen. Ooit de eerste (militaire) maximaal beveiligde gevangenis, nu een National Park. Zodra u uw eerste stap op de rots zet waant u zich bijna vanzelf in een spannende thriller!
De trip naar Alcatraz is populair en de ruimte is beperkt. Koop uw Alcatraz tickets daarom ver van te voren, liefst tot 90 dagen vooraf.
De lijst met gevangenen van Alcatraz lijkt op een America's Most Wanted lijst. Topcriminelen zaten er gevangen, zoals Al "Scarface" Capone, de onstuimige kidnapper George "Machine Gun" Kelly, en heethoofd maffiabaas "Bumpy" Johnson. Hoewel ontsnappen uit Alcatraz onmogelijk moest zijn, vluchtten in 1962 de Anglin-broeders en Frank Morris op een zelfgemaakt vlot en werden nooit meer teruggevonden.
Across the bay from downtown San Diego, Coronado is a pleasant escape from the jumble of the city and the buzz of the beaches. Follow the tree-lined, manicured median strip of Orange Avenue toward the commercial center, Coronado Village, around the landmark Hotel del Coronado. Then park your car; you won’t need it again until you leave.
Locals call Coronado an island, but it's connected to the mainland by the spectacular, 2.1 mile (3.4 kilometer) Coronado Bay Bridge, as well as by a long, narrow spit of sand known as the Silver Strand. The visitor center doubles as the Coronado Museum of History and Art. And then there’s the fabulous, easily recognizable Hotel del Coronado, the interior of which is filled with warm, polished wood, giving the hotel an old-fashioned feel of Panama hats and linen suits. Guests have included 10 presidents and world royalty. For a taste of the Del without the stay, have breakfast or lunch at the beach-view Sheerwater restaurant.
Few waterways carry the prestige and iconographic status of the beautiful San Francisco Bay. From the first years of its European discovery the Golden Gate became known as a pivotal access point to the American West.
Trade and military strategy aside, The Bay is California’s most important ecological treasure. A natural nursery for crab, halibut, waterfowl, seals and sea lions, as well as endangered species, the San Francisco Bay provides a great ecological treasure to residents and visitors alike. Whale watching, ferrying out to Alcatraz and Marin, or simple sunset tours with the glistening Golden Gate Bridge are favorite pastimes, while residents simply feel assured looking out of their windows and knowing that its calm waters are there.
Marilyn Monroe? 6774 Hollywood Boulevard. James Dean? 1719 Vine Street. Elvis Presley? 6777 Hollywood Boulevard. Nee, dit zijn niet hun laatste woonadressen, maar de plaats waar deze sterren hun afdruk hebben in de Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Deze sterren worden dag in dag uit bezocht, aanbeden, gefotografeerd en overlopen op de stoep van dit gedeelte van de Hollywood Boulevard. Meer dan 2000 artiesten, van legendes tot al lang vergeten figuranten, zijn hier geëerd met een roze marmeren vijfpuntige ster in de straat.
Volg dit hemelse pad langs Hollywood Boulevard tussen La Brea Avenue en Gower Street en langs Vine Street tussen Yucca Street en Sunset Boulevard.
Een van de meest herkenbare iconen van Los Angeles is het HOLLYWOOD logo dat trots tegen de heuvels van Hollywood aan ligt. Met uitzicht over de gelijknamige stad en de daarnaar genoemde filmwereld.
De letters werden in 1923 geplaatst als een advertentiecampagne voor onroerend goed. Toen stond er nog Hollywoodland. Elke letter is 15 m hoog en is gemaakt van plaatstaal dat wit geverfd is.
Ooit was het woord verlicht met 4.000 lichtslangen en tot 1939 woonde er achter een van de letters L een onderhoudsman. In de jaren 40 van de vorige eeuw werden de letters LAND weggehaald, toen het logo net als de rest van Hollywood in verval raakte. Eind jaren 70 sprongen Alice Cooper en Hugh Hefner samen met fans en andere sterren in de bres om het bekende symbool te redden.
