There are so many gorgeous places and cities in the US that you can be hard pressed to make up your mind when planning a trip to visit or even if you live in the US and are planning a family vacation.
This article will cover the top cities in the three states that make up the West coast - California, Oregon and Washington. The West coast is pretty famous for its diversity, not only in culture but in the landscape itself. For example, Northern California can be thought of as the complete opposite of Southern California. Plus, when you travel further North into Oregon and Washington the landscape gets more rugged and the climate can change dramatically.
Three of the top cities on the west coast are in California. They've pretty much become the typical landmarks people associate with the West coast.
Hollywood - Source
Los Angeles is the city most widely known for celebrities and film in the United States. On the outskirts is the world famous Hollywood. Nearby is the ever popular Beverly Hills which is known as "the rich neighborhood" of the states. Although Beverly Hills and Hollywood are considered more as suburbs of Los Angeles it is like getting a 3 in 1 trip in this area.
Hollywood is home to many famous landmarks that have been visited by some of the most well-known celebrities in the world. There's the Walk of Fame where you can see stars placed on the sidewalk and named with famous actors and actresses. You can also see some of their hand prints and signatures.
Beverly Hills is well known for shopping and enjoying a more expensive lifestyle. It became more popular after the airing of the TV show about rich kids.
San Diego, while not always as popular as San Francisco or Los Angeles is home to one of the largest and most popular zoos in the world and another great popular destination is Sea World. It's also very close to the border of Mexico, so a trip into Tijuana is a must see too.
All are worth seeing on your trip to the West coast.
International Rose Test Garden in Portland
Source: www.flickr.com/ sha-put-ski's
Portland, Oregon is another great city to visit. It is further inland from the coast than the cities in California, but it's still worth a trip. Portland is a gorgeous city and also great for a winter vacation. It is home to the International Rose Test Garden and the Museum of Science and Industry.
If you love water sports you'll love Mt. Hood. It offers year round skiing and even windsurfing. It is also home of the second highest year round waterfall in America.
Further north, in Washington state is the city of Seattle. Seattle has a very diverse and lively music scene and is famous for producing many grunge style music stars and bands. It is also home to the "Space Needle" where the observation deck is also a restaurant that rotates a full 360 degrees in less than an hour. It is no doubt difficult to concentrate on your food when you can watch the city of Seattle go by. This is a must see for sure. Dress is casual, although sleeveless and tank tops are not allowed.
I hope this will give you some idea of what is waiting for you should you choose to explore America's West Coast. It's a wonderful place for dining, adventure and family fun!Get out and explore!
Pat
