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Practical Wanderlust

Off-Beat Travel Blog

Hiking & Outdoor Adventure, United States

42 Places to Go Whale Watching in California: The Ultimate Guide

October 9, 2020

Ah, whales: these majestic, enormous marine mammals have been immortalized in our culture in everything to Moby Dick to Finding Nemo. California is the best whale watching destination in the United States, with about 20,000 gray whales making their annual swim down the coast. In this post, you’ll discover the best destinations for whale watching in California, plus everything you need to know to plan your trip!

by Jeremy 
9 Comments
Directly between LA and SF lies my home, the Central Coast. This under-appreciated California region encompasses 200 miles of stunning coastline, rolling hills, quaint coastal towns harboring otters & seals, world-famous wine country, sandy beaches and great surfing. Here's a massive guide to 8 Central Coast getaways!
United States

8 Quintessential Places to Visit on California’s Central Coast

Last Updated:   January 5, 2021

I grew up in an area of California called the Central Coast. There are no big cities there – nothing like a Los Angeles or a San Francisco, although the area sits exactly in between the two. Instead of bustling cities, what you’ll find is much quieter: about 200 miles of scenic coastline, plus hundreds of wineries, thousands of  hiking trails, dozens of charming towns, a smattering of natural hot springs, and enough great food and beer to keep you occupied for months. The Central Coast offers everything from sugar-sand beaches and great surfing, to wine country, to adorable marine wildlife critters (otters! Seals! Sea lions!) and groves of Monarch butterflies flitting through delicious smelling eucalyptus trees, to sheer cliffs looking down on crashing waves.  Here are 8 quintessential Central Coast getaways for your next Highway 1 road trip!

by Jeremy 
45 Comments
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