Visit California’s latest ad, “Let’s Play,” features a game of “keepy-uppy” that moves all over the Golden State. In the high-energy spot, a beach ball bounces from a clanging cable car in San Francisco up north to Yurok Country and all the way down to Rady Shell in San Diego, making multiple scenic stops along the way.
As the ad demonstrates, we all define “play” in different ways. Maybe it means scaling a rock in Joshua Tree National Park, shredding the slopes near Lake Tahoe, or lounging by a pool in Palm Springs. Check out the locations from the commercial below and see which destinations will become part of your own ultimate playground.
Ride a cable car,
San Francisco
Part of the fun of San Francisco is just in the getting around—the city’s mass transit system is both useful and iconic. Start your adventure downtown on one of the famous cable cars, seen in the commercial, to get to neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Nob Hill, or Fisherman’s Wharf. The prime location to board is at the turnaround at Powell and Market Streets, part of the Powell-Mason Cable Car line, but you can also hop on along the Powell-Hyde Cable Car line. To further deepen your appreciation of the clanging cars, visit the free Cable Car Museum, where you can see cable cars from the 1870s as well as the giant gears that still power the system today.
Walk among the earth’s biggest trees,
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
It’s both humbling and inspiring to take a hike within Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. After all, this is the home of the General Sherman Tree: At 275 feet tall and 36 feet in diameter, it’s the biggest living thing on the planet. Visit it by exploring the Congress Trail then see more big trees, like those seen in the ad, along the Trail of 100 Giants. Don’t miss the Grant Grove, where you’ll find the 267-foot General Grant, also known as “the Nation’s Christmas Tree.”
Climb boulders,
Joshua Tree National Park
With about 8,000 known climbs and 400 unique formations, Joshua Tree National Park is a rock-climber’s dream. You don’t need to be an expert to try it, either. Echo Cove, for instance, has routes for both novices and advanced climbers. Experts can take on the giant boulders on Arch Rock Trail, such as the 30-foot-tall Arch Rock, located a half-mile from the Twin Tanks parking area. (Pick up your climbing shoes, chalk, and other gear at Nomad Ventures.) Prefer to simply admire the lovely flora from the ground? Explore trails such as Indian Cove, an easy 0.6-mile path surrounded by boulders, and the Cholla Cactus Garden, a flat loop featuring pink pencil cholla and desert lavender.
Wine Tasting at Leoness Cellars,
Temecula Valley
Temecula Valley’s wine scene maintains its under-the-radar charm thanks to the kind of family-owned wineries you find along the De Portola Wine Trail. A great place to start is Leoness Cellars—seen hosting a wedding in the ad—which started out in the 1970s as a citrus and avocado orchard before shifting to grapes in the 1990s. Today they’re acclaimed for their Ports, Syrahs, and Meritage blends. Take one of the tours to learn about their farming practices, barrel aging, or to do a progressive tasting flight. The winery also has an onsite restaurant and a rotating calendar of live music.
See the Hollywood Sign,
Los Angeles
There are several ways to enjoy the ultimate view in Los Angeles—the landmark Hollywood Sign. You can see it by driving along Mulholland Drive, or while exploring the city’s 4,300-acre Griffith Park. Get a good look at the sign from the park’s Griffith Observatory, or by hiking the five-mile Mt. Hollywood Trail. Or channel your inner Gene Autry (Griffith Park is also home to the Autry Museum of the American West) and take a two-hour horseback ride with Sunset Ranch Hollywood: its rides along the Mulholland Trail and Mt. Hollywood offer clear views of the sign.
Hit the beach at Crystal Cove State Park,
Newport Beach
Orange County is lined with picture-perfect beaches for surfing, SUP, and tidepooling. Crystal Cove State Park, set along 3.5 miles of coastline around Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, offers all of that and more. The state park extends east of Highway 1 through chaparral-dotted hills crisscrossed with 18 miles of trails. For an idyllic beach day like the one shown in the commercial, choose from different areas within the park: Moro Beach is great for beach games, body surfing, and kayaking, while Reef Point and Pelican Point are excellent for tidepooling during low tides. You can stay overnight too, either in the campground or at one of the 1940s cottages in the Crystal Cove Historic District.
Lounge poolside at Ingleside Estate,
Palm Springs
The whole Palm Springs area offers a time machine of unique architecture and Hollywood history. Get a dose of both when you stay at the Ingleside Estate, the 1920s Spanish Colonial inn that has hosted celebs such as Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marilyn Monroe. Spend plenty of time by the pool, as seen in the ad, surrounded by palm trees, bougainvillea, and mountains in the distance. Don’t miss Melvyn’s, the sleek onsite restaurant that offers live jazz, an old-school cocktail menu, and plenty of retro charm.
Play in the snow,
Lake Tahoe
You can ski or snowboard well into spring (and even summer) at many Lake Tahoe ski resorts, as seen in the commercial. At both Heavenly and Homewood, you get amazing views of the 99.99 percent pure lake right from the slopes, and you’ll enjoy Olympic-caliber runs at Northstar California, Kirkwood Mountain Resort, and Palisades Tahoe. If you love cross-country, explore the 100 groomed trails at Royal Gorge, North America’s largest cross-country ski resort.
Paddle the Klamath River,
Yurok Country
A forty-mile stretch of the Klamath River runs through Yurok Country—the North Coast reservation that is the home of the Yurok people, the largest Native California tribe. Explore both the river and Native culture by taking a two- or four-hour tour from Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours. You’ll paddle a traditional dugout redwood canoe like the one seen in the commercial while your Yurok guide offers ecological and cultural insights about the river and forest.
Catch a show at Rady Shell,
San Diego
In San Diego you can soak up big-city culture while also enjoying a pleasant night outside. Check out the calendar for the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, seen at the end of the commercial. This architectural stunner along San Diego’s Embarcadero Marina Park hosts touring acts as well as the San Diego Symphony. You can also enjoy dinner on show nights, thanks to the venue’s Street Food Pavilion and Shell Provisions—showcasing notable local chefs such as Top Chef champ Richard Blais.
