This book explores the breathtakingly beautiful California coastline, from the rugged, mountainous northern shore fringed with majestic redwood forests to the inviting beaches of southern California. A treasured keepsake for residents and a perfect souvenir for visitors, The California Coast captures the look and local colour of this world-famous 1,200-mile strip of the Pacific Rim: its sounds and smells, its natural and human history, the world-famous cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, the historic Spanish towns of Santa Barbara and Monterey, the wild Big Sur, and the quaint fishing villages of Mendocino and Eureka. In over one hundred colour photographs and ten essays, the book paints a rich visual, cultural, and historic portrait of the shore. The soul of the coast is revealed in the stories of unique Californians who embody the character of coastal towns and regions, from an oysterman on Tomales Bay to a Chinatown legend, a surfer dude at Malibu and the saviour of an ancient tree named Luna.