Some words just seem to belong together: sun and sea, food and wine, adventure and discovery, glamour and sophistication, cities and culture, nature and escape – and California and Hollywood. But we forget that words can also combine with others: sun also goes with nature, food with sophistication, discovery with cities. California sits happily alongside all the above: sea, sun, wine, cities, adventure…

So when you think of California, although Hollywood might be the first word that pops into your head, there are plenty of other words that should spring to mind besides. Because California also goes hand in hand with jazz. Even if you’re not an aficionado, the world-renowned Monterey Jazz Festival is sure to get your toes tapping. In mid-September, more than 500 acts will be performing over three days, including Jamie Cullum, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. For something different, the Mammoth Lakes Jazz Jubilee takes place among the mountains, lakes and forests of the Sierra Nevada, just 32 miles from the south-eastern entrance to Yosemite, in July.

California is also a home for opera and classical music. The San Francisco area hosts five major symphony orchestras. During the summer months, why not stop by Stern Grove to catch one of the free open-air performances of classical music, opera and ballet that take place every Sunday from the beginning of June? If you’re in Los Angeles, a visit to Frank Gehry’s architectural wonder, Disney Hall, the home of the LA Philharmonic, is a must.

California is a haven for museums, too. In San Jose, the Tech Museum of Innovation chronicles the technological marvels that have emerged from the capital of the computer industry, Silicon Valley. In San Juan Capistrano, you can discover California’s Native American, Spanish, Mexican and European heritage. On a lighter note, the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa contains more than 6,000 original comic strips by the creator of Peanuts.

California is connected to art. At the Getty Centre in Los Angeles you’ll find everything from medieval illuminated manuscripts to Van Goghs and Rembrandts and photographs by Man Ray. There is also a fabulous collection of furniture and decorative arts. Or start up a little art collection of your own by buying something inspiring from the many galleries in Carmel, Mendocino, Laguna Beach or Palm Springs – each a mecca for talented artists.

California is also tied to theatre. The award-winning American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco is staging works by Tom Stoppard, Edward Albee and John Guare – author of Six Degrees of Separation – in its 2008/9 season. In San Diego, the stunning Balboa Park is home to 15 museums set amidst 1,400 acres of beautiful gardens. Its performing arts venues include the venerable Old Globe, renowned for its summer Shakespeare Festival, the Civic Dance Arts, and the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater.

And, yes, California is wedded to Hollywood, but it celebrates less mainstream celluloid offerings too. Film festivals abound, the most renowned taking place in Palm Springs in January and in Pasadena in July, but also in Santa Monica (September), Newport Beach (April), Mendocino (May) and Stockton (June).

California’s outdoor wonders are unbeatable, but the Golden State has so much on offer from some of the most creative talents on the planet that to overlook them would be a crime. With such a wealth of attractions, though, perhaps it’s inevitable that some things get overlooked. So let’s keep it simple. When you think of California, there’s one word to remind you of its entertainment riches. And that word is: culture.