The dollar can't fall much further, so now is the time to see the parts of California you might never normally be able to afford.
Planning a road trip
Rand McNally, the atlas publisher, is the best place to start (randmcnally.com). Also visit California state tourism at visitcalifornia.com. Stanford university students have compiled their own guide to 'Hitting the Road' at unofficial.stanford.edu/unofficial/.
Trains
Take the Coast Starlight from LA to Seattle (amtrak.com/destinations/california.html). You can also take the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to LA, or the San Joaquins from San Francisco to Yosemite via Merced.
Open spaces
The official National Parks Service site (nps.gov/yose/) is one of several websites devoted to Yosemite: Yosemite.com and Yosemite A-Z (yosemite.ca.us/atoz.html) both have their merits.
Winelands
Visit wineroad.com and SF Gate (sfgate.com/traveler/guide/winecountry).
Accommodation
For B&Bs, try bbonline.com/ca/, cabbi.com and lanierbb.com; for hotels, Tablethotels.com.
