How2Day: Fun California Attractions

California provides a number of fun attractions for visitors of all ages. California flag image by palmer530 from Fotolia.com
California is known for its beautiful beaches, award-winning wines and relaxed attitudes. With a state inundated by famous landmarks and theme parks, several attractions near its largest cities offer visitors fun activities that range from feeding sea otters at a world-class aquarium to riding on a safari in a 1,800-acre nature park.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is located on historic Cannery Row in Monterey, California. Founded in 1984, the aquarium circulates a balance of filtered and unfiltered ocean water through its series of pumps and makes it ecologically part of the bay. It offers over 100 exhibit tanks with more than 600 different species of marine plants and animals, including the largest jellyfish collection in the world, a two-story sea otter exhibit and a three-story kelp forest. Special tours and feeding shows are scheduled every half hour and the Splash Zone provides visitors with more than 45 interactive exhibits that range from sea dragons and seahorses to penguins. The aquarium provides on-site dining options with the casual Portola café and the fine-dining Portola restaurant, which offers a fully-stocked bar and a variety of fresh seafood, pasta and vegetarian dishes. As of November 2010, the aquarium is open every day except Christmas from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with extended hours during the summers from 9:30 a.m. to as late as 8 p.m. on the weekends.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, located two hours from Los Angeles, is the world's largest rotating tramcar that rises more than two miles through five different climate zones. Departing from Valley Station at an elevation of 2,643 feet, the 10-minute ride travels up the cliffs of Chino Canyon and ends at Mountain Station with its 8,516-foot elevation. The summit offers visitors views of the surrounding wilderness and provides activities that range from hiking during the summer (at Mt. San Jacinto Park) to cross-country skiing during the winters at the Winter Adventure Center. On-site lunch and dinner options include the cafeteria-style Pines Café and the fine dining Peaks Restaurant, which offers a variety of dishes prepared with fresh produce from the Coachella Valley along with dry-aged meats and fresh seafood and poultry. The Lookout Lounge--located on the same floor as the Peaks Restaurant--provides simple appetizers and a full range of cocktails. As of November 2010, cars depart at least every 30 minutes and operate between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. during the weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. on the weekends. It also offers "Ride 'n' Dine" tickets that provide roundtrip transportation and a meal at the Pines Café.

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour is offered at its studios in Burbank, California. Unlike other studio tours, the Warner Bros. tour limits each group to only 12 people and provides a more personal and exclusive look through the 110 acres of back-lot streets, sound stages, sets and craft shops. The two-hour tour begins with a 15-minute film about the history of Warner Bros. Studios and includes stops at the Warner Bros. Museum and a tram-car ride through a number of scenes that range from the Paris street scene used in "Casablanca" to the latest popular television shows. An additional benefit of the tour is that visitors can stop and get off at various points along the journey and view the sets and large sound stages on foot. As of November 2010, tickets can be purchased online for $48 per person and children under 10 are not allowed. Tours are available only during the weekdays from 8:20 a.m. to 4 p.m. with extended hours during the summer.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, formerly known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park, is located 30 miles northeast of the San Diego Zoo in San Pasqual Valley near Escondido, California. The 1,800-acre park is home to over 3,000 animals of more than 400 species and provides visitors with tours of wildlife that range from herds of elephants and antelopes to lions and tigers in its Lion Camp. The guided tours include views of different themed habitats including the Asian Plains, East Africa, North Africa, Asian Waterhole, Southern Africa and the Mountain Habitat. The park is also known for its successful California Condor and Southern Rhino breeding programs as well as it veterinary hospital, which is the largest in the world. It also includes the interactive Lorikeet Landing, which is a rain forest aviary where visitors can purchases cups of nectar to feed the birds. As of November 2010, ticket prices are $37 for adults and $27 for children under 11 years.

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