Capital: Sacramento
State Population: 31,000,000+
Largest Cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Long Beach, Fresno, Sacramento, Oakland, Santa Ana, and Anaheim.
Nantional Parks: 8
State Parks: 260
State Forests: 5

Major Points of Interest:

• Big Sur in Monterey
• Devils Postpile National Monument in Death Valley
• Joshua Tree National Monument
• National Maritime Museum
• Natural History Museum
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
• Yosemite National Park
• Fisherman's Wharf
• Hollywood

California is the third largest State in land area, covering 158,000+ square miles. At its widest point, it's only 200 miles wide, yet it offers everything from skiing to beach activities. The coastline stretches 1,264 miles from north to south, ending at the Mexican border. From San Diego, Chula Vista and Imperial Beach, it's just a hop into Tijuana, Mexico. During our visits, we park in California and catch a taxi ride over. This eliminates the need to deal with motorhome insurance requirements in Mexico.

The highest point in the State (and in the contiguous United States) is Mt. Whitney at 14,495 feet, the lowest Bad Water in Death Valley National Park at 282 feet below sea level.

About 260 million out-of-towners (and out-of-countries) visited California last year; about 11% of them were Canadians. Thirteen million-plus visitors wound up at Disneyland in Anaheim, the State's top attraction, followed by Universal Studios in Hollywood, Sea World in San Diego, Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, and Six Flags Marine World in Vallejo. When the final tourist figures were in, more visitors visited Golden Gate National Recreation Area then Disneyland.

California 2000 is the official State visitors guide and travel planner with over 230 pages of information on everything from where to camp to where to dine out, where to play in the surf, and where to climb a mountain and ski. It's available free, along with a bundle of brochures and information from the California Division of Tourism, (801 K Street, Sacramento CA 95814; 916-322-4043. Online, you can access information at http://gocalif.ca.gov. A big, fold-out road map is included in the guidebook.

If you're a do-er and activity-seeker, interested in attending events, check out Celebrations 2000, a special events calendar.

The California Official State Visitors Guide and Travel Planner contains more than 2,700 listings on things-to-do, places-to-stay, transportation, resources and more. The new, 116-page Wild Vacations in California features discounted theme park admissions, special rates for lodging and transportation, regional directories, etc. All of this stuff is available from the Division of Tourism. Canadians can also request a copy and travel packet by calling 800-462-2543.

California Driving Tours is a 48-page digest-sized guide to twenty-four driving tours around California. The guide covers some of the most scenic areas, the park system, historic towns and the cultural heritage of the State. Include are south, east-side, central valley, high Sierra and other tour routes. Also included are a map, color photos and a kids' page. You can get a free copy by calling 1-800-GOCALIF or by filling out a form on the web page mentioned above. You can also write California Driving Tours/California Tourism, PO Box 1499, Sacramento CA 95812.

When you arrive in California from the north, east, south or west, there are six Welcome Centers crammed full of free maps, guides and literature that will explain all of the things you can do, see and experience. They're located in Anderson (1699 Highway 273); Arcata (1635 Henderson Road); Barstow (2796 Tanger Way); Los Angeles (8500 Beverly Boulevard); Rohner Parks (5000 Roberts Lake Road), and outside San Francisco (Beach and Embarcadero). For an update on road conditions (especially during the winter months), contact the Department of Transportation at 916-445-1534.

For campers, the National Parks Foundation recently offered a special pass valid at the State's eight National Parks. The pass is good for one year and includes park entrance fees (but not camping), a map of all 379 National Parks across the US, a decal and a free newsletter. Information is available at 888-GO-PARKS or by going to http://www.nationalparks.org.

For seniors and the disabled, there's an organization called Access-Able Travel Source at 303-232-2979 that provides information on all states. The California State Coastal Conservancy (510-286-1015) distributes a free guide called A Wheelchair Rider's Guide To San Francisco and Nearby Shorelines.

Several of the cities and areas offer guides covering information on their attractions and facilities and some include discount coupons good at restaurants, shops and attractions. In Palm Springs, the Palm Springs Visitors Guide is available from 800-347-7746 or by visiting http://www.palm-springs.org/o8 online. The Destination Redwood Coast Guide is available by calling 800-346-3483 or writing Eureka! Humboldt County Convention and Visitors Bureau (1034 Second Street, Eureka CA 95501).

The Sonoma Valley Visitors Guide from the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau (707-996-1090) contains maps, information on restaurants, wineries, shopping and events. Many of the areas around the State are geared toward visitors. The businesses run in the background, the attractions and things-to-do are right out there in the open. In Coronado (Coronado Visitors Bureau, 1047 B Avenue, Coronado CA 92118 — 619-437-8788), there are three public swimming pools, an 18-hole golf course backed up to Glorietta Bay and the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, 19 public tennis courts, two marines with boat rentals, 15 miles of dedicated bike and in-line skating paths, the Ferry Landing Marketplace and a community playhouse.

Santa Monica (Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, 501 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401; 310-393-9825) may arguably be the most well-known beach community in the country. Set along three miles of Pacific Ocean beachfront, it's often featured in television shows (Baywatch) and movies, a lot gets packed into this city of a little over eight square miles. From beach volleyball, to biking, roller-blading, and jogging along the incredibly popular 22-mile long beach bike path, sunny Santa Monica encourages an active, outdoor lifestyle. Santa Monica is also one of the few places in the L.A. area where you can park and walk to just about anything you need. Add over 400 restaurants, arts and crafts shows, festivals, exhibitions, a farmer's market and funky boutiques and you have everything you need to enjoy while on vacation.

