CHAPTER ONE<br > The Coast of California<br > California. The word comes from an old Spanish novel about a mythic<br >island populated by Amazons and filled with gold. It was， according to the<br >author， "very near to the terrestrial paradise." The first part of this magical<br >land to be explored， and the area which still symbolizes the California<br >dream， is the coast.<br > Stretching 1100 miles along the rim of the Pacific， it is a wildly varied<br >region with sharp mountains and velvet beaches， barren sand dunes and rich<br >estuaries. Los Angeles， San Francisco， and San Diego， three of the nation s<br >largest cities， are here， together With the old mission centers of Santa Bar-<br >bara and Monterey. There are small fishing towns and international shipping<br >ports， Victorian neighborhoods and oceanfront mansions.<br > Powerfully influenced by early Spanish culture， the coast today is re-<br >sponding to a fresh influx of Mexican immigrants as well as a growing Asian<br >population. It is a region both at the edge of the continent and at the cutting<br >edge of the global shift toward Asia and the Pacific Rim.<br > The California shore is also one of the most popular travel destinations<br >in the world. Tens of millions of visitors explore its byways and beaches<br >every year. Hidden Coast of California， the only guidebook to deal exclu-<br >sively with this amazing territory， is an attempt to make the entire area ac-<br >cessible to everyone.<br > For those seeking the good life， each chapter describes the hotels， res-<br >.taumnts， shopping places， and night-owl roosts that dot every town along<br >the coast. There is information on transportation， bicycling， and water<br >sports. Then， when the spirit of adventure takes hold， there are descriptions<br >of secluded beaches， remote hiking trails， and sightseeing spots both famous<br >，And unknown.<br > Beginning at the Mexican border and proceeding north toward Oregon，<br >.Hidden Coast of California takes in the sparkling bays and historic neigh-<br >borhoods of San Diego， sweeps through Laguna Beach and Newport Beach，<br >