Experienced and first-time travelers alike rely on Fodor's Gold Guides for rich, reliable coverage the world over. Updated each year and containing a full-color, foldout Rand McNally map, a Fodor's Gold Guide is an essential tool for any kind of traveler. Smart travel tips and important contact info make planning your trip a breeze, and detailed coverage of sights, accommodations, and restaurants give you the info you need to make your experience enriching and hassle-free. If you only have room for one guide, this is the one for you. Great tours, from neighborhood walks in San Francisco and San Diego to drives along the coast and in the mountains Beaches, the redwoods, Lake Tahoe, Monterey, Palm Springs, Death Valley, Santa Barbara, and Yosemite Where to bike, canoe, fish, golf, hike, ski, and surf, plus tips on whale-watching and adventure cruises Balloon rides, panning for gold, and other good times The best nightlife -- from the "in" to the far out Where to stay and eat, no matter what your budget Beachside resorts and hilltop ranches, Gold Rush inns and sleek hotels, simple motels and rustic campgrounds California cuisine in Beverly Hills, seafood in coastal La Jolla, dim sum in San Francisco's Chinatown, and "grub" at a North Coast loggers' cookhouse Fresh, thorough, practical -- off and on the beaten path Costs, hours, descriptions, and tips by the thousands 81 pages of maps, 15 vacation itineraries, and more Smart travel tips Festivals Complete index