In 2026 be sure to See California if you've never been. Yeah, put it on your bucket list. While it's gotten a bad rap (for homelessness, crime and high prices in major cities,) its fantastic weather, amenities and natural attractions steal the show. Known as the Theme Park Capitol of the World, newcomers like to visit Disneyland, Universal Studios, Legoland and Six Flags parks, then shop outlets and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The best things in life are free, however. Like waves crashing on 1,000 miles of sandy beaches; the silent sounds of 2,000 year-old redwood or sequoia forests; the heat of a Palm Desert winter; and the adrenaline rush skiing Mammoth, Tahoe and Olympic Valley. End your journey traveling the coast on a cruise ship, or flying high with wine sampling and a hot air balloon ride. SeeCalifornia.com offers attraction tickets and hotel packages for your trip.

Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks $100 fee and no free days for international visitors. White Lotus won't visit Cali in the upcoming season, but Super Bowl fans will see California for two years straight in 2026 & 2027!

Craig MacDonald, author of 24 books, is a former reporter and Pulitzer Prize nominee. See his California travel stories, book reviews and true tales from his Gold Rush books.

Debbie Stock has traveled the world as a photojournalist for corporations, Fortune 500 firms and media outlets but can't wait to get back to Huntington / Sunset Beach where she publishes SeeCalifornia.com! ... See more writers and photographers