This California city is a must-visit global travel destination in 2024: NYT

LOS ANGELES - If you live in Southern California, you apparently don't have to travel too far if you want to visit the one city in the entire state that is worth traveling to in 2024, according to the New York Times. 

Pasadena was the only city in California ranking on the Times' list of world travel destinations, placing No. 40. 

Here's why Pasadena made the cut:

"Pasadena’s natural beauty is clear as soon as you roll into town — maybe on the Los Angeles Metro, where the just-opened Regional Connector project makes possible a one-seat ride from the sands of Long Beach to the stands of the Rose Bowl. The San Gabriel Mountains preside over Pasadena like a sylvan crown, and hiking and biking trails framed by forested valleys and tumbling waterfalls abound in places like the Angeles National Forest.

A general overall aerial view of Rose Bowl Stadium on January 1, 2024 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

The leafy city center is eminently strollable, with a vibrant main street and the nearby Norton Simon Museum, which features a sculpture garden inspired by Monet’s grounds at Giverny. The Tony Award-winning Pasadena Playhouse offers serious drama as well as youth-focused programming. And PST Art, a Getty museum project, will include exhibitions at Pasadena museums and art centers this year. To fuel up, try the innovative newcomer Bar Chelou (its name means "weird" in French) or a new wave of Asian restaurants, notably the Cantonese-influenced Colette."

North America ranked first overall on the Times' list due to the April 8 total solar eclipse that's going to sweep the region. 

"This year, the moon will be near its closest point to Earth, resulting in an unusually wide swath and long-lasting totality. Mexico, Canada and 13 U.S. states will greet the darkness with celebrations."

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Other U.S. cities that made the list were Maui, Hawaii; Baltimore, Maryland; Kansas City, Missouri; Montgomery, Alabama; Boundary Waters, Minnesota; and Flamingo, Florida. 

To see the full list, tap or click here.