California is called the “Golden State” with good reason, and not simply because it was birthed by the ’49 Gold Rush. From sun-kissed, seaside San Diego and the desert oasis of Palm Springs in the south, to misty redwood forests and snow-capped volcanoes in the north, the state is blessed with shining superlatives. The cities are chockfull of world-class museums, fabulous architectural and historic sites, plus cosmopolitan restaurants and chic rooftop bars. You could spend a lifetime exploring and not discover it all. But what if you only have 24 hours in any one place? California is blessed with so many amazing things to see and do, it’s hard to know what to start. Perfect Day California is your handy guide to honing in on the quintessential experiences. Watch polar bears frolic in the water behind a giant glass screen at San Diego Zoo. Experience the thrill of a VIP behind-the-scenes tour at Paramount Studios. Hear and see firsthand the enthralling inside scoop on space exploration at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Whether your activity of choice is marveling at contemporary art in the Getty Museum or wandering beneath the soaring Coast redwoods, steeping in a hot mud bath spa or panning for gold in the Sierra foothills, California has a perfect day for every taste and desire. Local author Christopher P. Baker knows California like the back of his hand. Here he shares with you his knowledge and insights to make the most of your visits to destinations throughout the state. He provides invaluable and inspirational insider tips that condense 24 hours in each place into the most rewarding experience possible.

Itinerary-Activities-Accommodations-Campgrounds-Restaurants-Maps-Readings-Web sites-Also, Four-Day Tours-Everything you'll need!

Great Escapes: Selective guides for travelers who want to find quick trips and getaways within a specific locale. They take away the drudgery of sifting through online and printed travel info by listing only the most worthwhile events, activities, and places to stay and eat. Great Escapes: Southern California: Make the most of the SoCal experience by veering toward some unexpected, eclectic haunts: Go "Sideways" along the back roads of the Santa Ynez Valley, find solitude while camping on Catalina Island or the Gaviota coastline, check out San Diego's hip Gaslamp District, and revel in a 50s-style lodge in the desert of Palm Springs.

Throughout the twentieth century, public universities were established across the United States at a dizzying pace, transforming the scope and purpose of American higher education. Leading the way was California, with its internationally renowned network of public colleges and universities. This book is the first comprehensive history of California's pioneering efforts to create an expansive and high-quality system of public higher education. The author traces the social, political, and economic forces that established and funded an innovative, uniquely tiered, and geographically dispersed network of public campuses in California. This influential model for higher education, "The California Idea," created an organizational structure that combined the promise of broad access to public higher education with a desire to develop institutions of high academic quality. Following the story from early statehood through to the politics and economic forces that eventually resulted in the 1960 California Master Plan for Higher Education, The California Idea and American Higher Education offers a carefully crafted history of public higher education.

California's Girl is the story of a young girl growing up on the beach in Southern California during the 1960s and '70s. It is told through journal entries, short stories, poetry, and associated recollections. It begins with an idyllic childhood in a small beach town on the California coast. It details the lifestyle unique to the beach culture. A timeless span of innocence, bursting with the joy of life, surrounded by sand and sea. Adolescence arrives during an era of rebellion and social upheaval. Through the high school years, lessons are learned, and the complexity of life is examined. Reality begins to erode the fantasies of childhood. The first kiss, the first heartbreak, the loss of innocence, and the emergence of personal identity are seen through the eyes of a young girl. The beginning of one life's journey, when choices are made that will ultimately affect the unforeseeable future. A young girl does the best she can, makes mistakes, and savors the triumphsa microcosm of the human experience.

Photographs and articles from "Surfer" magazine help chronicle this history of surfing.