We are talking about a very interesting state here. California is the 31st member of the United States. It has the highest mountain (Mt McKinley) and the lowest point (Death Valley) in the contiguous US. There are mountains, deserts, and forests. The Central Valley is one of the world's most productive agricultural areas. California is known for movies and movie stars, Silicon Valley, and Disneyland. The Golden State's motto is "Eureka" and the state fossil is the sabertooth tiger.
Once again I sent for a tour guide and gathered information from the internet. You'll find links at the end of the post. There are lots of tourist attractions in California. Besides the many theme parks, there are all the well-known hot-spots and landmarks. And then there is nature.
California's National Parks and Historic Sites range from Alcatraz Island to Yosemite National Park. Now when I think of Alcatraz, I always think of this big rock of an island with a prison on it. In reality, there are gardens and bird colonies. Birders can see aquatic birds that are not plentiful anywhere else. If you are interested in plants, the gardens were originally made by prisoners and people there during military occupations. Redwood National Park has the giant Redwoods we love to hear about. It also has other plant life like giant huckleberry bushes. There are trails for hiking and all sorts of the animals and birds we love to watch.
The 650 miles of missions in California are fascinating just for their history alone. They have a lot of the original buildings. Some of them were damaged in a huge earthquake in 1812 and rebuilt. There are beautiful gardens and the animals are abundant.
California is home to 278 State Parks and Beaches. There is just about any kind of activity you could want here. At Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park you can pan for gold or just wander the trails. The scenery at Chino Hills State Park is magnificent. The flowers are good to look at. There are trails for hiking or horseback riding. Bird and animal sightings are plentiful.
I'm off to California. The fire's out. If you go to California or have been there and have a favorite place to see, let me know. I'm always up for a new adventure. And check the links below. If nothing else, you might learn something you didn't know.
Copas
California Tour Guide
California State Parks
Disneyland
California National Parks
Offbeat Tourist Attractions
I always like the thought of all the national parks you have throughout the States but it is a very long way from me and somewhere where I know I will never visit so finding out about all these things is very interesting for me!!
ReplyDeleteWell, Allotments4you, I would love to hear about where YOU live. I read about your farm and I know there must be other places close to you that I won't get to see. I would like to visit the whole world but sometimes the only way we can is through the eyes of others. Think about it,won't you?
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I lived in Northern California (the city of Eureka!) for awhile and loved it. It is home to the Redwood forest which I highly recommend. From there I would suggest a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway.
ReplyDeletePS, In the second paragraph you moved Mt. McKinley out of Alaska to CA. California has the lowest spot but not the highest.
Squirrel Queen, Thank you for your comment. I apologize for the mistake. My old brain said Mt Whitney and my old fingers typed Mount McKinley. Mount Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous (or lower)US and Mount McKinley is indeed the highest point in the whole US. Good suggestion about the drive down the coast too. I would like to know more about your time in California. You might consider writing about your adventures in California for Nature Center Magazine. I'm sure folks would be interested. I know I would.
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You've got to come out to San Francisco for not only the usual tourist spots but Golden Gate Park, the Botanical Gardens, the Japanese Tea Garden and the Cliff house on the beach, just to name a few.
ReplyDeleteHey there, Poetic Shutterbug. Some of those places I never even heard of. You could tell me all about them if you write a quick little piece for the Nature Center Magazine. You never know who might want to include them in an adventure.
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