California Official Visitor's Guide 2024 - 43

ULTIMATE
PLAYGROUND
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The Danish Capital
of America Is Here
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In 1911, a group of Danish Americans purchased
9,000 acres in the Santa Ynez Valley, an area
that turned out to be prime wine country.
The founders brought Danish cuisine and
architecture with them, and now millions of
visitors flock to Solvang to see its windmills,
thatched roofs, and rooftop storks-and snack
on aebleskivers between Pinot Noir tastings.
Full-Throttle
Fun Abounds
Ditch the furiousness and just go fast at one
of the closed-track driving facilities in the
Golden State. The BMW Performance Driving
School south of Palm Springs will put you
behind the wheel of an ultra-speedy M Series
BMW, and you can let loose and see what it
can do. Skip Barber Racing School operates
out of Sonoma Raceway, offering a wide
variety of racing and driving experiences on a
12-turn track. And at WeatherTech Raceway
Laguna Seca near Salinas, you can watch top
IndyCar pros rule the asphalt.
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Sand Castles Are
Serious Business
In Carmel, autumn's biggest event is the annual
Great Sandcastle Contest sponsored by the
Monterey Bay chapter of the American Institute
of Architects. Sand-construction teams build
shapely mermaids, fanciful sea creatures, and
tower-topped castles one bucket at a time. The
judges happily accept non-monetary bribes,
and the best architecture wins the coveted
Golden Shovel Award. At day's end, the surging
tide returns all contest entries to the sea.
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You Can Thank
The Academy
With a trip to The Academy Museum of
Motion Pictures, you can let the magic of
special effects transport you to Hollywood's
night of nights. The Oscars Experience lets
you hold a coveted eight-and-a-half-pound
statuette and deliver an acceptance speech
in front of a virtual audience of industry
bigwigs. (Video evidence of your achievement
is emailed afterward.) You might be tempted
to prattle on about all of the little people who
helped you on your journey, but don't blab too
much-the music will swell and you will get
played off the stage.
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Our Whales Are
Show-Offs
Gray whales, humpbacks, and even massive
blue whales are common sightings year-round
along California's coast. On a half-day whalewatching
cruise out of Newport Beach, Dana
Point, or Monterey, you'll see the massive
cetaceans perform tail flukes, spy-hops, or
even full leaps out of the water (breaches).
Whether it's your first whale sighting or your
100th, the thrill never wears off.
We Host the World's
Wackiest Race
What began as a two-block jaunt down Main
Street in Ferndale in 1969 has since morphed
into a 40-mile odyssey across Humboldt
County. Arcata's annual Kinetic Grand
Championship simultaneously begs for and
defies description. Entrants must build their
own kinetic sculptures, defined as " all-terrain,
human-powered art vehicles, engineered to
race over road, water, mud, and sand. " Design
flourishes like animated faces and fire cannons
are practically mandatory, and costumes are
strongly encouraged. A winner is crowned
every year, but that seems beside the point.
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Dogs and Santa Surf,
and So Can You
People go a bit crazy for surfing here, and so
do their dogs. Faith, a goggles-clad American
pit bull terrier, took home the top prize in the
large dog division at last year's World Dog
Surfing Championships in Pacifica. It's an
August tradition that needs to be on every
canine lover's to-do list. Later in the year, Kris
Kringle hits the waves at The Ritz-Carlton,
Laguna Niguel. The resort hosts an annual
Surfing Santa & Stand-Up Paddleboard
Contest that benefits Surfers Healing, a surf
camp for children with autism.
You, too, can rule the waves. Surf classes
are offered up and down the coast, including
Santa Barbara Surf School, Surf Diva in
La Jolla, Banzai Surf in Huntington Beach,
Adventure Out in Santa Cruz, and Tommy
Tsunami Surf School in Half Moon Bay.
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This Is Where Comedy
Legends Get Their Start
For more than 45 years, the Groundlings
Theatre & School has been a Los Angeles
improv institution and the training ground for
many big names in comedy, including
Will Ferrell, Phil Hartman, Lisa Kudrow, Jon
Lovitz, Melissa McCarthy, Laraine Newman,
Paul Reubens, Maya Rudolph, and Kristen
Wiig. The 30-member company still entertains
audiences nightly, and although Ferrell and
others have moved on, you can still see
Stephanie Courtney, better known as " Flo "
from Progressive Insurance ads, and Patty
Guggenheim, who yukked it up as Madisynn on
the Disney+ series She-Hulk.
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Ski or Ride on July 4
There's no need to travel to the
southern hemisphere for off-season skiing. On
Independence Day at Mammoth Mountain,
skiers and snowboarders shred the slopes
wearing shorts and tank tops instead of parkas
and ski pants. Mammoth's high altitude, deep
snowpack, and north-facing trails produce
one of the West's longest ski seasons, typically
lasting from November through July.
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SUPERBLOOMS ARE
THE BEST BLOOMS
The Golden State's spring flower show is always
beautiful, but the term " superbloom " refers to a
high-octane version of the annual display. What makes the magic
happen? Superblooms occur when rain falls in frequent intervals
between October and February-especially when that rain follows
a long period of drought. This leads to widespread germination of
wildflower seeds that may have lain dormant for years. Your best
bet for witnessing something spectacular? Watch the weather, keep
a bag packed, and embrace the spontaneity.
VISITCALIFORNIA.COM | 43
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California Official Visitor's Guide 2024

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