The third-largest state in the United States—and arguably the most famed, iconic, referenced, idealized, and vilified—California has always been many things to many people, from the 300,000 indigenous people who lived here before the Europeans showed up, to miners with gold fever who flocked here in the mid-1800s, to drought-weary Okies looking for salvation during the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s. Now, even if you’re not an aspiring actress lured by the glitz of Hollywood, or a granola or surfer dude looking to live off the grid, the Golden State and its vast array of attractions will lure you here and inevitably make an indelible impression upon you. Read about the top five things to see and do in California >