DISCOVER
THE CALIFORNIA CENTRAL VALLEY

While the California Gold Rush was the catalyst that spurred the scramble to reach and eventually settle California, that precious metal was not the only gold to be found here!

Drive the almost 500 miles along Highway 99 or Interstate 5,
from Redding in the North to Bakersfield in the South, and you'll see what I mean. The California Central Valley, tucked away and hidden between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Coastal Range, was the state's ultimate gold mine!

Find central California hotels and lodges, compare prices and amenities, then book your choice at HotelsCombined:

The Central Valley is long and flat;
(CC) Chazz Layne

Soon they were draining swamps and rivers, building levees and dams, and introducing exotic plant species to open up the area to farming and grazing.

Today, California's Central Valley is the richest agricultural region
in the world, producing a goodly portion of the world's cotton, grains like oats and rice, beans, fruit and nut crops, and vegetables and melons, for a total of $37.5 billion in cash farm receipts revenue for 2010.

The Great Central Valley is actually comprised of two valleys - the Sacramento, which receives about 20 inches of rain per year; and the San Joaquin (pronounce san-WAH-keen), which is much drier and even semi-arid in places.

The two valleys convene at the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta
region where the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers converge as they make their way to San Francisco Bay.

The incredible range and scope of agricultural products make up the largest portion of the economies throughout both of these valleys - and for me, watching our food grow in the fields and orchards of the California Central Valley that surround us is a real treat! We were always stopping with the kidlettes to see how cotton bolls formed on the plant, or what almonds looked like on the tree.

But popular California attractions reside in the Central Vally as well! Believe me when I say, there's plenty to keep the sightseer in us entertained - from outdoor activities, to history, to museums and opera!

If you're planning to explore the Central Valley, be sure to locate
the perfect lodging for you and your family at HotelsCombined before you book!

Sacramento Valley Farmland; (CC) MM

The Sacramento Valley makes
up the Northern portion of the Great Central Valley, and runs from Redding in the North to the Stockton Delta area, just South of Sacramento.

Major towns and cities along the central corridor of the valley include:

Redding: Shasta County; home
of the Sundial Bridge and Lake Shasta;

Red Bluff and Corning: Tehama County; William B. Ide SHP, "Olive City";

Chico and Oroville: Butte
County; Bidwell Mansion, Bidwell Park, and Lake Oroville;

The Twin Cities of Yuba City: Sutter County; "Prune Capital of the World," and Marysville: Yuba County; "Gateway to the Goldfields";

Sacramento: Sacramento County; California's State Capital;

Lodi and Stockton: San Joaquin County; Delta Country and
"Asparagus Capital of the World".

Agricultural products throughout the Sacramento Valley include
citrus, fruit, and nut orchards, rice, feed crops, cattle ranches, olives and olive oils, California wine grapes, and even dairies.

As for California attractions, explore the vast array of historical
sites, dip your toes, your boats, and your fishing lines in the many waterways, visit the cities and towns, attend the events and festivals, and - most obviously, if you think about it - explore the Farm Trails and stop at the fruit and veggie stands!

The Sacramento Valley also houses the only natural vertically-
configured land mass in the California Central Valley - Sutter Buttes, an anomaly that's often referred to as the World's Smallest Mountain Range.

CA Aqueduct;
(CC) Anna Conti

By far the larger portion of the California Central Valley belongs to the San Joaquin Valley, which stretches from The Delta in the North to Bakersfield and the Tehachapi Mountains in the South, and is approximately 50 miles wide.

This is the land that John Steinbeck's Dust Bowl family fell in live with in The Grapes of Wrath - because perhaps, after all the mountain crossings along their journey, they'd finally round a place that was flat enough and big enough to remind them of the homes they'd been forced to leave behind.

From Lodi and Stockton South, the major cities and towns of the San Joaquin Valley include:

Modesto: Stanislaus County; former home to George Lucas and an American Graffiti classic;

Atwater, Merced, and Los Banos: Merced County; Castle Air Force
Base, the "Gateway to Yosemite," and "The Baths";

Fresno: Fresno County; the heart of California Dancing Raisins' country and back door to Yosemite;

And Bakersfield: Kern County; "California's Country Music Capital".

The San Joaquin Valley is a major agricultural player only because of its extensive system of reservoirs, aqueducts, and irrigation canals. But it's often referred to as the "Food Basket of the World" because of the dollar value and the diversity of the crops it provides, including grapes (table, raisin, and wine), cotton, nuts, citrus, vegetables and fruits, feed crops, cattle ranches, and dairies.

As for recreation and entertainment, all those waterways are no
only for watering crops! You'll find ample opportunities for water sports, camping, fishing, and hunting (especially for waterfowl). Visit wineries; tour the State Capitol Building and the old Governor's Mansion; explore museums, zoos, historic sites; and golf in the California sunshine!

We'll have more to share with you about the California Central Valley
in the coming weeks; things like:

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