the USA🇺🇸 | regionsCaliforniaSierra granite, redwood coast, Mojave basins, Highway 1 | things to do and best time to go

Walk your first two days, then pick up a rental car only when the city stops being the point. Public transit and your feet cover San Francisco, while the Sierra and the coast beyond it reward driving, and that split sets the whole pace.Day 1-2: San Francisco: Start on foot and by cable car and bus, because parking here costs more than most hostel beds. Spend the first day on the Embarcadero, Chinatown and the Golden Gate Bridge. On day two take the detour to Point Reyes National Seashore, a lighthouse, elk and empty beaches that need a car for just one day and do not break the plan. Return the car that evening and keep your base in the city.Day 3-4: Yosemite Valley: Collect a rental car for the drive east, and book Yosemite lodging or a campsite months ahead, since walk-ins rarely work. Once … read more 👉

Walk your first two days, then pick up a rental car only when the city stops being the point. Public transit and your feet cover San Francisco, while the Sierra and the coast beyond it reward driving, and that split sets the whole pace.Day 1-2: San Francisco: Start on foot and by cable car and bus, because parking here costs more than most hostel beds. Spend the first day on the Embarcadero, Chinatown and the Golden Gate Bridge. On day two take the detour to Point Reyes National Seashore, a lighthouse, elk and empty beaches that need a car for just one day and do not break the plan. Return the car that evening and keep your base in the city.Day 3-4: Yosemite Valley: Collect a rental car for the drive east, and book Yosemite lodging or a campsite months ahead, since walk-ins rarely work. Once inside the valley, free shuttles link the trailheads, so park once and leave the car alone. Day three is for Yosemite Falls and the valley floor. Day four is for the long climb, either the Mist Trail or the Four Mile Trail, where the views earn the legs’ complaints.Day 5: Mono Lake: Cross the Sierra on Tioga Road when it is open, since the pass closes seasonally. Mono Lake’s tufa towers make a calm finish after the granite, and the drive down the east side shows you a completely different California.If you only get one day, make it day four in Yosemite. The effort pays off at the top, and no other day on this route changes your sense of scale as completely.

Start with the burrito. In San Francisco’s Mission it is a foil-wrapped brick of rice, beans and carne asada, and in San Diego the California burrito comes stuffed with french fries. Fish tacos with crunchy cabbage and lime are the Southern California answer to lunch, usually US$3 to 6 each.Northern California leans on produce. Farmers markets sell stone fruit, avocados, citrus and warm tortillas, and the Ferry Building and Santa Monica markets are the best known. Sourdough bread with clam chowder in San Francisco steams up cold, foggy afternoons. In-N-Out’s Double-Double with “animal style” fries is a local cult order.For a budget meal, look for taquerias, food trucks, Vietnamese pho in San Jose, and dim sum in Chinatown, with most meals at US$10 to 18. Wine from Napa, Sonoma and Paso Robles … read more 👉

Start with the burrito. In San Francisco’s Mission it is a foil-wrapped brick of rice, beans and carne asada, and in San Diego the California burrito comes stuffed with french fries. Fish tacos with crunchy cabbage and lime are the Southern California answer to lunch, usually US$3 to 6 each.Northern California leans on produce. Farmers markets sell stone fruit, avocados, citrus and warm tortillas, and the Ferry Building and Santa Monica markets are the best known. Sourdough bread with clam chowder in San Francisco steams up cold, foggy afternoons. In-N-Out’s Double-Double with “animal style” fries is a local cult order.For a budget meal, look for taquerias, food trucks, Vietnamese pho in San Jose, and dim sum in Chinatown, with most meals at US$10 to 18. Wine from Napa, Sonoma and Paso Robles is poured in tasting rooms for US$20 to 40, and craft beer, especially San Diego IPAs, is everywhere.Tipping is expected: 18 to 20 percent at sit-down restaurants, and a dollar or two at counters. Menu prices exclude tax, which adds roughly 8 to 10 percent. Water is free and portions are large, so splitting plates saves money.