The Best Architectural Landmarks

The Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco): More tomato red than golden, the famous bridge remains a stunning visual for the San Francisco skyline. It's also an excellent expanse to walk.

The Carson Mansion (Eureka): This house is a flamboyant Victorian -- and one of the state's most photographed Queen Anne-style structures. It was built in 1885.

California State Capitol (Sacramento): Built in 1869 and renovated in 1976, the dazzling white capitol has the original statuary restored along its eaves, historical rooms furnished with antiques from the original offices, a strangely interesting collection of portraits of California governors (don't miss Jerry Brown's), and a dome that from the inside looks like a Faberge egg.

Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo (Carmel): The second mission founded in California in 1770 by Father Junípero Serra is perhaps the most beautiful. Its stone church and tower dome have been restored, and a garden of poppies adjoins the church.

Hearst Castle (San Simeon): This 165-room estate of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst is one of the last great estates of America's Gilded Age. It's an astounding, over-the-top monument to wealth and power.

Walt Disney Concert Hall: Simply amazing. You would have to fly to Spain to see Frank O. Gehry's other architectural masterpiece. The dramatically curvaceous stainless-steel exterior houses one of the most acoustically perfect concert halls in the world.

The Theme Building (Los Angeles): The Jetsons-style "Theme Building," which once loomed over LAX, still holds court in the center of the airport and signals your arrival. Enjoy the view of arriving and departing jets from the building's observation deck or its groovy Star Trek-ish Encounter LAX restaurant and bar, whose purple neon lights flood the area after dark.

Balboa Park (San Diego): These Spanish-revival style buildings along El Prado were originally built as temporary structures for the Panama-California Exposition (1915-16). Set amidst the beautifully landscaped terrain of mesas and canyons that comprise one of the country's finest city parks, the ornately decorated and imposing facades have a special magic, creating a romantic fantasia abounding with Mediterranean flourishes. The buildings also house many of San Diego's best museums.

• Anaheim: Disneyland Resort Tickets
• Anaheim: Southern California CityPass Attractions Pass
• Los Angeles: Go Los Angeles Card
• Los Angeles: Universal Studios Hollywood
• San Diego: LEGOLAND California
• San Diego: San Diego Zoo
• San Diego:Go San Diego Card
• San Francisco: Go San Francisco Card
• San Francisco: San Francisco CityPass
• San Francisco: The Alcatraz and Double-Decker City Tour