"The Golden State"
Also, known as "El Dorado State", "Golden West", "Grape State", "Land of Milk and Honey" or "Sunshine State".
Golden Gate Bridge,
Why visit California?
A popular year round destination featuring amusement parks, beaches, biking, birdwatching, boating, cable cars, celebrities, deserts, diverse culture, golf, hiking, home to the entertainment industry, horseback riding, national parks, nightlife, mountains, redwood forests, rocky shorelines, sailing, scuba diving, shopping, skiing, surfing, whale watching, wildlife and wine regions.
Friendly for business, families, friends, groups, LGBT/LGBTQ, multigenerational and solo travelers.
At a Glance
- State Bird: California Quail
- Capital: Sacramento
- State Dessert: None
- State Flower: California Poppy
- State Gemstone: Benitoite
- State Mammal: California Grizzly Bear
- State Rock: Serpentine
Mount Lee, Hollywood Hills, CA. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay
Fun Facts
- On January 24, 1848, James W Marshall discovered gold while working at Sutter's Mill in Coloma marking the "California Gold Rush".
- Our nation's third largest state.
- Marilyn Monroe (Actress) was crowned "Artichoke Queen" in Castroville Artichoke Festival.
- The “Avocado Capital of the World”, produces around 90% of our crops amongst 3,000 farms throughout the state.
- Approximately 10 million visit the Golden Gate Bridge annually.
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is their largest park consisting of 600,000 acres.
- The highest average household incomes are in Fremont, Irvine and San Jose.
- In Los Angeles the median home value is $752,508.
- From the 2020 Census, Los Angeles is the most populated city with 4,015,940.
- Considered a global trendsetter in communication, culture, economics, entertainment, environmentalism, information, innovation and politics.
- To date, the highest sold property in Los Angeles is the Chartwell Estate, listed for $350 million a bargain at $150 million.
- A capacity of 20,000 the STAPLES Center (Los Angeles) has hosted Grammy Awards since 2000.
- The Hollywood Walk of Fame (embedded five point terrazzo and brass star) sponsorship fee is $30,000 for a star along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. Joanne Woodward (Actress) received the first star in 1960.
- Alcatraz Island (“The Rock" or "America's Devil Island"), offshore from San Francisco from 1934 - 1963 was a facility housing a lighthouse, military fortification, military prison and federal prison.
Thank You!
- Celebrities Birthplace to: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (Actor), Gigi Hadid (Model), Kim Kardashian (Reality TV), Leonardo DiCaprio (Actor), Michelle Pfeiffer (Actress), Tom Hanks (Actor) just to name a few.
- Movies to Inspire You: After Earth (2003), Bushwhacked (1995), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Lady Bird (2017), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2009), Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983), The Godfather: Part II (1974), The Great Outdoors (1988) and The Majestic (2001) just to name a few.
- Novels Set in California: All About Lulu (written by Jonathan Evison), Golden Days (written by Carolyn See), Mystery of the Desert Giant and Shopgirl (written by Steve Martin) just to name a few.
Lake Tahoe, CA. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay
Good to Know
- Yosemite National Park, will fine drivers who leave food in unattended vehicles known to attract bears causing vehicle break ins.
- Adhere to local beach signs.
- The Griffith Observatory or Sunset Boulevard is the best view of the Hollywood sign.
- Be sure to experience the amphitheater, Hollywood Bowl in the Hollywood Hills (near Los Angeles).
- Interstate 405 in Los Angeles is one of the most congested roads for delay. Especially during morning, evening rush hour and weekends.
- Considering their warm climate and season local wines are generally less acidic and contain more alcohol.
- Brace yourself for the statewide tax rate, 7.25% (2020).
- Take your wallet shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and you may just see a local celebrity too.
- Freshwater Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains straddles the border of California (and Nevada) receives around 2.7 million visitors annually.
Known to experience earthquakes, landslides, tornadoes and wildfires (August - November).
- Best Time to Visit: May - September
- Coldest Month: January
- Hottest Month: August - September
- Peak Season: June - August
By the way...
- Best Rated Beaches: Cornado Beach, El Matador State Beach, Hermosa Beach, Huntington Beach, Limantour Beach, Manhattan Beach, Pacific Beach, Pfeiffer Beach, Santa Cruz Beach, Santa Monica Beach, Thousand Steps Beach and Venice Beach.
