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ALL SHUTTERSTOCK SPREAD TOP LEFT: JOLANDA; STRAS MOROZ; BYRON W. MOORE; SARAH MUELLER; S. BORISOV beauty has been long favored by plein air artists, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a must-visit for everyone. Big Sur's Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park offers stunning views of the rugged coast from its cliff-side trails. Access to Pfeiffer Beach, a day beach, is just south of the Big Sur Ranger Station. At mid-coast, rocky cliffs finally give way to warm water and California's famous endless flat beaches. For movie buffs, camp at Malibu Creek State Park where M*A*S*H and Planet of the Apes were filmed. And then there's Huntington Beach, a.k.a Surf City USA. Huntington State Beach's soft sand, safe swimming and good surfing make it the California classic. Rocks to Castles California is more than its geography. Living history programs bring the past to life in many parks. Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park features a reconstructed village with a ceremonial roundhouse and presentations by descendants of the Miwoks. The 21 missions founded by the Spanish along El Camino Real, or the King's Highway, preserve the arrival of non-natives to California. Imagine mission life at La Purisima Mission State Historic Park, one of the best along the Historic Mission Trail. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, with its restored plaza and adobes, captures the period when San Diego grew from a Mexican pueblo into an American town. And then there's gold fever. Pan for gold at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park where the mineral was first discovered. Imagine a miner's life at Bodie State Historic Park, an intact ghost town from the era. No place reflects California's big dreamers better than the Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument, a testament to publisher William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. Tour the 115-room castle and imagine the presidents, publishing luminaries and Hollywood stars who gathered there. Whatever kind of experience you seek, from a city adventure to a high country trek, California's parks have something for everyone. CA ยป FIND PARK YOUR Individual State Parks parks.ca.gov National Parks nps.gov/state/CA Campsites & Lodging Reservations reserveamerica.com recreation.gov Lighthouses (many open to the public, some offering accommodations) nps.gov/history/maritime/paciflt.html Wildflower Updates at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Wildflower Hotline 760-767-4684 Or check the park's website at parks.ca.gov. 2 0 1 3 t r av e l g u i d e to c a l i f o rnia 4 3