Whether you’re with children or adults, the fun places to go in California make it a worthwhile place to visit. While many of the attractions are based in Los Angeles, there are also fun things to do in San Francisco, San Diego and Northern California.

1. Disneyland

Disneyland is most definitely a fun place to go in California. The amusement park is not just for kids – adults of all ages will enjoy the rides, the sights, the food and the atmosphere.

Disneyland was first built in 1955 and since then has evolved to incorporate new rides and faster roller coasters. Many of its iconic areas, including Space Mountain and the Haunted Mansion underwent restorations in 2004, ensuring the park was is modern and safe. Disneyland is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary and there will be Diamond Celebrations until September 2016.

From the minute the park opens up until it closes, there are many things to do. The streets are kept immaculate clean and the nightly parade and fireworks are a must see at the end of a fun day.

2. Universal Studios Hollywood

For anyone that loves movies, Universal Studios is a must place to visit in California. Beginning in 1964 as a tour of the sets of Universal Studios, the theme park has evolved into the major attraction that it is now. Rides and sets at the park are constantly changing to represent the current blockbusters that the studio produces.

Universal Studios is split into two different areas, on different levels and they are connected by a series of escalators. Together they feature nine rides, seven shows and a large outdoor play area.

Currently there are rides for the Transformers film franchise as well as a Springfield area that pays homage to the beloved Simpsons TV show. The Springfield area has a Krusty Burger and a Moe’s Tavern that are modeled directly after the characters in the show.

As of April 2016, a brand new section, entitled The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened based on the hugely popular book and movie franchise. Many of the shops from the series have been reproduced including Ollivander’s Wand Shop and Honeydukes. It is a huge hit and a must see for anyone who has fallen in love with this wizarding world.

3. Disney California Adventure

While this theme park is owned by the Walt Disney Company, it is completely separate to Disneyland and has completely different rides and attractions. It was opened in 2001 and is meant to represent the history and culture of California in its attractions.

While the amusement park was not initially a success, it rebranded itself and overhauled a lot of its rides and attractions to make it a much more worthwhile visit. Current rides include Mickey’s Fun Wheel and Cars Land, based on the film franchise Cars.

At night, now there is a really neat show called World of Color that involves fountains, lasers, lights and high definition projections. It is worth sticking around for.

4. Legoland California

Who doesn’t remember playing with the iconic toy Lego when they were a kid and loving the infinite ways that you could build things with it? The amusement park opened in 1999 and has many different zones to explore. The Miniland area has small, scale models of Las Vegas, New York and Star Wars while the Imagination Zone has a wild mouse roller coaster and a hero factory play area.

Legoland also features a water park area and mini golf. There are lots of rides and exhibits and plenty of opportunity to play with Lego.

5. Hollywood Walk of Fame

Set over 15 blocks on Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks on Vine Street, the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a fun place to visit in Los Angeles. There are now over 2500 stars in the sidewalk that bear the names of famous celebrities. Everyone from actors, musicians and directors can be found. There are maps available to help you find where your favourite celebrities’ stars are located.

6. Sea World San Diego

Sea World is one of the most famous animal theme parks in the United States and a great place to visit for anyone who wants to get close to sea creatures. Housed in the park are penguins, polar bears and sea lions. There are hourly shows in which the various animas perform with trainers.

Sea World has been in the news recently over keeping large animals, such as killer whales in captivity and just recently the decision to end the killer whale breeding program was announced. The current roster of whale will be the last ones that live in the aquatic park.

7. San Diego Zoo

This zoo is home to over 3700 animals and more than 650 species, making it one of the largest zoos in the world. Some of the animals that are kept in the San Diego Zoo include elephants, gorillas and cheetahs. The zoo’s design includes open-air, cageless exhibits in an attempt to recreate natural anumal habitats.

While the zoo is made for walking there is also a guided bus that tours over 75% of the park as well as an overhead gondola lift so that you have an aerial view of the zoo.

8.  Balboa Park in San Diego

Spread over 1200 acres, this urban, cultural park in San Diego is a neat place to visit. There are gardens, museums, and theatres. The park is also home to the San Diego Zoo.

Some of the museums that you can visit in Balboa Park include the San Diego Air & Space Museum, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum and the San Diego Natural History Museum. Balboa Park is a place that makes you realize how much fun learning can be.

9. Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco

No trip to San Francisco would be complete without stopping at this iconic place. At Fisherman’s Wharf you can see fisherman throw their catch of the day, usually very large fish. The area is also home to Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.

After exploring the area, make sure you find a restaurant to enjoy some delicious seafood. Crab and clam chowder served in sourdough bread are staples in most restaurants. There are a number of chain restaurants like Joe’s Crab Shack and Bubba Gump Shrimp, but there are also local, independent places as well.

10. Yosemite National Park

Located in Northern California, this national park is famous for a reason. The park spans almost 750,000 acres and is at an elevation ranging from 2,127 feet to 13,114 feet. The park can be visited for any length of time. Whether it’s for a picnic lunch, a weekend camping trip or a longer hiking trip, there is much to explore in these great outdoors.

Yosemite National Park has a lot of amazing natural features including mountain peaks, lakes and waterfalls. Kids and adults will have fun exploring this wondrous, all natural place.

