West and south of central Los Angeles is a 60-mile stretch of coastline as varied as the city itself. Luxury homes, kids playing on the beach, Hollywood film shoots and commercial fishing piers can all be found as you travel along the Pacific Coast past over a dozen communities.

Los Angeles is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Contrasts abound: Hollywood legends and clueless tourists; the glamour of Beverly Hills and unglamorous rush hour traffic; Valley Girls and CalTech doctorate students; all compete for a piece of L.A.'s complex identity.

Palm Springs is southern California's most famous resort destination. Cluttered with resorts, palm trees, and more golf courses and swimming pools than one can easily count, Palm Springs attracts a clientele that ranges from retirees to spring breakers, all seeking the perfect climate and luxurious accommodations the town has become famous for.

When you hear the word "Riverside," you may think of sedate blue water moving through a green landscape, a landscape green with high grass and trees with healthy, leafy canopies. You may think of a city more park than city. And your impression might not quite fit Riverside itself. Riverside is, after all, a major city in California, the largest city in the Inland Empire with a population of over 300,000. But although Riverside struggles with big city problems like smog, urban sprawl and traffic, it still fits its nickname: the city of trees.

San Bernardino marks the eastern end of the Inland Empire, the 50 mile corridor of urban area between here and Los Angeles. The city has a diverse and largely working class community. Several annual events, including the Route 66 Rendezvous classic car festival, attract visitors from around the country.

San Diego is one of the most pleasant big cities in the nation. Year-round warm weather, 70 miles of beaches, and a low crime rate all contribute to the character of this coastal city. The sweeping blue Coronado Bridge is the landmark of San Diego's skyline, which curves along the edge of San Diego Bay. Once known mainly for being the center of U.S. naval operations in the Pacific, San Diego has grown into a major center for culture and recreation in California's southwest.

When Southern California residents are looking for an escape from traffic and urban sprawl, they sail for the small, rocky island of Santa Catalina, aka, Catalina. Linked by ferry to large ports in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, this picturesque island sees a steady stream of scuba divers, kayakers, sun-bathers and sundry in between, come to catch, among other things, a postcard worthy sunset.