I always love books from DK because of their colorful pages and organized. They have listed as much places, events as possible into useful categories and give readers a brief idea for each places (address, opening/closing time, websites...) I live in Los Angeles myself but never been to several places listed in the book. This book is not too big to carry if you are planning to bring it with you in the carry-on bag. Recommended to all the travelers !!

For every destination worldwide I plan (or dream) to go I buy a new DK guide, it`s a wonderfull search for research and recordation and California DK guide is not an exception to this rule.

The only problem is that comparing with my old DK guides (my oldest one is around 9 years old)I would say the printing quality is getting more poor now, maybe because it`s made in China.

But still the best you can find in market.

I purchased this book and also the current Frommers CA guide. I appreciated this book, because as we drove around the cities- the book gave detailed information about the different points of interest including their history and origins. It was great for all of those times we wondered what the heck something was- or how it came to be - while driving around CA cities. I also found this book more helpful in pointing us to some cool shops in the cities. While the Frommers guide was more detailed in its restaraunt and hotel descriptions, this book was more helpful in finding some of the off the beaten path - fun to see sites.

I really like it.It has many pictures and tips for visitor.

As a member of the Eyewitness Travel Guides, this book's presentation and organization are fabulous and updated. However, travelers beware, it still tends to be on the heavy side given the paper type. I also own the previous (2003) edition of this book, and haven't found the changes to be too important. Furthermore, I don't find the color quality and sharpness of its pictures to be as great as the 2003 edition. I still prefer to use my older version.

This is a great book to own about California. I wish there had been more complete maps, but I purchased an atlas and that helped. I was mostly in Southern California, and so I didn't get much into the large section on San Francisco bay, but next time I go, I'll have a nice resource. I like the pictures and the writing and the information, I'd recommend it.

While I've been to LA a billion times (plus a few other Cali locations), there is still so much I've missed and so a book like this comes in real handy when I'm planning my next vacation.
Eyewitness Travel guides in general are a fantastic series of guide books. They, like this one, are full of colour and beautiful glossy pages packed with photos and heaps of helpful information. It starts with an introduction to California and other subjects like The History Of California, Los Angeles (and within that there is many suburbs, shopping and entertainment and street finders). Then there is Southern California like Orange County, San Diego County, The Inland Empire and Low Desert. Following that there is San Francisco and The Bay Area, more of Northern California etc. Then toward the end, there is sections such as Where To Stay, Where To Eat, Shopping In California, Practical Information, Travel Information etc.
It is full of helpful stuff and you can get a great idea of what there is to do and see and you can almost plan out an entire vaction based on this book alone. I really recommend this to all people planning on taking a trip to any of the big Californian cities, because there is a lot to learn and make decisions on and this book will become your best friend. I love it.

This is a good book to use to begin researching a trip to California. The focus is primarily on LA and San Francisco but there is also quite a bit of information on the rest of the state as well. Like the rest of this series, this one also includes lots of pictures, illustrations and maps to give the reader/traveler a clear idea of the various sites. Detailed information about public transportation - where available - as well as traffic, health, banking...everything a traveler to California might need to know is offered.

This particular entry to the DK Eyewitness series covers a very large and diverse area making this volume rather larger (and heavier) than others in the series. Unless you are traveling throughout the state I would recommend getting one of the more specialized volumes. In addition this series does not update as often as other travel guides so it is necessary to check specific information just as hotel rates, or opening/closing of attractions by another source. For detailed local maps outside of featured areas it is also necessary to go to another.

With all of these drawbacks why get this book? This book contains a wealth of information concerning California history, geography, weather as well as the usual guide book information about tourist attractions and accomodations. This is an excellent book to give a would be traveler needed information about the area. Once the destinations have been selected this guide gives incredible detail about major (and some not so major) attractions in the form of photos, illustrations and diagrams as well as written descriptions.

Get this book to research your trip and keep it to remember your adventures.

The two best books I had along on my California vacation were this one and the Golden Gate Trailblazer (for San Francisco where I spent most of my time). When I return I will use them both again. The Eyewitness gave me somewhat of an overview and the Trailblazer was more detailed and gave excellent directions for walking. I stayed at the hostel near Fort Mason which was cheap and nicely located.

Traveling without doing any research is a recipe for sub-par trips and missing many things that you would want to see if only you knew where to look. The problem with most travel guides, though, is that they are great sources of information on hotels, restaurants, and other attractions but they have few pictures if any. Yet, when you travel to a place such as California with its size and diversity, there are many locales that have great visual appeal. How can you possibly select or prioritize among them without seeing pictures?

This is where the Eyewitness Travel Guides come in handy. While not comprehensive in covering the details, this guide has photos of many of the landmarks that await you in the Golden State. The book is an excellent starting point and can definitely help you decide what you want to see while visiting California. I highly recommend purchasing it along with one more detailed regional books, such as Frommer's, that will delve more deeply into restaurants and hotels to get a truly comprehensive comination of source material to help you plan your trip.

