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 19 RUSSELL SHIVELY/SHUTTERTOCK; ANGEL DIBILIO/SHUTTERSTOCK. OPPOSITE: RICHARD THORNTON/SHUTTERSTOCK the western slopes to admire impeccably restored 19 th -century buildings, take in scenic hillside views, ski the nearby moun- tains, and head to High Country attractions such as Lake Tahoe. The Gold Rush is memorialized at the Miners Foundry Cul- tural Center and by historical mining exhibits in City Hall. Eye-pleasing and walkable, much of downtown Nevada City is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Nevada Theatre, a smartly restored heritage building, hosts a variety of live entertainment. EUREKA: Redwoods & Victorians Tucked into the northwestern corner of Cal- ifornia, Eureka, 270 miles north of San Francisco on Humboldt Bay, has the largest deep-water port between San Francisco Bay and Washington's Puget Sound. The city of 27,000 also serves as the unofficial capital of the state's Redwood Empire. Once famed for its timber, mines and fisheries, Eureka is a leading West Coast purveyor of succu- lent farmed oysters. Most significantly for visitors, Eureka is an attractive preserve of Victorian architecture such as the grand 1886 Carson Mansion at 2 nd and M streets. Shops, restaurants and B&Bs occupy some of a staggering 1,500 Eureka buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One-million-acre Six Rivers National Forest is a near neighbor. PALM DESERT: Low-Profile Oasis Eleven miles from high-profile Palm Springs is sunny Palm Desert, a city of 48,000 in the Coachella Valley. Palm Desert combines the manicured lawns, golf courses, tennis courts and swimming pools of a manmade oasis with rugged cycling, off-road hiking and 4- wheel-drive excursions in the surrounding desert. Golf is available at 10 city-owned golf courses, plus prime links such as the J.W. Marriott Desert Springs Resort's 18-hole Palm Course. The city displays more than 130 public-art pieces, many clustered along El Paseo or Fred Waring Drive. Culture is on- stage at the 1980s McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts, and visitors can view mid- 20 th -century commercial buildings and homes on free architectural tours. PASADENA: Rose Bowl & Bungalows Located 10 miles northeast of Los Angeles at the foot of the imposing San Gabriel Mountains, this pretty city of 140,000 is best-known for the Granddaddy of 'em All: the annual Rose Bowl football game, its ever-popular Tournament of Roses Parade and delightful parody the Doo-Dah Parade. Some 800 restored early 20 th -century wooden bungalows, clustered in the Bun- galow Heaven Historic District, give Pasadena a signature architectural look. Shopping and dining are abundant along pedestrian-friendly South Lake Avenue, in the Playhouse District and in revived, 22- block Old Pasadena. The Huntington combines a distinguished library complete with a Gutenberg Bible, centuries of priceless fine-art pieces and extensive and beautiful botanical gardens all in one place.