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»CA.CITIES Surprising California Cities by david armstrong SAN LUIS OBISPO A series of volcanic peaks known as the Nine Sisters, or the Morros, above, separate the inland city of San Luis Obispo from Morro Bay, creating a dramatic backdrop for both. The mountains provide these communities with a daily reminder of the wonders of nature. The peaks formed from the plugs of long-extinct volcanoes, and scientists say they have been inactive for 20 million years! 14 2 013 travel guide to c al ifo r n i a California's golden cities—Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego—are celebrated around the world, and rightly so. But the Golden State has an engaging range of things to see and do in less-wellknown locales, as well. In cities ranging in size from barely 3,000 inhabitants to more than 300,000, a surprising, eclectic menu of food and drink, art and architecture, history and sports is available to travelers. OAKLAND: There's a "There" There Oakland native Gertrude Stein's often-quoted remark "There is no 'there' there,'' refers to her long-gone childhood haunts. For present-day visitors, there is plenty of "there" in this lively, gritty, multicultural city of 391,000 on San Francisco Bay. Not least are meticulously restored Victorian and Art Deco buildings, from brightly painted Victorian Row on 9th Street downtown, to the Deco splendor of the 1931 Paramount Theatre and the 2,800seat, 1928 Fox Oakland Theatre—plush venues for concerts, movies and dance. In recent years, long-popular Asian restaurants and African American soul food spots have been joined by upscale restaurants such as elegant, Southernstyle Pican in Oakland's trendy Uptown district, plus the plentiful eateries and specialty food shops in the Temescal district. Rockridge, a tidy residential and commercial neighborhood near Berkeley in north Oakland, boasts artisan restaurants such as Oliveto and the specialty-food shops of Rockridge Market Hall. Jack London Square serves forth waterfront dining, movies and music on the shores of the Oakland Estuary. Oakland also dishes food for the mind at the Oakland Museum of California, with its evocative California history exhibits and art shows. The SAN LUIS OBISPO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; OPPOSITE PAGE CLOCKWISE: LIBRARY GROOVER; GRUBB COMPANY; © KARIN HILDEBRAND LAU; NAPA VALLEY OPERA HOUSE; CARLOS LOPEZ There are many places across the state to discover urban delights