10 West Coast Cities That Actually Live Up To The Hype

The West Coast is the best coast, according to people that live on the West Coast, in addition to the many folks who preferred it to the East as a holiday destination.

We aren't here to convince you one way or another, but we do want to try and point out the positive side of kicking it in the sunshine (unless you're unfortunate enough to go when there are storms abound). More specifically, we want to focus on 10 cities on the West coast that we would highly recommend and that we believe to be worth the airfare required to get there.

10 San Francisco

There are some niche entries on this list and we’re confident in saying that there are some that people really won’t agree with, but we can’t bring ourselves to imagine that this is one of those instances.

San Francisco is always warm, it’s clean, it’s beautiful, and it’s incredibly diverse. There’s also the small bonus of it being a hub for great eating, drinking and upstart businesses, which makes it a pretty energetic place to be 90% of the time. To say that it’s well worth the trip would be an understatement.

9 Astoria

At the break of dawn, there’s nothing quite as relaxing as looking over the Astoria bridge and thinking about everything that you’re setting out to accomplish.

This port city is tucked away in the often understood state of Oregon and is home to some truly phenomenal breweries, museums, and unbelievable sights.

8 Monterey

If you've traveled to the West Coast in order to enjoy an active holiday where you spend a lot of time outdoors, then Monterey is the place for you. Whether it be the water sports, horse riding or just going for a run along some of the greatest routes in the country, you’ll never be hard-pressed to find something to do.

It always feels really safe to visit, too, and we just can’t understate how important that is in a time where there are so many reasons for us to be feeling a sense of dread and the unknown.

7 Santa Monica

The Santa Monica Pier is the kind of attraction that everyone should visit at one point in their lives, mainly because it doesn’t matter what age you are. You're always going to find something fun to do.

Then you’ve got Muscle Beach and that place kind of speaks for itself. This is a more off the cuff area of downtown Los Angeles, and because of that, it feels a little bit rawer and a little bit less manufactured than what you’ve probably come to expect from Hollywood.

6 Seattle

Do you want great sports teams? Go to Seattle. Do you want pieces of architecture and background scenery that’ll make you wonder why you don’t live in Washington? Go to Seattle. Or, if you don’t want any of that, would you like to explore the vast parklands and tech areas that makeup so much of our modern-day society? You get the picture.

The state of Washington allows you to get out of your own bubble and be one with nature. Seattle encompasses that kind of mentality perfectly, but it also throws in quite a few comforts, too.

5 Eugene

It almost looks like someone has picked up a city in The Sims and dropped it into a forest, hidden amongst the trees. From the public market to Hendricks Park and more trails than you could ever hope to encounter, Eugene exists for the adventurous amongst us.

It also plays a pretty significant role in the development of the United States’ top athletics stars, and that sense of triumph and pride really resonates throughout the entire area.

4 Anchorage

Anchorage is the biggest city in Alaska, and to be honest, it may as well be the only city in Alaska because it’s just that overpowering.

This somewhat hidden gem gives you a real insight into the mind of someone who lives in a distant land, despite the fact that this state is part of the United States. The cold weather climate is enough to humble even the strongest amongst us, with the Alaska Native Heritage Center being a real eye-opener that helps travelers to understand a different way of living.

3 Malibu

If the reboot of Beverly Hills, 90210 accomplished one thing, it's that we're infinitely more interested in the idea of moving to Malibu than we were before watching the show.

It’s where the rich and famous come to play, and the elite from L.A. come here. This is also a place well known for its surfing. Every single beach that you'll step foot on here will feature many surfers.

2 San Diego

The warm climate of San Diego is superseded by its beaches, endless gardens and ability to produce some of the most unique artists the country has ever seen... with unique being the key word there. Balboa Park as a whole is a lot of fun, the locals are almost always lovely to speak to, and it offers up a chance for you to escape from the hectic nature of some of California’s bigger cities.

San Diego Zoo is a pretty great attraction, too, and shouldn't be missed when you travel here.

1 Tacoma

In what is often regarded as the forgotten city within the state of Washington, Tacoma goes about its own business in the kind of manner that makes it the perfect city. It isn’t too big, it isn’t too small, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The creative culture ranges from world-class bars and restaurants to some really intriguing museums, and when you’ve got so many natural wonders in the form of National Parks to sample around the local area, you’ll never want to leave this wonderful place.

NEXT: 10 Coolest Water Parks In The World