A salute to the spirit of California, and eight things we love about California.

California is a magical place where great wines, mouth-watering tacos, giant ridable surf, and startups seemingly are everywhere! You can climb up a desert dune, ski down a mountain, and swim in the Pacific Ocean all on the same day!

In most parts of the state, it’s sunny! All the time! And, except for the occasional earthquake and fires, living is good. (Smiley face goes here).

Eight Reasons to Love California;

1. The Golden Gate Bridge: With its Doritos-inspired paint job, Art Deco towers, and tendency to get romantically swaddled in fog, this 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge is the coolest in the USA. Sorry, Brooklyn.
2. Santa Barbara! Best weather in the country! The average temperature is 72%. Gorgeous oceanside community with great schools, low crime, and (as they say) everything is within a ten-minute drive. Plus, the natives are friendly.
3. Los Angeles: La-La Land Yodelers complain about traffic, egos, and smog then brag about the beach, the burritos, and the weather. This is a fascinating city of spray tans, highways, and contradictions.
4. California offers an interesting mix of characters of which apparently there is no shortage of. Californians make their livings as actors, animal wranglers and lifeguards; photographers, forest rangers, and food stylists. Grips and gaffers work on movie sets, and seismologists track the tremors of the earth. Dinner party conversations have never been so fascinating.
5. Best sunrises and sunsets…ok, I’m biased.
6. Giant Redwoods…
7. Great surf up and down the coast (secret spots still exist), and where modern skateboarding came into fashion and is now headed to the Olympics!
8. The Coast! California is home to some of the most protected, untouched coastlines in America. Have you ever been to Hollister Ranch in Santa Barbara? Just as the coastline is awesome the inland is just as interesting. This is where you’ll find deserts, fault lines, and the Salton Sea not to mention Lake Tahoe and Mount Shasta. There’s something for everybody!