California Travel Guide
California is located on the west coast of the United States and is bordered by Arizona and Nevada (to the east), Oregon (to the north), Mexico (to the south) and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The coastline is 840 miles long. The geography is vast and varied. Covering 155,959 square miles, the landscape ranges from palm-lined beaches to craggy coastline, towering snow-capped mountains, rolling hills, vast desert and fields upon fields of agricultural bounty.
As the most populous state with the largest economy, one that ranks as the world’s fifth-largest, its economic contributions and political influence are both tremendous. Vibrant cities, beaches, amusement parks, and natural wonders like nowhere else on earth make California an intriguing land of possibilities for travelers.
The geographical low point is Death Valley ( at -282 feet). The highest point is Mt. Whitney, at 14,494 feet. Incidentally, these are both the lowest and highest points in the continental United States. Incredibly, the lowest and highest points are less than 100 miles from each other.
Major cities are: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento (the state capital). The population is over 40,000,000 people and is even more diverse than its geography, being one of the entire world’s most diverse populations. The result is such an intersting history and so many interesting places, festivals, museums, food, etc.
Fun Facts:
- California is home to many tourist attractions including Disneyland, the San Diego Zoo, Lego Land, and Yosemite National Park.
- You can drive through a giant Redwood tree in California’s Kings Canyon National Park.
- The redwood tree can grow to well over 300 feet tall.
- California is home to Silicon Valley, the home to many of the top US technology companies.
- More than half of all the nation’s vegetables, nuts, and fruits are grown in the state of California.
- San Bernardino County is the largest county in the entire United States. It covers almost 3 million acres!
- The Gold Rush started in 1848 when James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill.
- The first McDonald’s restaurant was opened in San Bernardino, California in 1940.