Issue link: http://globelitetravelmarketing.uberflip.com/i/444404
2 0 1 5 T R A V E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A 11 museum and art gallery exhibitions to shops showcasing contemporary handi- crafts and timeworn antiques, and from performances of theater, dance and music to displays at aquariums and hands-on education centers. For music, the world-class concert halls of Los Angeles and San Francisco are well- known, but equally appealing are smaller sites such as the Redlands Bowl in the Inland Empire city of Redlands, where an elegant amphitheater spotlights California's oldest free concert series, presenting everything from classical music to bluegrass bands each summer, or the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Hall on the California State University Sonoma campus, where warm-weather concert-goers can spread a blanket on the terraced lawn for an alfresco music fest. A lively variety of performances, including ballet, theater, variety shows, comedy and even onstage conversations, are presented at Oakland's ornately Art Deco Paramount Theater. Another multi- faceted venue lovingly restored to its former glory is Fresno's Warnors Center for the Performing Arts, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and distin- guished by a pipe organ that replicates the sound of a full orchestra. From the Siskiyou County Museum in Yreka to the San Diego Museum of Art, museums and galleries celebrating his- tory, human endeavor and artistic heritage abound throughout the state. Creative exploring will yield access to small-scale museums that specialize in everything from comics and cable cars to surfing and sewing. Other outstanding educational institutions that focus on interactive expe- riences include the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the California Academy of Sci- ences and the Exploratorium. Food Aficionado For food aficionados, California is a wonder- land of tastes, textures and innovative culinary creations. One of the most delightful and enlightening experiences is visiting a farmers market, where fresh- from-the-farm produce will be on delicious display and fresh-from-the-field farmers will be happy to offer samples and stories. Farmers markets can now be found throughout the state. As a further outgrowth of the popularity of these markets, more and more farms are now offering visitors the opportunity to pay to pick their own straw- berries, peaches or plums and savor the sweetness of just-plucked fruit. Some farms even offer travelers the chance to stay and work, which reveals from the inside the rites and rhythms of modern farm life. California is the birthplace of California cuisine, of course, a culinary revolution spearheaded by Berkeley's Alice Waters— whose Chez Panisse is still serving extraordinary food 43 years after it opened. That revolution has spawned numerous other channels of creative culinary freshness and fusion, blending Asian, European and Latin American ingredients and traditions, which are showcased throughout the state. As Alice Waters and her followers focused attention on local purveyors, food-related opportunities for travelers expanded. One result today is the California Cheese Trail, which connects artisanal cheese makers in Sonoma County, from Point Reyes and Bodega to Santa Rosa and Sonoma. Wine trails have long drawn travelers to California, but these have expanded as well in recent years. In addition to world- renowned regions such as Napa and Sonoma, up-and-coming areas that offer their own winery routes include Liver- more, Paso Robles, Madera and Temecula. Whatever interest has drawn you to Cal- ifornia, you'll find almost infinite reasons to be seduced and stay.