The fun places to go in California make any vacation to the state exciting and adventurous. Whether you’re up close with animals or throwing your hands up in the air on a roller coaster, California has many fun adventures for you to experience.

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Exploring these is, I think, one of the real joys of coming to this city – and for dedicated music fans, seeking out each store is bound to become a focus of your trip. I suggest that while you’re arranging things like your flights and a place to stay in Boston, you also do a little research into music shops you’d like to visit – especially as some of these occasionally put on tiny concerts that offer a really intimate experience.

Here are a few ideas to get you started!

Weirdo Records

844 Massachusetts Avenue, Central Square, Cambridge

Once upon a time, this store was operated entirely out of owner Angela Sawyer’s flat in Somerville. That era ended in 2009 though, and since then Weirdo Records has moved to more standard digs in Central Square – though it still retains a casual, almost homely atmosphere. In fact, shopping here feels a bit like scanning the music collection in your friend’s apartment.

Weirdo Records is a colourful place to shop – and I mean that literally as well as figuratively, since the eclectic collection sits among brightly hued wall hangings and unusual ornaments. This is one of the aforementioned stores that hosts the occasional gig, so it’s worth taking a peek at its website before you travel to see if any concerts will coincide with your trip.

In Your Ear Records

957 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston

Music shops so full that that the record collection spills out on to the street is something you just don’t get with high street chains – but it’s exactly what you’ll find at In Your Ear Records. This independent shop has three stores in total, with the Commonwealth Avenue outlet being home to more than 100,000 items and proudly holding Boston Magazine’s Best Used Music award for 2012.

This disorganised den will charm any music aficionado – and what I love about its chaotic set up is that you end up stumbling across all kinds of gems entirely by accident. So, take your time and have a really good look around. As a quick tip, its magazine section is definitely worth a look, especially as it sells back issues of Rolling Stone.

Cheapo Records

538 Massachusetts Avenue, Central Square, Cambridge

Having been at this spot since 1954 (though it was originally called the Cambridge Music Box), Cheapo Records is a slice of local history. Big businesses have failed to squeeze out this musical treasure trove, where the staff really know their stuff.

The eclectic selection includes everything from disco to jazz, hip hop to blues and movie soundtracks to classical. Since the staff are so knowledgeable, I’d recommend having a chat with them to see if they can help you discover something new.

Nuggets Records

486 Commonwealth Avenue, Back Bay, Boston

You know those rare stores that seem like they’ve somehow escaped the passage of time? Well, that’s Nuggets Records in a nutshell. Having opened back in 1978, this shop feels like it has barely changed since then – but the quality of its selection is still excellent, and you can even buy DVDs and Blu-rays here alongside 7″s and cassettes.

While you’re browsing the music selection, check out the displays on the walls – there are fair few signatures from famous names, including Billy Joel.

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In this sense, no matter what kind of traveller you are, you can’t go wrong with a visit to the USA’s west coast where you’ll find all of these elements and much, much more.

The easiest way to include all the must-see attractions on the western seaboard is by following a triangular route (Grand American Adventures do just that), beginning in San Francisco, heading inland to the incredible national parks of Yosemite, Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon, and then returning to Los Angeles on the coast via Las Vegas.

You can then fly home out of LAX or complete the right-angled triangle by driving along the spectacular Big Sur coastal highway back to San Francisco.

By the time you return, you’ll have seen some world-famous landmarks, been bowled over by the bright lights, walked among some of the USA’s most breathtaking landscapes and met a wealth of interesting characters along the way.

Big cities

The west coast is somewhat blessed in terms of top quality cities, with Los Angeles and San Francisco providing visitors with so much to see and do: the Hollywood sign, Disneyland, Universal Studios, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, beaches, shopping, dining, clubbing – the list is endless.

On the final leg of the ‘triangle’, you’ll also get the chance to let yourself go in Las Vegas, a.k.a Sin City, where everything is taken to the max. Mock-ups of Venetian canals, theme park rides on top of hotels, dancing fountains, wedding chapels, casinos, rooftop bars and lavish restaurants – you name it, Vegas has got it.

National parks

This region of the USA is also rather inundated with national parks, which, of course, is a fantastic thing.

After exploring the towering granite domes of Yosemite, the awesome views in Zion, the ‘hoodoos’ (odd-shaped pillars of rock caused by erosion) of Bryce Canyon and the stunning expanse of the Grand Canyon it’s likely you’ll need to invest in a new memory card for your camera given that the original one will probably be full up!

And that’s before you even consider the mountainous scenery of the Nevada Desert, the watersports haven of Lake Powell and the sandstone monoliths of Monument Valley, which are all encountered en route.

Activities

As you pass through these enormous outdoor playgrounds, you’ll have the chance to get physical hiking some of the most scenic walking trails found anywhere in the world.

Whether it’s climbing to the top of Angel’s Landing in the Zion National Park for an amazing view 2,500 feet up, clambering down from the rim into the abyss of the Grand Canyon or trekking to some of the world’s largest waterfalls in Yosemite, you’ll have done well to ever walk among such beauty before.

And of course, when you’re back on the coast, you’ve got some of the best surfing conditions in the world to enjoy, as well as boardwalks where you can rollerskate and cycle in the warm Californian sunshine. California is the home of surfing in the mainland USA, so don’t miss your chance to hang ten with the locals.

All in all, the west coast triangle is quite a trip!

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