Beautiful Streets In California
California is blessed with incredible landscapes and natural wonders. If you love exploring the great outdoors, soaking up the sun, seeing the stars, or hitting the ocean, the opportunities to do it all are seemingly limitless in the Golden State. And, if you love a Sunday drive (or any day of the week drive), the following California streets are exceptionally beautiful.
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LoveExploring.com writer Ella Buchan rounded up 30 of the most beautiful streets in the country, and California is home to five on her list.
St. Helena
Main Street in St. Helena will captivate your senses. According to Buchan, it offers an “upscale yet relaxed vibe,” earning the moniker of Napa Valley’s Main Street. The street itself is not very long, but it packs a punch with an eclectic assortment of shops and eateries. It is also situated in close proximity to the area’s popular vineyards.
“Landmark buildings include the Culinary Institute of America, occupying a former winery, and the 19th-century Richie Block building,” Buchan reports.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles has plenty to offer its residents and draws countless tourists thanks to its beauty, charm, and Hollywood glamour. And, then there’s the high-end shopping opportunities of Rodeo Drive. Even if you don’t have the budget to buy anything, it’s still a sight to see.
San Francisco
Two streets in San Francisco made Buchan’s list — Lombard Street and Steiner Street. Both have incredible appeal but differ considerably. The eight hairpin turns on Lombard Street make it the “most crooked street in the world.” And, it’s only a quarter-mile in length!
“It’s such a beloved attraction that cars often line up to wind their way (at no more than 5 mph/8 km ph) around the steep street, which was completed in 1922 in a bid to calm traffic. It was even featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s dizzying film Vertigo, bloom-filled plants add extra prettiness,” according to Buchan.
Steiner Street was featured on the little and big screen. You might remember the colorful Victorian homes in the opening sequence of the TV shows, Full House and its reboot Fuller House. One of the house’s exteriors was used in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire.
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Ocean Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea is a picturesque stretch of land that leads you to the breathtaking Pacific Ocean. As you make your way to the water, you’ll notice an eclectic group of cottages and feel like you’ve entered a storybook.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.