Hidden Coast of California: Including San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Francisco, and Mendocino [Paperback]

Ray Riegert (Author)

Book Description

Series: Hidden Coast of California | Publication Date: March 2003

With over 500 pages dedicated exclusively to the California coast, this is a guidebook of contrasts. Three major cities (San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego) are covered yet the majority of the guide describes charming coastal communities (Santa Barbara, Monterey, Mendocino...) as well as over 1000 miles of beaches and coastline. The author reviews traditional travel attractions then leads travelers to dozens of hidden spots as well as small hotel and restaurant gems. Perfectly suited for out-of-state visitors, this guide also offers locals countless suggestions for weekend getaways.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Award-winning travel author Ray Riegert began his guidebook writing career with the classic Hidden Hawaii. What was the secret to this cult favourite? Beaches, beaches and more beaches. Ray loves the beach and was shocked to discover that other guidebooks hardly describe the beaches at all. Ray never tires of spending a day visiting the California beaches near his home in Berkeley and describing the sand he sits on, water he swims in, and views he enjoys - not to mention the little towns, inns and restaurants around each beach.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Ulysses Press; 9th edition (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569753431
• ISBN-13: 978-1569753439
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,792,735 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Hidden Urban Coast, June 23, 2007

By 

Fritz R. Ward "dayhiker" (Crestline, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hidden Coast of California: Including San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Francisco, and Mendocino (Hidden Travel) (Paperback)

Ray Riegert has devoted a lifetime to travelling the coast of California and finding favorite restaurants, bed & breakfast establishments, and cataloging some of the finer museums and beaches. This book has a little something for everyone, but a lot more if your idea of hidden travel is visiting the large cities of the California Coast. San Francisco receives nearly 100 pages of coverage alone and the clear emphasis is upon urban areas. In these places, Riegert has found some of the best eating establishments, listed the finest gay friendly nightclubs, discussed local parks, and, of particular interest to me, included a number of popular and classy neighborhood bookstores. However, what I consider California's truly hidden coast, its wild and scenic parks and open space areas, receive decidedly less coverage. A few trails are listed, though the trailhead locations are not identified, and only Point Reyes National Seashore gets the full coverage it deserves. On the positive side, Riegert does not neglect the many rural hostels of California where budget travellers can stay often at cheaper rates than at nearby campgrounds.


The reason I am only giving this book 3 stars is that it has a lot of text, well over 500 pages, and all of it is in small print. This makes for difficult reading. The lack of photos also detracts a bit from a travel guide. On the whole, I think the author tried to be a little too comprehensive with the book and the result is that while everything was mentioned, almost everything could have used a fuller description. Still, if you want 3 day weekend tours of California's largest cities along with adequate descriptions of nearby smaller tourist destinations (Laguna Beach and La Jolla in southern California, Big Sur, Mendocino, and Eureka to the north) this is a nice book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There are enduring reasons why California has been a premier tourist destination for more than a hundred years., March 3, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hidden Coast of California: Including San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Francisco, and Mendocino (Hidden Travel) (Paperback)

There are enduring reasons why California has been a premier tourist destination for more than a hundred years. A compact, easily portable, 550-page travel guide specifically focused on its Pacific shoreline communities and environs, "Hidden Coast Of California" by travel expert Ray Riegert is a superbly organized and comprehensive compendium of information that includes recommended historic inns, scenic drives, beaches and parks, weekend getaways, prospecting opportunities for gems and precious metals, and even whale-watching! Covering the sights and recreational opportunities of San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Francisco, and Mendocino, "Hidden Coast Of California" is illustrated with occasional maps, peppered with traveler tips, provides an 'Outdoor Adventure Symbols' chart for ease of use, and so much more. Of special note is the opening chapter covering a variety of issues ranging from California coast geology, Native Americans, coastal plant life, animals (both on land and in the ocean), a calendar of events, visitor centers, traveling with children, disabled and senior travelers, women traveling alone, foreign travelers, camping, permits and more. Now in an expanded and updated eleventh edition, "Hidden Coast Of California" is the ideal resource for planning itineraries and for taking maximum advantage of what California has to offer travelers and vacationers along it's spectacular coastline. Also very highly recommended for both personal and community Travel Guide reference collections is Ray Riegert's companion book from Ulysses Press: "Hidden Southern California: 10th Edition" (9781569755396, $19.95).