2 Best Sights in The Far North, California

This peaceful downtown park has 300 acres of walking trails, an aquarium, an arboretum and botanical gardens, and many interactive exhibits for kids. The main draw is the stunning Santiago Calatrava–designed Sundial Bridge, a metal and translucent glass pedestrian walkway, suspended by cables from a single tower and spanning a broad bend in the Sacramento River. On sunny days the 217-foot tower lives up to the bridge's name, casting a shadow on the ground below to mark time. Access to the bridge and some trails is free, but the museum and gardens charge admission.

The 3,670-acre park straddles Big Chico Creek, where scenes from Gone With the Wind (1939) and Robin Hood (1938), starring Errol Flynn, were filmed. The region's recreational hub has a golf course; "the best urban swimming holes in California"; and biking, hiking, horseback riding, and skating trails. Chico Creek Nature Center serves as the official information site.