Being a pretty busy person, and usually hating to read travel guides, I find that the DK Eyewitness Guides are the only ones I can stand reading - in fact, I find them enjoyable.

Their main force is that you don't have to imagine whether a destination would be something for you - the guide shows you what to expect, where others just tell you about it. That is the series' main force: They are very easily digestible.

That said, an Eyewitness Guide can't stand alone, so my wife usually acquires a Lonely Planet guide for the place, and I read the Eyewitness Guide, and the two complement each other nicely.

At 630 pages, this is the largest Eyewitness guide I have seen to date, but it also covers a very large subject: All of California, including large and comprehensive sections on both San Francisco and Los Angeles.

In addition the introduction, Survival Guide and Travellers' Needs sections that are found in every Eyewitness guide, this book consists of four main sections, roughly equal in size: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Southern California and Northern California.

The section on Los Angeles is the largest, and at 129 pages is in itself as much as some of Dorling Kindersley's city guides. The section on San Francisco isn't much smaller, but lots of pages are still left for the rest of California. In essence, you get two complete city guides and a nice country guide in one reasonably priced package.

Although I'm satisfied with my purchase, some things could be better: Disneyland gets disappointingly dull treatment, considering that it is LA's main attraction - although 4 pages are used we don't even get an overview drawing of the park, although that's something I'd really expected from the Eyewitness guide.

In more general terms, these guide are always very neutral in tone, so it's often difficult to get a feel for an attraction - it might be interesting, but is it worth the money? Is it expensive? The guide doesn't say...

As a conclusion, the book gives good value for money and is an excellent preparatory tool, although its shortcomings as a travel companion becomes too evident with use - for actual day-to-day planning, we had to turn to Lonely Planet for detailed information and subjective recommendations.

I tend to agree with a previous reviewer. Eyewitness Travel Guides are great for seeing the sights in large cities. But when on the road, they are a bit less than fantastic. My wife and I used this one a few years ago on a tour along Route 1 from Calistoga to San Diego. Most of the info was very useful. The way this guide book introduces the area and its culture is one of its strongest points. Its picture-driven approach is also a big selling point. Four stars.

I picked up this book to see what California has to offer. Sometimes living in a place, you forget what different museums, restaurants and different things to do yet. So, this book was an excellent choice for me!

It also includes lots of information on San Francisco, where I have not been yet, but really want to visit. It also has a section on Las Vegas which is pretty good too. So, if you are looking to see and do everything California has to offer, this guide is for you.

It includes hotel information and restaurants according to location. This book is an excellent tool, showing you just what you'll see when you visit different locations in California.

Enjoy!

I went to visit 6 Flags Marine World in Vallejo, CA. When I arrived there I found to my surprise that it was closed for no special reason. The opening times in the book are wrong! Then I decided to visit Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. I was late for the last boat at 2:15 PM. In the book says the last one is at 2:45 PM... Wrong again!! Now, I have a book but I still have to call to ask and confirm any move I do. If it is not possible to be accurate with the opening/closing times, it is better not to say anything about them.

As a photographer, I love these books because you can see more or less what you're going to get when you visit a sight. However, if you're planning a road trip through California, make sure to start with the Michelin Green Guide and its suggested driving tours. Supplement that with AAA Hidden Highways (there is one for Northern California at least) and you're set (unless you want some cultural background in which case you need Kim Weir's Moon Handbooks).

Have a great trip through American's 2nd greatest state (after Massachusetts, of course)!

Dorling Kindersley makes the best travel guides hands down. They are extremely well illustrated, have extensive and detailed maps up to date information on hotels (rates, rooms etc), restaurants (costs and reservation policies), and sites to see.

The travel guides have wonderful pictures, well researched histories and facts about California (the cities and the sites), what wines to look for and taste (not just by region and vineyard but also by year), detailed walking tours, information on famous sites (The lore behind Man''s Theater in LA, the La Brea Tar Pits as well as Alcatraz and some of the top wineries to visit in Napa and Sonoma).

The guide covers travel information, driving directions, the best places to shop and see celebrities in LA, where to get good deals and SOOO much more. The book give you wonderful ideas on how to best see each area in a limited time or really enjoy it if you are there for more than a few days.

The book also covers things to do that many tourists might over look as well as telling you what is worth your while and what to skip.

This is one of the best guides available on the market. It is perfect if you are planning to go to a few cities in a limited time or for more in depth information when planning a longer trip.

This is not a bad travel guide. It's very pretty, which is really what you are paying for. The book spends too much time on the arts and museums and not enough on "what to do." However the maps are great and the organization makes it quite clear. Good buy if you are using it for ALL of California.

This book was a great find! Now I only use the Eyewitness travel books. It is organized in sections based on region. Then each section is organized by area. So everything in the book is organizaed by area. This lets you plan your days extremely easily, if you want cultural, arts, or historical. And all the points of interest are great. Has things for the Adventrous and the Classic traveler.