CALIFORNIA VACATION RENTALS, U.S.A.

Disneyland® Resort in Anaheim can easily be regarded as one of the most prominent attractions of Southern California. Disneyland® Resort is home to two great theme parks Disneyland® Park and Disney’s California Adventure® Park. Opened in 1955, the Disneyland® Park, which was personally watched over by Walt himself, is a true representation of Disney’s character of fun and frolic while the second theme park combines the charms of the golden state with lots of spectacular thrills and excitement. Enter the mouth of danger with the classic Indiana Jones™ Adventure ride; get into a combat mode as you join Buzz Ligthyear in a dangerous battle against Emperor Zurg in the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters or take a self guided tour of your very own Mickey’s home.

If you are already thinking things couldn’t get any better, well you need to think again. As more fun and excitement awaits you at the Disneyland® Resort’s second theme park - Disney’s California® Adventure Park. Get set for a spinning whirl on the thrilling California Screamin’ roller coaster ride and even before you are out from the shock, head for another hair-raising swing on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™. If your thirst for adventure has not yet subsided how about taking a ride in a simulated hang glider over California as you zoom by the Golden Gate Bridge and Yosemite National Park.  Round up your thrilling rides with a spectacular and a dazzling fairy tale show followed by a themed dinner with your favorite cartoon characters and then get ready for the grand finale, the signature Disney parade before returning to relax and plan the next day’s visit in your California vacation rental.

Spend one of your days amid a rich canopy of beautiful landscapes strewn with an indigenous variety of trees, plants, shrubs, and wildflowers at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Highlighting the diversity of California’s native flora are the 1,000 indigenous species of plants and the nature trails give you the perfect excuse to marvel at this natural wonder from close quarters. You can either opt for a self guided tour or choose a docent-led tour. For those keen on learning more about the various plants can also visit the Garden’s library, which includes over 15,000 rare books, photos, manuscripts and horticulture catalogue.

After the tour, stop by the Garden Shop to take back home a souvenir or a little memorabilia to remind you of your hours spent in this paradise garden. The Garden is open seven days a week except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Day. The operational hours vary according to the season. From March to October the Garden is open from 9 AM to 6 PM and from November to February it is open from 9 AM to 5 PM. The cost of the tickets for adults is $8, $6 for seniors 60 years and above and for children between the age of 13 and 17 and $4 for children between 2 and 12 years. The admission is free for children under the age of 2. 

Imagine L.A. and among many of its signature landmarks that come up in your mind, the 50-feet high sign of ‘Hollywood’ imprinted in white on Mt. Lee in the Hollywood Hills stands out. This celebrated landmark can be seen from miles away and to get a close up you can opt for one of the hiking trails in Griffith Park to take you close to the iconic letters. However, similar to a Hollywood celebrity, this feted sight too is protected by restricting gates, security cameras, Park Rangers etc and therefore you should follow the correct trails for visiting this site.

A visit to Hollywood Boulevard, the hub of the film industry is a must, which is home to a number of famous attractions including the ever popular Hollywood Walk of Fame, the cylindrical Capitol Records Tower, Kodak Theatre, Hollywood Entertainment Museum, Hollywood Wax Museum and Hollywood Guinness World Records Museum.

Whether you are a movie buff or not, getting behind the scenes or watching the action unfurl in real life from close quarters can get exciting even for the most unenthusiastic of visitors. Universal Studios in Hollywood gives you just the right doze of action packed entertainment through the tour of its magnanimous studios and an electrifying amusement park. Start your Universal Studios experience with the studio tour, which is a 1 hour tram that passes by stars’ dressing rooms, production offices and famous sets including an Old West town, a New  York City street and popular movie sets such as Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, Jurassic Park III and The Grinch.

The world-famous San Diego Zoo is one of only four zoos in the U.S. which is home to over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species, including the giant pandas and some rare species such as the long-billed kiwis from New Zealand, lowland gorillas from Africa and giant tortoises from the Galapagos. Located in the San Diego city, the zoo features a number of diverse exhibits that can range from the African forest to the Artic taiga and tundra. Watch the magnificent cats of the wild, the lions from close quarters in the Lion Camp or experience the essence of wild Africa in the Heart of Africa, which features a variety of species including okapis, giraffes, warthogs, ground hornbills and cheetahs. From the jungles of Africa take a trip to the cold Artic as you come across the polar bears, Siberian reindeer, yellow-throated martens and diving ducks and then later in the afternoon catch a spectacular elephant show, which takes place every day at 1 PM and 3 PM. You can combine a short hiking trip with a 40 minute Guided Bus Tour to cover as many areas as possible.

The tour offers a narrated overview and covers about 75% of the zoo. You also have the option to get off in between if you wish to explore a certain area in detail. The zoo is open year round including all the holidays. From September to mid-June, the Wild Animal Park is open from 9AM to 4PM and from mid-June to Aug it is operational from 9AM to 8PM. The general admission ticket for adults is $28.50 and $17.50 for children between the age of 3 and 11 and free for military in uniform. The general admission ticket includes Wild Animal Park admission and Wgasa Bush Line Railway.

Regarded as one of North America’s most visited railroad museums, the California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento offers a fascinating insight into the history railways, which is sure to engage and delight people of all age groups. While little ones can marvel and express excitement at the thought of seeing one of the lavishly restored trains, the adults can re-live the childhood fantasy of enjoying a train ride or admire one of the classic and shiny locomotives and rail cars that are truly a fine work of art. If you happen to be vacationing in a California vacation rental between April and September, then you can take a ride on one of the steam locomotives that operates on weekends and holidays from 11 AM to 5 PM at the museum. The museum also holds frequent exhibits and events and even has a museum store, from where you can pick up a cool souvenir to take back home. For those really interested in getting to know about the railroad industry in-depth can also browse through the various journals and books present in the museum’s library. The museum is open daily except for on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day from 10 AM to 5 PM. The admission fee costs $8 for adults, $3 for youth between the age of 6 and 17 and free for children aged 5 and under.

Home to more than 350,000 marine animals and plants, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is considered to be one of the best exhibit aquariums in the world and each year it attracts nearly 2 million visitors. Among the interesting gamut of exhibits, one particular exhibit is a three-story, 3335,000-gallon tank, which gives you the opportunity to watch leopard sharks, anchovies, sardines and other sea creatures swimming through a kelp forest from close quarters. Delve into the fascinating world of more underwater creatures in the Outer Bay exhibit, which also features the largest permanent collection of jellyfish species in the U.S. Yet another outstanding exhibit is the ‘Sharks: Myth and Mystery’, which as the name suggests is home to nearly two dozen species of sharks and rays from all over the world. The aquarium is open all days except on Christmas Day from 10 AM to 6 PM. From May 28 to September 5 and on holidays, the museum stays open from 9:30 AM to 6 PM. The ticket costs $21.95 for adults; $19.95 for students between the age of 13 and 17 and for seniors above the age of 65, for children between the age of 3 and 12 it costs $12.95 and free for children under the age of 3.