All Stories from Northern CA

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  Bike, Beers, Shore Thing!

  The coastal community of Redwood Shores may be known for its tech campuses, but this 8.5-mile bike loop explores the natural side of this beautiful peninsula. With a brew pub bonus!

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  Sundialed Summer

  Gather your favorite people and dial up the summer fun in Redding! There are span-tastic celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the iconic Sundial Bridge and a Fourth of July celebration with one of California’s largest fireworks shows.

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  Wapama Wows

  Hetch Hetchy can be overlooked in Yosemite National Park because of its more remote location and limited facilities. But this is where you’ll also find one of the best day hikes in the park: Wapama Falls.

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  Spokane Like a Local

  Here’s an idea for an epic summer vacation: Spokane! This urban river city in Washington State shines with summer sun, a fabulous 4th of July, outdoor patios everywhere—and of course—the great outdoors.

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  Sheep Tight!

  You’re not going to have to count sheep to get a good night’s sleep at Sheep Dung’s beautiful property in Anderson Valley near Boonville. Four modern cottages—tucked far apart from each other among 500 acres of rolling hills—are designed for blissful solitude. And it’s dog-friendly!

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  Sublime in Sanborn

  Located right next door to Castle Rock State Park, lesser-known Sanborn County Park packs mighty beauty within a small hike on the 3-mile Summit Rock Loop.

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  California: State of Nature {Part 2: Coast}

  The California Academy of Sciences’s dynamic new exhibition, California: State of Nature, is a colorful peek into four of our state’s distinct and resilient ecosystems: forests, coasts, deserts, and cities.

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  Monarch the Grizzly Returns

  California grizzly bears once roamed from the mountains to the coast, but sadly were driven to extinction by humans 100 years ago. Today you can get up close to Monarch, “California’s last grizzly bear.”

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  California: State of Nature {The Magical Mojave}

  The California Academy of Sciences’s dynamic new exhibition, California: State of Nature, is a colorful peek into four of our state’s distinct and resilient ecosystems: forests, coasts, deserts, and cities.

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  A Very Bavarian Spring

  Ready to change up your spring scenery? Pack your bags for this alpine adventure in Washington State’s Cascade Mountains. The Bavarian-style hamlet of Leavenworth could be a stand-in for a mountain village in Europe.

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  Golden Gate's Blue Heron

  Golden Gate Park’s Blue Heron Lake is home to birds of many feathers, turtles lounging on rocks, visitors from afar, and locals who love this urban oasis in San Francisco. Try the "Boats and Breakfast" rowboat or pedal boat deal.

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  Cañada Collage

  This 4.3-mile loop through Cañada Del Oro Open Space Preserve showcases all the highlights of the season, thrumming with wildlife and wildflowers.

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  Still Milling After All These Years

  Combine two state parks in Napa to discover a time before grapes, and to enjoy campsites, yurts, and hiking trails where big and bold reds come in the form of the easternmost coastal redwoods in the state.

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  Be Dune-spired!

  There’s only one urban park on the planet that helped inspire a major theme in Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi book, Dune. Herbert was born and raised in Tacoma, and Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park is named in honor of his famous novel—a tribute to one of the book’s main ideas ...

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  Tacoma Time

  Idyllically located on the banks of Puget Sound, Tacoma bustles with abundant outdoors, a lively urban center, and the beautiful Ruston Way Waterfront, which connects downtown to one of America’s preeminent urban parks: Point Defiance Park.

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  The Beauty of Bainbridge Island

  You know a place is special when locals head to it for their in-state vacations. Follow the lead of Seattleites and venture to beautiful Bainbridge Island in the heart of Puget Sound on the Kitsap Peninsula. Hike the Grand Forest here, meet Pia the Peacekeeper, and enjoy tasty food and drinks.

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  Little Norway

  There aren’t many small towns in America that look and feel like Europe, but Washington State sure seems to have a few! Lesser known among them is Poulsbo on the Kitsap Peninsula. Dubbed “Little Norway,” this hamlet on the waterfront of Liberty Bay is charmed with Scandinavian influence.  

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  Go Big in Bremerton

  Make your way to the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula, Bremerton. Best known for its naval and maritime heritage, there’s also plenty of outdoors to explore, including a hidden treasure within the Puget Sound Basin: the Keta Legacy Foundation Rhododendron Preserve.

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  East Bay Bike With Blossoms

  Spring wildflowers are in full bloom on this 15.5-mile bicycle loop through the East Bay that begins at charming Heather Farm Park and features plenty of scenic highlights.

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  Spring Up to These Amazing Events

  Shake it up, shake it all the way up to this sunniest city in the state for the most unique and fun-fueled events. Redding is true Northern California, surrounded by famous mountains, nearby national parks and recreation areas, and the sparkling Sacramento River.

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