California

Desert X review – a severed torso and a sinister detention pen shatter America’s sun-kissed fantasyland

California’s monumental desert sculpture jamboree, which features billboards of photos taken by Tyre Nichols, is questioning water use and the climate crisis. What a shame it requires so much driving

Oliver Wainwright

09, Mar, 2023 @2:21 PM

‘Sun-powered orgasms are fantastic’: why I went to live in a desert cave

Armed with only a solar charger, a vibrator and some marijuana gummy bears, I rode out the pandemic – and my fear of spiders – in a California commune

Stephanie Theobald

02, Oct, 2021 @8:45 AM

Empty campgrounds, burned ski lifts: will Lake Tahoe be a tourist destination once again?

Wildfires spell a threat to the tourist industry in California mountain towns as vacationers cancel trips and national parks close

Gabrielle Canon in South Lake Tahoe

11, Sep, 2021 @10:00 AM

On my radar: Vince Staples’s cultural highlights

The LA rapper and actor on the growing pains of Pen15, one-to-watch Reggie Helms Jr and escaping from it all along the Pacific Coast Highway

Kathryn Bromwich

25, Jul, 2021 @7:00 AM

It's an RV life for Yurok kids on the California coast

Our series on evocative travel images continues with Joel Redman’s shot of Native American children after a fishing adventure

Joel Redman

10, Mar, 2021 @6:30 AM

After our 112-mile hike in the Sierra Nevada, I won’t underestimate my kids again

Looking for a big adventure? A challenging Californian trek taught me and my boys the value of patience, trust and bottomless snacks

Jemima Kiss

02, Jan, 2021 @6:00 AM

Wine tourism comes of age

The best places to holiday include California and Alsace, where welcoming producers and well-developed wine routes offer something for everyone

David Williams

20, Aug, 2019 @7:00 AM

Thirsty work in San Diego, the craft brewing capital of America

Raise a glass to the Californian city with more than 200 craft breweries and tasting rooms

Chris Hall

16, Jun, 2019 @11:30 AM

Sky-high trekking: taking on California’s High Sierra Trail

This demanding trek amid granite domes and giant trees culminates in a climb up 4,421-metre Mount Whitney but it’s worth every lung-busting step

Carey Davies

19, Mar, 2019 @6:30 AM

10 of the best things to do in Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs’ modernist masterpieces are celebrated in this week’s fall preview but the mountain haven for the Hollywood set is worth a visit any time of year

Robert Hull

18, Oct, 2018 @5:30 AM

California Highway 1 reopens after flood and mud slide repair work

Scenic US west-coast route open again following a 14-month, $54m project to fix natural disaster damage that stranded Big Sur community

Laura Chubb

23, Jul, 2018 @1:03 PM

Beyond Comic-Con: San Diego's beaches and Pacific views are its real stars

As fans flock to the famous sci-fi, fantasy and comic convention, we skip the event halls in favour of the best of the Californian city’s outdoor life