Beyond San Francisco

The slides are in a secretive but busy spot that caters to neighbourhood kids and visitors of all ages. Dreamed up by a 14-year-old local kid nearly 50 years ago, these dual concrete slides run down a hill and into the mini-park they happily call home. Their installation influenced the city’s green spaces policy.

The slides can be difficult to locate because they are in a residential area, but finding them provides an opportunity get to know the San Francisco suburbs. Remember to bring your own cardboard to make it easy to slide down.

From Point Reyes Lighthouse's position on a headland that cuts its way ten miles into the Pacific, its bright beam has saved many sailors from meeting the murky depths. And with over 100 years under its belt, it’s showing no signs of diminishing.

Famously known as one of the foggiest places on the continent, the weather on the promontory is understandably dramatic and shouldn’t be taken for granted. But catch it on a clear day to see vistas that will amaze you. Find a clifftop spot and enjoy a seafood picnic of locally caught oysters fresh from the cape.   

Antioch is the perfect place to start learning about America’s past. Founded the year after gold was discovered in California, it’s one of the oldest settlements in the state and carefully preserves its mining heritage.

The area's diamond in the rough is Mount Diablo, once thought to be the point of all creation by the district’s Miwok tribe. Rising like a giant pyramid, the peak and its neighbours are the result of major tectonic activity. Jurassic fossils dating back 100 million years are regularly uncovered at the surface.

Wine regions don’t get much better than this glorious stretch to the north of the city, and those with a nose for viticulture will soon find themselves gawking at the 400 or so vineyards. The surroundings also are the perfect place to get close to nature on countless hiking trails through redwoods and along rivers.

With equally strong ties to Native American roots as well as modern communities, the region's rich culture can be seen in every town, including the understatedly cool capital, Santa Rosa. You can even pay Snoopy a visit at the Charles M. Schulz Museum.

Carmel-by-the-Sea has been showered with accolades, yet it remains fabulously free of many negative effects of tourism. European in style and perfectly suited to those seeking solace from California’s more superficial settings, Carmel’s almost antiquated appeal is said to have led to more romances than Barbara Cartland’s entire catalogue.

Visitors can pay a small fee to get onto 17-Mile Drive, which allows access to the swanky neighborhood that runs along the panoramic Pacific Ocean. We’d say we think it’s worth it, but you probably already knew that. Trek just a bit farther along legendary Route 1 to see the awesome Bixby Bridge.