A city within a city, Chinatown is a historic maze of mysterious sights where an ancient culture from the other side of the world survives and flourishes with remarkable authenticity. You enter the oldest Chinatown in America through Dragon’s Gate, on Grant Avenue at Bush Street. Once you walk through the gate, a 24-block labyrinth of restaurants, markets, temples, and shops unfolds.
Wander through the massive collection of Chinese artifacts at the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum, or ponder Thomas Chang’s monumental photographs at the Chinese Cultural Center. You can glimpse skaters practicing revolutionary moves beneath the stature of Sun Yat-sen in St. Mary’s Square or head to Spofford Alley to hear the clicking mah-jong tiles, a Chinese orchestra warming up, or even beauticians gossiping over blow-dryers.
Standing at the apex of the Filbert Street Steps, you can understand what Italian fishermen and beat poets saw in North Beach: tough climbs and giddy vistas, a place with more sky than ground, an area that was civilized by not entirely tamed.
A vibrant Italian community thrives in North Beach, which is home to dozens of Italian restaurants and coffeehouses. Columbus Avenue, the neighborhood's main street, is lined with many eclectic shops and one-of-a-kind fashion boutiques - perfect for an afternoon stroll.
You won’t find an actual beach in North Beach, though you will discover natural beauty atop Telegraph Hill, the neighborhood’s bucolic centerpiece. A hike up the Filbert or Greenwich street steps will put you at the top, where you can take in panoramic views of the city from Coit Tower. Or forego the climb and watch wild parrots frolic in the treetops from the friendly confines of a park bench in Washington Square.
Italiaanse vissers visten er ooit op alles wat de zee te bieden had. Tegenwoordig is de “Fisherman’s Wharf” (vissershaven) van San Francisco een van de populairste attracties van Amerika. Het is een drukke strook langs de kust met winkels, restaurants en met piraten-attracties.
Zeeleeuwen luieren en poseren op Pier 39, waar het Aquarium of the Bay, een draaimolen en kermisattracties elk kinderhart sneller doen kloppen. Op Pier 45 vind je de Hyde Street Pier Historic Ships Collection, een grote verzameling schepen, onderzeeërs en oorlogsschepen uit WO II. Doe een muntje in een van de spannende voorspelmachines en red de wereld van buitenaardse wezens in het Musée Mécanique.
Bij regen ga je naar Madame Tussauds waar meer dan 250 bekende sterren en oud-presidenten op je wachten. Het Geloof-het-of-niet-museum van Ripley met zijn caleidoscoop-tunnel, videoschermen en illusies is ook een uitdagende attractie.
Meer dingen om te doen in Californië
Angel Island State Park
Proving that getting away from the city doesn’t have to be an ordeal, Angel Island, the largest island in the San Francisco Bay, is a quick ferry ride away and seemingly miles away from the ordinary. Small but beautiful, Angel Island has some of the best views of the surrounding San Francisco Bay area. Climb to the top of Mt. Livermore to snap some pictures of spectacular panoramic views of the entire Bay, or head down to the paved walkway to see some of Angel Island’s beautiful coves. All five Bay Area bridges can be seen from the island point, including the imposing and illustrious Golden Gate.
Visitors to this small island enjoy miles of superb hiking trails, a cove café and oyster bar, and many forms of transportation fun (segway, tram, and electric scooter). Here you can explore this natural treasure in leisure and at your own pace.
Half Dome
Perhaps one of the most famous hikes in Yosemite National Park, Half Dome was, like El Capitan, once considered impossible to climb. Now, thousands of park visitors reach the summit, but it still remains a challenge that requires knowledge and preparation. Half Dome rises 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) above the valley floor and 8,800 feet (2,682 meters) above sea level.
The hike, which takes between 10 and 12 hours round-trip, is strenuous, but the vistas are more than worth it. Hikers are treated to views of Vernal and Nevada Falls, Liberty Cap and panoramic expanses of Yosemite Valley and the High Sierra. In order to get those views, though, you’ll have to ascend the cables. These two metal cables will allow you to climb the last 400 feet to the summit without rock climbing equipment; if the views don’t take your breath away, the cable ascent just might.
