From the Inside Flap
Fodor's Compass Coastal California 2ed.Created by local writers and photographers, Compass American Guides are the ultimate insider's guides, providing in-depth coverage of the history, culture, and character of America's most spectacular destinations. Covering everything there is to see and do as well as choice lodging and dining, these gorgeous full-color guides are perfect for new and longtime residents as well as vacationers who want a deep understanding of the region they're visiting.
Outstanding color photography, plus a wealth of archival imagesTopical essays and literary extractsDetailed color mapsGreat ideas for things to see and doCapsule reviews of hotels and restaurants
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INTRODUCTIONThe California coast, with its wide, sandy beaches, flower-bedecked bluffs, surf-washed cliffs, and wild mountain ranges, is one of the most scenic places of the world. It is both rugged and urbane, with wilderness abutting the West Coast's most cultured cities.
Since most of California's people live near the coast, you'll find it easy to switch back and forth between wilderness and civilization, following up a beach picnic of fresh oysters with dinner at an elegant restaurant; bird-, seal-, or whale-watching with a night at the opera; a day of hiking lonely trails with a stroll along an urban boulevard.
One unique aspect of this coast is the climate: in summer, when inland valleys and mountains swelter in the heat, the coast is cool; in winter, when inland areas are cold -- even frosty -- the coast is delightfully mild. Even if the weather is too cool for swimming or sunbathing, it's rarely wet enough to make beachcombing or hiking unpleasant.
The color of sky and ocean vary with the seasons; sometimes with the time of the day. The sea can be a deep royal blue or indigo, battleship gray, a translucent green, turquoise, or reddish brown like redwood bark. The sky can be intensely cerulean, pale golden, or glaringly white with the intense light of the summer sun or pearly gray with fog. For most of the coast, the horizon is a long dark line broken only now and then by the outline of a fishing boat or freighter, but off the Southern California coast, islands, previously hidden by haze, appear out of nowhere, and the outlines of offshore oil rigs and passing ships may be etched sharply into the sky.
The California coast is as much a state of mind as it is a place. Its people, and the stories and myths they have woven around this magic coast, are as captivating as the spectacular scenery.
