WHAT'S SO WONDERFUL ABOUT
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA?

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I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU IN ONE WORD:

Northern California has VARIETY!
Travel anywhere in NorCal and you're sure to find something to love!

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ARE YOU AN OCEAN LOVER?

Then you'll delight in the fact that California abuts up against the Pacific Ocean! Long sandy California beaches; rugged and windblown coastal bluffs; rivers pouring out into the sea... Tide pools alive with crabs, sea urchins, and anemones; saltwater marshes that play host to myriad bird species; coastal dunes undulating down to the water... Quaint fishing villages, still hard at work; seaside resorts with ocean view rooms; one of the West Coast's last remaining seaside amusement parks...

It's all here in Northern California! From Big Sur, Carmel, and Monterey Bay, to San Francisco... From Point Reyes to the Lost Coast, to Crescent City and beyond...

Just drive along State Highway 1, hugging the California coastline...

You'll discover the isolated coves and beaches; the rocky headlands of Mendocino Village with their sheer drops to the restless Pacific Ocean below; the fascinating off-shore rock formations called Sea Stacks; and the wildlife residing in and near the water - whales, sea otters, and elephant seals...

...It's one of my favorite drives!

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BUT PERHAPS YOU'RE A LOVER OF FINE WINE!

You've come to the right place - California wines are world renowned!!

I'm sure you've heard of Sonoma County and Napa Valley - THE Wine Country - But did you know there are flourishing wineries with excellent reputations all over NorCal?

These are some of Northern California's other wine regions:

• Lake County, home to Guenoc...
• Mendocino County's Anderson Valley...
• And how about Gold Country - there you'll find complex Zins and exotic varietals...

• But what about Lodi? That's right! As in the CCR lyrics, "Oh! Lord, stuck in Lodi again." There was a time when those lyrics made sense, but no more! Lodi is one of California's newer wine tasting destinations.

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OR MAYBE YOU'RE A CITY PERSON!

© John Olsen 2007

• Theater, opera, musicals, ballet
• Art, cultural, and natural history museums
• Fine dining and five-star hotels
• Shopping, shopping, shopping

If that's your idea of a good time, you'll find it here in NorCal!

• The Bay Area is an obvious choice, with sophisticated San Francisco to the west of the bay, funky Berkeley to the east, and San Jose - once-upon-a-time-small-college-town that's now all-grown-up - to the south.
• But the city of Sacramento may come as a surprise. While it still revels in its history as a Gold Rush boom town, it has greatly matured and offers much for city people to love.

Northern California has other surprising offerings as well - like the city of Chico. Eventually we'll explore them all!

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PERHAPS, THOUGH, YOU LOVE THE SNOW!

Head out for the Sierra Nevadas or the Cascades. You can snow ski - downhill or cross-country - build a snowman family or make snow angels, ice skate, snowboard, or simply curl up in front of an enormous fireplace in a beautiful lodge - wearing your best resort après-ski togs - and sip hot toddies.

© Belinda Gallagher

Everyone's heard of Lake Tahoe in the winter - it's famous for its winter sports areas: Alpine Meadows, Squaw Valley, where the 1960 Winter Olympics were held...

But did you know Yosemite National Park is stunning (and accessible) in the winter as well?

Get your winter sports fix throughout the park (cross-country skiing and snowshoeing; ice skating), or at Badger Pass ski area (downhill skiing and snowboarding). Most people aren't aware of this option because they only visit during the summer.

And, Alpine County - affectionately nicknamed the California Alps - combines snow sports with hot springs. I can't imagine a better combination than that!

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MAYBE YOUR ACTUAL LOVE AFFAIR IS WITH NATURE!

Northern California is the place for you! Discover:

• Redwood forests teeming with wildlife
• Wetlands used by migratory waterfowl
• Several species of whales for your Whale watching pleasure
• Rolling hills covered in mustard in the spring, oat grass in the summer, and California live oaks year-round
• Table Mountain in spring with its colorful masses of wildflowers
• Mountain ranges, big and small, each with its own special ecosystem

Whether you want a Sunday drive in the country or a full-on backpacking trip, it's all waiting here for you!

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BUT WHAT IF YOU'RE A HISTORY BUFF?

Nothing says history like the California Gold Rush. There’s hardly a square inch of Northern California that wasn’t involved in one way or another.

San Francisco - a major jumping-off point. Sacramento - home to John Sutter, who owned the lumber mill where gold was first discovered. The Great Central Valley - where crops and cattle were raised to feed the miners.

(PD) Wikipedia

Names like:

• Placerville, Hangtown,
• Coloma (where Sutter's Mill was located),
• Fiddletown,
• Drytown (named for the dry gold mines, not the lack of saloons),
• Nevada City, Mokelumne Hill,
• Auburn, Angels Camp...

...all invoke images of panning for color, Long Toms, hydraulic mining, and dredging.

But NorCal's history began long before the Gold Rush. When Mexico ruled, it was an era of pueblos, haciendas, and huge grants of land.

And prior to that came the Spaniards with their missions. The most northerly of these (although actually built under Mexican rule) is Sonoma Mission, which was erected in the town of Sonoma as an outpost against the Russians.

But even before the Spanish, the Russians, the Mexicans - thousands of years before - a dense population of Native Americans called Northern California home.

If you're a history buff, you may know about Ishi - the last truly "wild" Indian. If not, you can find out more about Ishi and the rest of NorCal's history here at Discover Northern California.

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BUT MAYBE YOU'RE A WATER SPORTS ENTHUSIAST!

We've got it all in Northern California!

© David Brimm

• Boating, water skiing...
• Sailing, kayaking, houseboating...
• Fishing - both freshwater and salt water...
• Surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving...
• White water rafting...

There's something for everyone in Northern California! Whether you're coming for a visit or you live here, DiscoverNorthernCalifornia.com will help you find what you're looking for.

Together we'll explore the well-know points of interest, of course. But we'll discover the secret places as well - the places only the locals know.

Have a favorite Northern California story?
Share it here!

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