Griffith Park
One of the largest urban green spaces in the country, Griffith Park is a wonderful playground for all ages and interests. The park embraces an outdoor theater, the city zoo, and observatory, two museums, golf courses, tennis courts, playgrounds, bridle paths, hiking trails, Batman's caves, and even the Hollywood sign.
For astronomy buffs, the landmark Griffith Observatory opens a window on the universe in its planetarium with the world's most advanced star projector; the Big Picture, a floor-to-ceiling digital image of the universe bursting with galaxies and stars; and rooftop telescopes. At the Los Angeles Zoo, you can wander among some 1,200 finned, feathered and furry friends, which promises to enthrall the kids.
Also here is the delightful Travel Town Museum, with its displays of dozens of vintage railcars and locomotives; the Bronson Caves, where scenes from Batman and Star Trek were filmed; the Museum of the American West.
17-Mile Drive
17-Mile Drive is often said to be one of the most scenic drives in the world and is an essential experience on any visit to California. Driving along the road offers some of the best views of Monterey Bay and many scenic lookouts with designated stopping points.
The drive runs along a winding road, through upscale neighborhoods from Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach and goes past forested areas, along the oceanfront and past several golf courses. Some of the best places to stop are at Cypress Point Lookout, where you can see harbor seals basking on sand and rocks; Spanish Bay where you can follow a paved coastal trail to Asilomar State Beach, and the iconic Lone Cypress, which has stood on its wave-lashed, wind-beaten rocky perch for more than 250 years.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
There is a reason that Monterey Bay is considered the top aquarium in the country and draws around two million visitors a year. The nearly 200 exhibits and galleries feature 623 different species of plants and creatures: from adorable sea otters to otherworldly jellyfish, swirling sardines and crafty sharks that glide through the water. Visitors can get up-close with bat rays at the petting pool, and watch divers hand-feed sharks and fish at the kelp forest and blackfooted penguins in the Splash Zone.
What makes Monterey Bay Aquarium so special is its commitment to environmental conservation and education. The aquarium continuously pumps Monterey Bay ocean water through the tanks. During the day the water is filtered for clarity and at night the unfiltered water brings in food in the form of plankton. Waste ocean water from the aquarium is returned to the bay – making the aquarium essentially a part of the ocean.
Bridalveil Fall
One of the first waterfalls that you'll see as you enter Yosemite, Bridalveil Fall is 620 feet (188 meters) in height and flows year-round, with peak water flow occurring in May. On windy days, it looks almost like the waterfall is falling sideways.
Bridalveil Fall became one of the most photographed waterfalls in the park after Ansel Adams published his Gates of the Valley photograph, featuring Bridalveil Fall welcoming visitors to the magnificence of nature that can be found in the park. Take the short (about 20 minutes round trip), but steep, hike up to the base to see the falls close-up, but be sure to dress appropriately: you’ll encounter spray in the spring and possibly icy conditions in the winter.
Coit Tower
Perched on the top of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco's Pioneer Park, Coit Tower is one of the best panoramic views of the city. From the top of the art deco tower, you can spot the colorful flocks of parrots, which paint the treetops red and blue; further out, you can see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Pier 39, Angel Island, and Lombard Street.
Before heading to the top, enter the lobby to admire the 1930s murals inside the tower's ground floor. The 26 murals tell the story of California history, with frescoes depicting the rise of the state's industry. Indeed, some of these left-leaning murals, many of which were painted by artists who studied under Diego Rivera, were considered controversial when the tower first opened.
Glacier Point
An overlook with an incomparable view of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Yosemite's high country (stay for stargazing if you have the time), Glacier Point is accessible by car during the summer and by cross-country ski during the winter. Perhaps it's getting to Glacier Point that is half the fun!
During the winter, skiers are rewarded only after a 10.5 cross-country tour; during the summer, hikers can choose from the misleadingly named Four Mile Trail (it's actually closer to five miles long), the nearly nine mile Panorama Trail or, for the truly ambitious, a combination of the two trails, to reach the promontory.
