The Santa Monica Mountains is the southern California Transverse range of mountains along the Pacific Ocean coast and it's a very beautiful view as themountains look out over the coast.

Sonoma County is filled with wineries, pleasant little towns, and beaches, forests, and nature.

This "World's Largest Thermometer" commemorates the highest temperature recorded in the US.

Red Rock Canyon offers up stunning natural vistas, great camping, and outdoor pursuits.

Salvation Mountain is an adobe mountain, brightly adorned with sculpted and painted messages of God's love, as well as images inspired by hot air balloons, and nature's beauty. It rises three stories above the desert, stretching out for nearly 150 feet.

Napa Valley has long been considered a paradise for wine lovers. Part of California's Wine Country, it is home to several hundred wineries as well as many vineyards.

Folsom Prison Museum in California is famous because of the the singer Johnny Cash.

Quick! What is home to over 12,000 ocean animals, has more than 500 species in 19 major habitats, and has over 30 exhibits? If you said The Aquarium of The Pacific, give yourself a cigar.

Angeles National Forest lies less than half-an-hour north of Los Angeles, California. Containing 10 lakes, 240 miles of streams, and more than 50 trails, the Forest offers numerous wilderness recreational opportunities.

California's State Parks are outdoor gyms, nature reserves, leisure parks, class rooms, and even wedding chapels for millions of Americans and tourists each year. But California is shutting 220 parks to meet the budget shortfall.

If you're looking for a better priced alternative for California's Napa Valley, head to Santa Ynez Valley to experience the same superb level of wine tasting and food at much lower cost.