California is a land of excess: a State where boundaries expand, and where both nature and humans seem to push things a bit further every time. Here you’ll find ancient trees among the largest on the planet, futuristic cable-stayed bridges, mountains turned into works of art, and global symbols of contemporary culture.
In this journey, we’ll look at five places that tell the story of California as a state capable of going beyond limits.
1. General Sherman Treen: Standing in the Shadow of the Biggest Tree in the World
Nature cranked the volume all the way up here. The General Sherman Tree, deep in Sequoia National Park, is considered the largest tree in the world: over 83 meters tall with a base circumference of 31 meters, and more than 2,000 years old.
Walking beneath this sequoia tree’s branches is a humbling, awe-inspiring experience.
2. Death Valley: rock bottom, literally
From the tallest trees to the lowest point in North America, Death Valley is the ultimate display of nature’s extremes. Death Valley temperatures can soar to nearly 57°C, and you can walk across dazzling salt flats like Badwater Basin, sitting 86 meters below sea level.
It’s not just low, it’s one of the hottest, driest places on the planet.
3. The Hollywood Sign: the billboard that made history
What started in 1923 as a real estate ad is now one of the most recognized symbols on Earth. The Hollywood Sign’s 14-meter-high letters overlook Los Angeles and embody the dream, and the spectacle, of the entertainment world.
More than a sign, it’s a monument to pop culture fantasy.
4. International Gateway Bridge: The Tallest Cabled-Stayed Bridge in the U.S.
In the heart of the Port of Long Beach stands the International Gateway Bridge, the tallest cable-stayed bridge in the United States, built in 2020 by Webuild.
With its 160-meter towers and a central span of 330 meters suspended 62 meters above the sea, this giant allows the passage of massive Neo-Panamax ships and handles millions of containers every year.
5. Salvation Mountain: The Painted Mountain in California, in the Middle of Nowhere
In the middle of the Colorado Desert, a hand-painted mountain rises like a mirage. It’s called Salvation Mountain, and it’s the life’s work of outsider artist Leonard Knight, who spent 30 years decorating this hill with paint, messages of love, and spiritual quotes.
It’s a symbol of boundless creativity, and one of the most iconic places in surreal California.
