elitch gardens For information on the state as a whole, contact California Tourism, 1102 Q St., Suite 6000, Sacrame

Two fine midrange hotel options in Oaktown are the Waterfront Plaza Hotel, 10 Washington St., Jack London Square, Oakland (& 800/729-3638 or 510/836-3800; www.waterfrontplaza.com), and the Oakland Marriott City Center, 1001 Broadway, Oakland (& 510/451-4000; www.marriott.com). Most major motel chains also have locations (and budget elitch gardens prices) around town and near the airport.

For information on the state as a whole, contact elitch gardens California Tourism, 1102 Q St., Suite 6000, Sacramento, CA 95814 (& 800/GO-CALIF; www. visitcalifornia.com), and ask for a free information packet. In addition, almost every city and town in the state has a tourist bureau or chamber of commerce that will send you information on its particular area. These are listed under the appropriate headings in the geographically elitch gardens organized chapters that follow.