During our last visit, we got off the highway (after an 1800 mile jaunt), parked the motorhome, and took a motorhome experience afloat by renting a houseboat. When you think about it, a houseboat is not unlike a motorhome - completely equipped for on the water living. No tires but enough stuff underneath to keep you afloat. Seven Crown Resorts (800-752-9669) has operations at Lake Shasta, The California Delta, Lake Mead and Lake Mohave.

If you plan on visiting a major city (Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc.), the smart thing to do is park at some location outside the main area and move around with local transportation, even if you're towing a vehicle. Parking is expensive in the downtown areas and jockeying your way around can be a traffic nightmare. The California 2000 Guide explains all the solutions: trains, buses and other alternatives. If you're in and around the San Francisco area, for example, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART - 650-992-2278) has major stations all around the area. Metrolink (800-371-LINK) has stations in the Los Angeles, Lancaster, Oceanside, Riverside and San Bernadino areas. San Diego County has numerous options including the Chula Vista Transit, National City Transit, the Coaster, the County Transportation System and the San Diego Trolley, a light rail service between downtown San Diego and San Ysidro and the International Border.

Here's a bunch of useful contacts:

The California Travel Park Association (Box 5648, Auburn CA 95604 - 530-885-1624; 888-STAY-CTPA);

National Park Campground Reservations (800-365-2267);

California State Parks (1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento CA 95814 - 916-653-7090; 800-444-7275) http://parks.ca.gov/;

National Park Service Western Region (600 Harrison Street, San Francisco CA 94107 - 415-427-1320);

Yosemite National Park (Box 577, Yosemite CA 95389 - 209-372-0248).

There are thirteen campgrounds in Yosemite National Park. Camping reservations for up to seven of these campgrounds are available five months in advance. Wawona, Hodgdon Meadow, and two campgrounds in Yosemite Valley are open all year. Call 800-436-PARK for information.

The National Parks Pass is an annual pass ($50) providing admission to any National Park charging an entrance fee; something you might consider if you're planning an extended stay. This could be a good investment. There are also a variety of permits and entrance fees available ranging from entrance fees to seven day vehicle fees to wilderness permits, required to stay overnight in the wilderness areas.

Free booklets, brochures, maps, and guides, along with information about vacationing in specific areas, tours, trips, sight-seeing, and up-coming events of interest to visitors is available from any of the regional tourist offices and information sources listed below.

Alturas Chamber of Commerce
522 South Main Street
Alturas CA 96101
530-233-4435

Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce
409 East Fredericks Street
Barstow CA 92312
760-256-8617

Dana Point Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 12
Dana Point CA 92629
949-496-1555

Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce
248 Mill Street
Grass Valley CA 95945
530-273-4667

Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
PO Box 5097
Stateline NV 89449
775-588-2412

Long Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
One World Trade Center #300
Long Beach CA 90831
562-436-3645

Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau
633 West Fifth Street
Los Angeles CA 90017
213-236-2357

Modesto Convention and Visitors Bureau
PO Box 844
Modesto CA 95353
209-571-6480

Monterey Peninsula Visitors and Convention Bureau
PO Box 1770
Monterey CA 93942
831-648-5354

Napa Valley Conference and Visitors Bureau
1310 Napa Town Center
Napa CA 94559
707-226-7459

Newport Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau
3300 West Coast Highway
Newport Beach CA 92663
949-722-1611

Okland Convention and Visitors Bureau
475 14th Street
Oakland CA 94612
510-839-9000

San Diego North Country Visitors Bureau
720 North Broadway
Escondido CA 92025
760-745-4741

Sam Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau
201 Third Street
San Francisco CA 94103
414-974-6900

Tri-Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau
260 Main Street
Pleasanton CA 94566
925-846-8910

West Hollywood Convention and Visitors Bureau
8687 Melrose Avenue
West Hollywood CA 90069
310-289-2525

Campgrounds

Bodega Bay RV Park
2000 Highway 1
Bodega Bay CA 94923
707-875-3701

Almond Tree TV Park
3124 Esplande
Chico, CA 95973
530-899-1271

Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park
14417 Bottle Rock Road
Cobb, CA 95426
709-28-4322
800-307-CAMP

McGee Creek RV Park
HCR 79, Box 160
Crowley Lake, CA 93546
760-935-4233

Lake Francis RV Report
13919 Lake Francis Road
Dobbins, CA 95935
530-692-1700

Eureka KOA
4050 N Hwy 101
Eureka, CA 95503
800-562-3136

Lake Cove Resort and Marina
3584 Hwy 147
Lake Almanor, CA 96137
530-284-7697

Lake Morena RV Park
2330 Lake Morena Dr.
Lake Morena Village, CA 91906
619-478-5677

Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort
4239 W.A. Barr Rd.
PO Box 276
Mt. Shasta, CA 96067
530-926-2618

Fawndale Lodge and RV Resort
15215 Fawndale Road
Redding, CA 96003
530-275-8000
800-338-0941

Campland on the Bay
2211 Pacific Beach Drive
San Diego, CA 92109
800-4-BAY-FUN

North Star Trailer Park
3200 Santa Rosa Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA 95407
707-545-0982

Forest Park RV Camp
718-755 US Highway 395 East
PO Box 446
Standish, CA 96128
530-254-1094

Days End RV Park
718-755 US Highway 395 East
PO Box 446
Standish, CA 96128
530-254-1094

Days End RV Park
718-755 US Highway 395 East
PO Box 446
Standish, CA 96128
530-254-1094

United Trails RV Resort
10068 Hirschdale Rd
Truckee, CA 96161
530-587-8282

Bamboo Tree Motorhome Parks
10068 Hirschdale Rd
Truckee, CA 96161
530-587-8282

Woods Valley Kampground
15236 Woods Valley Rd.
Valley Center, CA 92082
760-749-2905