Ready for a fresh adventure in 2022? With a little planning and flexibility, a dream trip is still easily within reach, even during uncertain times. January 25 is National Plan for Vacation Day—the perfect opportunity to dream up your next getaway. (Want to share your ideas with friends on social media? Use #PlanforVacation when you post.) Here are 12 fun ways to kick-start your brainstorming:
1. Subscribe to the California Now Podcast
Hosted by broadcast veteran Soterios Johnson, each podcast features travel experts, authors, chefs, and other insiders who share tips about the best experiences around the Golden State. Recent episodes highlight experiences for movie buffs, local food tours, and off-the-beaten path road trips.
2. Follow Us on Tiktok
Check out @visitcalifornia for travel inspiration, sneak peeks at buzzy restaurants, and blissful moments in nature, like these dolphins swimming near Dana Point.
3. Stay in the loop with our newsletter
Sign up for our weekly newsletter for more regular doses of inspiration: deals, upcoming events, and fun trip-planning ideas—like timing your trip to seasonal spectacles and the best of this winter’s hotel specials.
4. Pre-Order Your Free California Visitor’s Guide
Our new 2022 guide showcases 335 hidden gems across the state, including unexpected natural wonders, unique events, and under-the-radar family attractions. The new issue hits newsstands in February, but you can order a free copy now to be sent straight to your doorstep. Bonus: For a limited time when you order the 2022 guide you'll also receive the 2021 publication, which highlights hundreds of the most iconic Golden State attractions and destinations.
5. Follow your passions on a road trip
The Road Trip Republic hub features more than 50 highway adventures, including itineraries for every taste or interest. Tour the top surfing spots, witness wonderful waterfalls, or pay a visit to the tacos stands in the state We’ve even got trips tailored to visitors from neighboring states: Check out these special road trips to California that start in Seattle, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Albuquerque.
Not sure where you want to go? Take this free travel personality quiz from HearHere and Truity to find out if you're a Culture Hound, Nonstop Nomad, or one of the six other traveler archetypes, then take the recommended Golden State road trip that suits you best.
6. Explore the outdoors in new ways
California’s diversity of terrains offers plenty of fresh-air fun—thanks to nine national parks, 280 state parks, and countless wide open spaces. See splashes of orange and black along Highway 1’s Monarch Butterfly Trail, pitch in outdoors on a Voluntourism Vacation, or get your feet wet using 7 Cool Ways to Play in the Pacific Ocean.
7. Rediscover your favorite cities and towns
Perhaps you’ve been to San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Anaheim many times. That’s OK—Golden State destinations constantly reinvent themselves. Our So You Think You Know California series offers fresh tips on classic spots, such as Santa Barbara, Mendocino, Palm Springs. Then, take a closer look at longtime favorites, like San Francisco’s Lombard Street or new classics such as the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.
8. Take some cues from California Locals
Nobody knows the best places in town to eat, shop, or kick back quite like a local. We chatted up savvy shop owners, tour guides, restaurateurs, and other experts—from Mammoth Lakes to Napa to Beverly Hills—for essential tips that will enrich any trip.
9. Plan a snowy getaway inspired by the Olympics
Play in the same snow that California’s Olympians call home—like hitting the slopes at Palisades Tahoe (host of the 1960 Winter Olympics), going cross-country in Yosemite National Park, or learning how to navigate the half-pipes at Big Bear Mountain Resort.
10. Take the family to see 2022’s new attractions
The Santa Barbara Zoo has just debuted its new Australian Walkabout, populated with wallabies, kangaroos, emus and native birds, and this spring, the Monterey Bay Aquarium will introduce a new exhibit, Into the Deep. In March, San Diego will welcome a new theme park, Sesame Place, and SeaWorld San Diego will launch the a floorless dive coaster inspired by Emperor penguins. Later this spring, LEGOLAND California will open its LEGO Ferrari Build and Race attraction and Six Flags Magic Mountain will debut WONDER WOMAN: Flight of Courage, set to be the tallest and longest single-rail coaster on the planet.
11. Explore the Best of California
Check out these quintessential experiences across the Golden State—from 11 incredible beaches to 13 iconic hotels and eight only-in-California oddities. We’ve added tips on how to make the most of the Golden State’s most iconic attractions.
12. As always, stay safe—in part by getting the latest information.
Visit California’s Responsible Travel Hub has travel alerts, resources, and the Responsible Travel Code, so you can be up to date on current guidelines around the state.
