On Jan. 3, the Moscone Center celebrated its long-awaited opening with a gala. You can read our story about the renovated and expanded convention center here. –Photos courtesy of San Francisco Travel

In Southern California, Palm Springs welcomed a monumental achievement of another sort. From Feb. 9 through April 21, the Coachella Valley played host to the second edition of Desert X: 19 site-specific art installations that enlivened the desert landscape. Free and open to the public, the exhibition spanned 50 miles across the California desert and expanded to the south to the Salton Sea and across the border into Mexico. The inaugural Desert X in 2017 attracted more than 200,000 visitors and engaged millions across social and digital media platforms. —Photos by Lance Gerber