Essential California

Wrapped in the fog that drifts in from the bay and draped over steep hills facing the Pacific, San Francisco is one of America's most beloved cities, refined, rebellious and deeply cosmopolitan. Its symbol is the Golden Gate Bridge, the unmistakable red span reaching out towards the ocean, revealed and hidden by the morning mists. To walk the city is to be surprised by its rolling streets, still climbed today by the famous cable cars that scale the heights of Nob Hill and Russian Hill, offering sudden glimpses of the water. Along the Fisherman's Wharf waterfront the sea lions of Pier 39 bark and the air smells of sourdough bread and fresh crab, while offshore stands the island of Alcatraz, with its historic penitentiary reachable by boat. The charm of San Francisco lives in its neighbourhoods: the Victorian Painted Ladies around Alamo Square, the Chinese energy of Chinatown, the oldest and liveliest in America, the rainbow, activist streets of the Castro, and the bohemian ferment of Haight-Ashbury, cradle of hippie culture. At the city's core, Union Square buzzes with shopping and theatres, while the Civic Center and museums such as SFMOMA and the de Young reveal its cultured soul. Green spaces abound: the vast Golden Gate Park holds Japanese gardens, conservatories and trails down to the ocean. The dining scene is among the most innovative in the country, from fusion cuisine to the wines of the nearby Napa and Sonoma Valley and organic markets. From San Francisco it is easy to set out for California's national parks, the redwoods of Muir Woods and the Big Sur coast. Free, creative and swept by the ocean wind, San Francisco wins over anyone willing to be led by its hills and its suspended light.

You leave the big city on the bay for the region at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, which in 1849 was at the center of the Gold Rush. Yosemite National Park is one of the world's most famous natural sanctuaries, set among the granite peaks of California's Sierra Nevada and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Yosemite Valley opens between the imposing walls of El Capitan and Half Dome, the thundering waterfalls such as Yosemite Falls and the meadows crossed by the Merced River. Forests of giant sequoias and alpine plateaus complete a legendary landscape. Yosemite is the ideal destination for those seeking grand nature, climbing and the iconic wilderness of California.

Today awaits you a long day of driving (about 500 km, plus 6 hours without counting stops), but with exciting views. The change in scenery and altitude is remarkable: you will go from the highest motorway pass in California (Tioga Pass, 3,031 meters above sea level) to the Death Valley depression (-58 meters below sea level at Furnace Creek Ranch), from the mountains and forests of the High Sierra to the desert. Your journey today also includes a visit to Yosemite National Park, so you will have to leave very early to make the most of the day, especially considering the queues you will find at Yosemite. If, on the other hand, you have stayed in Mammoth Lakes and have already visited the park, head down Route 395 to Bishop where you can stop for a snack with the famous sandwiches from Erick Schat's Bakkery. Continue to Lone Pine. Famous film scenes have been shot in the vicinity of Lone Pine, such as "How the West Was Won". In Lone Pine, take Route 136 and then Route 190, which will take you to Death Valley. Lone Pine rises at the foot of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States, in the Owens Valley of eastern California. The town is famous for the striking Alabama Hills, rounded rock formations that have served as the set for countless westerns and films. From here depart the trails toward the Sierra Nevada and Tioga Pass. Death Valley is the lowest, hottest and driest point in North America, where you can picture the earth as it was before the appearance of man. Conditions here are infernal, and it is no coincidence that many of the viewpoints bear names such as Funeral Mountains, Furnace Creek, Dante's View, Coffin Peak and Devil's Golf Course. Distances within the park are enormous, so if you only have one day, start at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center to get your bearings. Unmissable sights include Artists Palette (along the scenic Artists Drive), Harmony Borax Works, Badwater, Devil's Golf Course, Zabriskie Point and the superb panoramic balcony of Dante's View.

Los Angeles, home to Hollywood, Disneyland, and Universal Studios, is the epitome of carefree living for visitors: year-round sunshine, palm trees swaying in the wind, movie stars with luxurious residences in the hills of Beverly Hills, stunning museums, avant-garde architecture, and surf beaches.