Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
shore-bound (eg from lighthouses) - it's free, but you're less likely to see any whales and
you'll be removed from all the action.
Half-day whale-watching boat trips (from $25 to $90 per adult, up to 50% off per child)
last from 2½ to four hours, and sometimes include snacks and drinks. Make reservations at
minimum a day or two in advance. Better boats limit the number of people and have a
trained naturalist on board. Some companies will let you go out again for free if you don't
spot any whales on your first cruise.
Bring binoculars and dress in warm, waterproof layers. Choppy seas can be nauseating.
To avoid seasickness, sit outside on the boat's second level - but not too close to the diesel
fumes in back.
Hiking & Backpacking
No matter where you find yourself in coastal California, you're never far from a trail, even
in busy metropolitan areas. The best trails are often amid the jaw-dropping scenery of na-
tional and state parks, forests, recreation areas and other public lands. Take your pick of a
staggering variety of routes, from easy strolls negotiable by wheelchairs and baby strollers
to multiday backpacking treks through the wilderness. Don't miss a ramble among the
world's tallest trees, coast redwoods, or California's spring wildflowers that bloom with all
the colors of a painter's palette.
BEWARE: POISON OAK
Watch out for western poison oak throughout coastal California, especially in forests and
foothills below 5000ft in elevation. This poisonous shrub is most easily identified by its
shiny reddish-green tripartite leaves (remember the rhyme 'Leaves of three, let it be!'),
which turn crimson in the fall, and its white berries. In winter, when the plant has no
leaves, it looks brown and twiggy, but can still cause a serious allergic reaction if even one
billionth of a gram of urushiol oil touches your skin. If you brush against poison oak, scrub
the affected area immediately with soap and water or an over-the-counter remedy such
as Tecnu, a soap specially formulated to remove the plant's itchy urushiol oils.
