California wine tour: more than just Napa Valley
For a spectacular but relaxing road trip, drive from Seattle into northern California, then hit the wineries between Healdsburg and San Francisco, says wine writer Joe Roberts
Top 10 vintage and secondhand stores in San Francisco
Whether you want vintage pieces, design classics or a something fabulous from an edgy designer, the streets of San Francisco have a shop for every fashion fanatic
San Francisco’s City Lights: the bookshop that brought us the Beats
City Lights, the San Francisco bookshop that published Allen Ginsberg's Howl, is 60 this year but there's still no better place to encounter American literature, writes Evan Karp
Twitter road trips USA: send us travel tips for Seattle, Portland and San Francisco
Help plan our road trip down the Pacific coast from Seattle to San Francisco by sending in offbeat, out-of-the-way tips on Twitter and with our new tool, GuardianWitness
US Pacific coast – expert Q&A
Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and everything in between were on the agenda for our online Q&A with travel experts. Read their tips and advice here
Railroad romance: taking the train from Vancouver to San Francisco
A train journey from Vancouver to San Francisco gives you the chance to witness the epic scenery and vibrant cities of the Pacific Northwest at a more relaxed pace and rhythm, says Emma John
Golden Gate bridge celebrates 75th anniversary
San Francisco's Golden Gate bridge marks its 75th birthday this weekend with new night tours and a visitor centre that opened this month, plus a host of festive events
California’s top 10 beach hotels and places to stay on a budget
Few places are as synonymous with the beach as California, but staying on it can be expensive. Anna Stothard picks 10 affordable and brilliantly located beach pads, from campsites and cabins to budget inns
The best urban travel videos on the web
For our new series we asked you to send us your favourite online travel videos, starting with films about cities around the world. Leave your discoveries by adding a comment
Insider’s guide to musical pilgrimages: Country, soul, blues, folk, world music
Cerys Matthews recommends the best band haunts in Nashville, and our other industry experts reveal their favourite musical places, from juke joints near Memphis to tango clubs in Buenos Aires
Summer holidays: 10 of the best trips for couples
You may only have eyes for each other, but great views and fantastic food won't go amiss. Here are our experts' tips for romantic breaks
Readers’ tips: literary locations
From a beat cafe in San Francisco to Robert Louis Stevenson's burial ground, Been there readers share the muse – the top two tips win a Sony Reader
Ask Tom – your travel dilemmas answered
Lonely Planet's Tom Hall on Asia's best budget airlines, how to save and see the northern lights in Sweden, where to enjoy a local vibe in San Fran and Paris at Christmas
Amtrak adventures
Some said it would be slow, boring and expensive, but spending 15 days covering 6,511 miles on an epic Amtrak journey across America's heartland was "soul calming"