However, if you lack the time, desire or stamina to climb the nearly 3,200 feet (975 meters) above the valley floor, consider the four-hour Glacier Point Tour, which departs daily from Yosemite Lodge.
Pier 39
Pier 39 is een van de populairste attracties van San Francisco. Het is een winkelgebied en toeristische attractie aan de kust van San Francisco met winkels, restaurants, straatartiesten, een speelhal en een sterrenwacht. De plek aan het water van San Francisco Bay zorgt voor prachtig uitzicht en frisse lucht. Ook liggen er honderden Californische zeeleeuwen op de pontons bij de jachthaven. Vanaf dit punt zie je Angel Island, Alcatraz en de Golden Gate Bridge.
Voor gezinnen is er genoeg te doen. In het Aquarium of the Bay zie je haaien boven je langs zwemmen en komen er roggen voorbij, terwijl je zelf op een lopende band door een glazen tunnel wordt geleid. Stap in de San Francisco Carousel, een draaimolen met twee etages, versierd met handgeschilderde stadsattracties zoals de Gate Bridge en Alcatraz. Vergeet niet de zeeleeuwen te bekijken, tussen januari en juli kunnen er wel zo’n 1.300 te zien zijn.
Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1)
Also known as State Route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH, runs north-south along most of the United States Pacific Coast. The California stretch is known for its endless scenic locales, making it one of the nation’s most popular road trip routes.
Segments of Highway 1 vary greatly. In some locations it can be a twisting, slow-moving two-lane road, while in other spots, the PCH is and moves like a freeway. As a general rule, speed is not the highway’s strength, which goes hand-in-hand with its scenery, leading many drivers to happily roll along at a slower pace. From beaches to mountains and forests, just when you think you’ve seen it all, something new appears. At some points, little separates the road from dropping into the Pacific below, so be prepared for major coastal views.
Embarcadero
Technically speaking, the Embarcadero (Spanish for “Wharf”) is the eastern waterfront and roadway of the Port of San Francisco. More to-the-point, the Embarcadero is the glittering waterfront and a cultural center of one of America’s greatest cities. Running from the end of Market Street and Fisherman’s Wharf on the northern end down to South Beach Park on the southern end, the Embarcadero is not only a beautiful stretch of some of the most iconic San Franciscan waterfront; it acts as a home to joggers and bicyclists, as well as bustling port tourist attraction and regional icon.
Catch a good time at Pier 39 or the nearby Fisherman’s Wharf for some excellent seafood, trendy spots with local bands, and souvenir hunting. Many festivities begin and culminate with the Embarcadero, so if you happen to be in town don’t forget to stick around for the fireworks and the always photogenic Golden Gate.
El Capitan
Yes, it's a big rock, but what makes El Capitan a must-witness sight in Yosemite is the fact that it's the largest exposed-granite monolith in the world. Oh, and people climb it. Rising 3,593 feet (1095 meters)—more than 350 stories—above the Valley, El Capitan was once considered impossible to climb. However, since Warren Harding first conquered the "nose" in 1958, El Capitan has become the standard for big-wall climbing.
Take binoculars to spot the little bits of color that pinpoint adventurous climbers tackling the smooth and nearly vertical cliff.
Haight-Ashbury
Haight-Ashbury is een van de bekendste wijken van San Francisco. Het is het meest bekend geworden als middelpunt van de hippiebeweging in de jaren 60 en het hoogtepunt daarvan in 1967 met de "Summer of Love". Met dit vrije verleden zijn San Francisco en de wijk Haight-Ashbury nog steeds onlosmakelijk met de “tegencultuur” verbonden.
De regio heeft nog steeds die artistieke uitstraling, het is dan ook heerlijk om gewoon mensen te kijken. In één blikveld zie je hippies op leeftijd, voormalige deadheads, muzikanten, toeristen, daklozen en hippe stadsjongeren.
In de wijk zijn ook talloze restaurants, bars, trendy modewinkels, boekenzaken, smartshops en platenwinkels te vinden. En je vindt er ook de bekende Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream shop, op de kruising van Haight Street en Ashbury Street.