3 Great Summer Hot Spots in California

California is a flurry of tourist activity during the summertime. Most of those tourists flock to places like Hollywood and Los Angeles, but the west coast has more to offer than celebrity sightings and expensive inner city hotel rooms. For a real California vacation you will never forget, try visiting one of these great locations.

Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta is a volcano that is unconnected to any other mountain range. It is the fifth highest peak in California and stands 14,162 feet high. It offers everything from white water rafting and climbing to fishing and cave exploring. There are plenty of opportunities for mountain biking, kayaking, camping, water skiing, water tubing, rock climbing, horseback riding and there's even indoor tennis courts as well as other organized indoor activities for adults and children alike. The climbing season on Mount Shasta starts in late April and continues through October. The most popular trail is Avalanche Gulch, or the John Muir route. Mount Shasta is home to a spectacular 4^th of July fireworks display that is launched over Lake Siskiyou. The celebration usually has things like wine tasting, craft vendors, live shows and concerts and an all you can eat breakfast. Teresa Ambord details the event in her associated content article, "For a Real Fourth of July Celebration, Visit Mount Shasta, California."

Santa CruzBeach Boardwalk
This is one of my personal favorites. I spend as much time as I can in Santa Cruz and the boardwalk makes it so very hard to leave. Santa Cruz's boardwalk is California's Coney Island. It was first opened in 1865 when John Leibrandt opened up a public bathhouse at the mouth of the river. People began flocking to this destination to bath in the salt water. From there vendors began setting up shops and eateries and by the end of the century it had become a popular western vacation spot.