12 Bucketlist Experiences You Can Only Have in California

Soak in the historic majesty of the Ancient Bristlecone Forest. The oldest recorded living trees are still kicking in all of their gnarled beauty here. It’s a hauntingly inspired California place to find yourself.

You and your car can feel alone with nature when you find yourself driving straight through a giant redwood. Drive up Highway 101 to one of three different locations where a redwood tree, split down the middle, stands in the road. If you want the ultimate California experience, make the drive through all three trees!

Find out where all the magic happens at the Jelly Bean Factory. No matter if you’re young or young at heart, the Jelly Bean Factory is a great place to have a fun time. Eat as many jelly beans as your heart desires as you learn about the production of these little sweet treats.

It’s like a small slice of Yellowstone, but Golden State style. This particular part of Lassen National Park is home to geothermal pools you have to see to believe. There are 16 acres of bubbling springs, mudpots, and steam vents coming from the earth. Better yet, this volcanic park has a boardwalk that takes you through the area.

California’s oldest continuously running winery lies in none other than Sonoma County, the epicenter of wine country. Buena Vista Winery is over 150 years old. Its old stone estate is home to some of the best wine in the area and is even on the National Register of Historic Places; it’s as legitimate as it gets. Order a glass or two, sit back, and marvel at the grand piece of cultural history.

Just south of San Diego is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park; this isn’t just any state park though, as there are over 100 metal sculptures scattered all over the land. The statues depict not only current creatures but also those that once roamed the desert many years ago. A gigantic scorpion, prehistoric mammals, dinosaurs, and even a massive dragon are among the incredible and photogenic sculptures.

Visitors will no doubt have a unique experience at Nitt Witt Ridge. The rag-tag mansion estate, built with trash, scraps, and art, lies in Cambria, and curious minds can take one of the tours offered a few times a week.

If you’ve ever tried to master the timeless yo-yo, you know the struggle. If you’ve ever wondered how this classic game came to be, then you should head to Chico to the National Yo-Yo Museum. Nowhere else takes the yo-yo seriously like California, and you can see that firsthand at the museum. Check out the earliest yo-yos from the 1920s, as well as the world’s largest yo-yo, weighing in at 256 pounds.

Visit Año Nuevo State Park where you can admire the interestingly lovable-looking and protected elephant seal population in its natural habitat. Come here in the summer to hike to the part of the beach where these wonderful sea mammals bask, swim, and just hang out.

If you want to see beautiful golden trout, head to California’s Golden Trout Wilderness. At 10,000 feet above sea level, a special type of Californian grace seems to run through the high-altitude waters.

These curious looking slugs only live and thrive in small parts of a handful of places, including Santa Cruz. Here, you can find the banana slug while hiking the trails of Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Try looking under the redwoods and by damp stream beds to watch these bright yellow slugs that every Californian wants to catch in their slow-moving action.