| Known as the "Golden State", California has the | | | | restaurants. |
| largest population of any US state, over 33 million. It | | | | 5. Golden Gate Bridge (in San Francisco): When it was |
| also contains some of the country's most popular | | | | completed in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was the |
| tourist attractions. In fact, there are so many exciting | | | | largest suspension bridge in the world. While it no |
| places to see in California, it's hard to pick out just a | | | | longer retains that status, it is still an impressive and |
| handful. | | | | iconic symbol of the city. |
| Nevertheless, here is our top 10 sites to visit in the | | | | 6. La Brea Tar Pits (in Los Angeles): A famous location |
| state: | | | | where asphalt seeps to the surface. In prehistoric |
| 1. Alcatraz (in san Francisco bay): Alcatraz Island in | | | | times, many animals such as mammoths, ground sloths |
| San Francisco Bay was once a maximum security | | | | and saber-toothed cats got stuck in the tar and |
| prison that held notorious criminals such Al Capone. | | | | became fossilized, and hence the La Brea Tar Pits are |
| Today, it's a historic site managed by the National Park | | | | today an important palaentological site. |
| Service and you can catch a ferry ride to the island | | | | 7. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (in Los |
| from Fisherman's Wharf. | | | | Angeles): The largest art museum in the western |
| 2. Cable Car System (in San Francisco): The San | | | | United States, with a collection of over 100,000 pieces. |
| Francisco Cable Car System is the last manually | | | | 8. Napa Valley: One of the most important |
| operated cable car system in the world, and rightly has | | | | grape-growing regions in the world, the Napa Valley is |
| become world famous. Visitors can ride the cable cars | | | | visited by 5 million tourists each year, making it the |
| which are in regular use, or visit the museum which | | | | state's second most popular tourist attraction after |
| houses historic cable cars. | | | | Disneyland. |
| 3. Disneyland Resort (in Anaheim): Contains the | | | | 9. Universal Studios (in Los Angeles): This |
| world-famous Disneyland theme park, Disney's | | | | movie-themed theme park originally offered tours of |
| California Adventure which is a theme park based on | | | | soundstages and sets, but now includes rides and |
| the history of California, several hotels, as well as the | | | | other attractions. |
| "Downtown Disney" site for shopping. | | | | 10. USS Midway (in San Francisco): An aircraft carrier |
| 4. Fisherman's Wharf (in San Francisco): A popular | | | | which served with the US Navy from just after World |
| neighborhood in San Francisco that contains many | | | | War Two until 1992, and which today is a museum |
| attractions, as well as some superb seafood | | | | ship and open to the public. |