Ask ten people why they love California and you'll get ten different answers. Surfers talk about the waves, hikers about the Sierra, food lovers about tacos and wine, dreamers about the sense that anything is possible here. They're all right.
The light
Painters and filmmakers have been drawn here for over a century because of it: a clear, golden Pacific light that makes everything look a little more cinematic. Hollywood moved west partly because of the sunshine, and on a late-afternoon walk along the beach, you understand why.
Everything is close
Within a few hours' drive of most Californians are beaches, redwood forests, snowy mountains, deserts and world-class cities. On a long weekend in spring you can, quite literally, ski in the morning and walk on the beach in the afternoon.
The food
California helped shape the way America eats: farm-to-table cooking, the fish taco, the Mission burrito and a wine industry that stands alongside the best in the world. The state grows more than a third of the country's vegetables and three-quarters of its fruits and nuts, so the produce really is that good.
A culture of reinvention
California has always attracted people chasing something new, from the Gold Rush forty-niners to Hollywood hopefuls to Silicon Valley founders. That spirit of reinvention is still in the air, and it makes the state feel open to newcomers in a way few places do.
The great outdoors, close to home
California has nine national parks, more than any other state, plus 280 state park units and an enormous amount of public coastline. Outdoor life isn't a vacation here; it's part of the weekly routine.
The people
Nearly 39 million people from every corner of the world call California home, and you can hear it, taste it and see it everywhere. That mix is what makes a Tuesday in Los Angeles or San Francisco feel like an adventure.
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