California is definitely one of the most popular
and well known of the American states as it is home to famous
cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Oakland,
San Jose, Fresno, Stockton, Bakersfield, Santa Barbara,
Monterey, Anaheim, Long Beach, Sonoma, Ventura, and Hollywood.
The capital is Sacramento and the largest city is Los Angeles.
It’s the largest state in the U.S. by population with about 37
million people and the third largest in size.
The west-coast state features an interesting
assortment of mountains, deserts, rivers, forests, valleys, and
plenty of beaches. Actually it has the most diverse landscapes
in the nation. It’s a wonderful playground for adventurists and
cosmopolitan for city lovers. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west
of it, with Mexico to the south. California was the state 31st
admitted to the Union back in 1850.
One of the major attractions of the state is its
location, meaning the beaches, and another is the fine weather
it generally receives all year
round. California goes through dry, hot summers and cool,
rainy winters. Of course, the part of the state you’re visiting
may receive different weather patterns, so it’s a good idea to
check it out before visiting.
The region was originally discovered by
Europeans in the 1500s and colonized in the 18th century by the
Spanish. The next century saw a gold rush which brought
thousands of people who eventually settled there. Some of the
most popular natural landmarks to visit include the Sierra
Nevada mountain range, Mount Whitney, Yosemite Valley, Sequoia
National Park, Lake Tahoe, the Mojave Desert, Owens Valley, Mono
Lake, the Salton Sea, Death Valley, and Badwater Basin.
There’s more than enough places for people to
enjoy all types of activities in the great outdoors and the same
goes for city lovers as California is home to eight of the
largest cities in America. California enjoys a mainly
western-influenced culture, but there’s also a strong Hispanic
presence in many of its municipalities.
There are a few international airports in
California, with Los Angeles and San Francisco being the busiest
with numerous regional airports for domestic travel. You’ll be
able to buzz around town by subway trains and light rail systems
in Los Angeles, and San Francisco, while San Jose, San Diego,
and Sacramento also have light rail networks. All of the major
cities and smaller towns are accessible by interstates and
regional roads and you can also get around from major city to
major city by railway. Being on the coast, California is also
reachable by sea as there are several ports.
Some of the major attractions for tourists to
visit include: Cannery Row, Disneyland Resort, Heavenly Mountain
Resort, Hollywood, Japanese Village and Deer Park, Knott's Berry
Farm, Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, Six Flags Magic
Mountain, Marine World, Parker Dam, San Diego Zoo, San Francisco
Zoo, USS Bennington Monument, and Washington Park.
There are all types of accommodations to choose
from, these include budget motels to resorts and world-class
hotels. The restaurants serve all types of local food and some
of the country’s best international establishments can be found
in California. Mexican food is quite popular as is fresh seafood
from the Pacific.
Catching a sporting event in California is one
of the most popular things to do as there are numerous
professional teams in the state, in fact about 20 in total.
These include major league soccer, hockey, baseball, and
basketball franchises. There are also several college teams to
keep you entertained. In the past, California hosted the 1960
Winter Olympics, the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics, and several
games during the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
California is a world leader when it comes to
entertainment, sports, Mother Nature, and top-class cities. If
you can’t have a good time in California, you can’t have a good
time anywhere.
About California