- Ski Areas: Homewood, Kirkwood, Homewood, Mammoth, Northstar and Squaw Valley
- Surf's Up at: Bolinas Beach, Cowell Beach, Mavericks Beach, Mondos Beach, Moonlight Beach, Oceanside Pier, Rincon Beach, Steamer Lane, Salt Creek, Surfrider Beach, Tamarack Beach, Zuma Beach
Your Must-See & Do
- Amusement Theme Parks: Adventure City, Aquatica San Diego, Balboa Fun Zone, Belmont Park, Boomerang Bay, California's Great America, Cars Land, Castle Park, Children's Fairyland, Disney California Adventure Park, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort, Funderland Park, Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park, Knott's Berry Farm, Knott's Soak City, Pacific Park, Raging Waters Los Angeles, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, SeaWorld San Diego, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Sonoma TrainTown Railroad, Splash Kingdom Waterpark, Universal Studios Hollywood and William Land Regional Park.
- Historical Sites: Addams Family House,Anaheim Founders' Park, Bancroft Library, Brigham & Hawes Quarry, Buttonwillow Tree (#492), CA Historical Landmarks (#1, #2, 203, 232, 331, 394, 259, 798, 802), C. A. Belden House, California's First Passenger Railroad, California Tower, Carrizo Plain National Monument, Big Four Building, Buena Vista Winery & Vineyards (#392), Camino of Rancho San Antonio (#299), Captain Pedro Fages Trail (#853), Casa de Rancho San Antonio, Casa De Tableta State Historic Landmark, César E Chávez National Monument, Centinela Springs, Chevra Kaddisha (#654-1), Coloma Road (#748), Cottonwood Creek Charcoal Kilns, Cresta Blanca Winery (#586), Crowley House, Death Valley Gateway, Dogtown Nugget Discovery Site Historical Marker, Estudillo Home (#279), Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site, FAC Water Tower, Folsom-Overland Pony Express Route (#702), Fontana Historical Society, Fort Benson (#617), Fort Point National Historic Site, Fort Ross, Fort Stockton, Francisco Solano Alviso Adobe (#510), General M. G. Vallejo Home (#4), Glendora Bougainvillea, Grave of Elitha Cumi Donner Wilder (#719), Griffith Ranch Historical Monument, Harada House, Harmony Borax Works, Hastings Adobe, Hilltown Ferry State Historic Landmark, Icaria-Speranza Commune, IOOF Hall, Joaquin Miller Abbey, John Muir National Historic Site, Lady Adams Building (#603), Larkin House, Las Flores Adobe, Liberty Hill Site, Lopez Adobe, National Old Trails Monument, Old Dry Diggins (#475), Old Hangtown Placerville, Old Mission Dam, Old Pasadena, Old Sacramento Waterfront District, Old Santa Ana Historical Marker, Marshall's Blacksmith Shop (#319), Martinez Adobe, Memorial Arch, Methodist Episcopal Church (#767), Mormon Battalion Historic Site, Nike Missile Control Site LA-96, Noble Emigrant Trail (#677), Old Auburn Historic District, Overland Emigrant Trail (#799-2), Pico House, Pioneer Hall (#34), Pioneer Telegraph Station (#366), Presidio of San Francisco (#79), Rancho Los Cerritos, Rancho Simi (#979), Ravenswood Historical Site, San Felipe Valley & Stage Station, Serra Palm, Shaw's Flat (#395), Site of Blossom Rock Navigation Trees, Site of Congregational Church (#613), Site of Echo Summit (#1048), Site of Fort Romualdo Pacheco, Site of Haraszthy Villa (#392-1), Site of the Murder of Dr John Marsh, Site of Orleans Hotel (#608), Site of Putnam's Cabin, Sportsman's Hall Overland Pony Express Route (704), St Francis Dam Disaster Site, Studebaker's Shop Site, Summersville - Tuolumne (#407), Sutro Baths, Tallac Historic Site, The Hangmans Tree, The Peter L. Traver Building (#466), The Real Black Dahlia’s Body Site, Third Baptist Church, Union Hotel & Union Hall (#627), Vallecito Bell Monument (#370), Vallejo Flour Mill, Walters Ranch Hop Kiln (#893), Wells Fargo Bank and Stage Stop and Yuha Well.
- Museums: Asian Art Museum, Autry Museum of the American West, Avila Adobe, Bowers Museum, Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science, California African American Museum, California's First Theatre, California Historical Society, California Museum, California Science Center, California State Mining & Mineral Museum, California State Capitol Museum, Casa de la Guerra, Craft Contemporary, Crocker Art Museum, de Young Museum, Diego Sepulveda Adobe, First Original McDonald's Museum, Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County, Fresno Historical Society, Hammer Museum, Japanese American National Museum, Jonathan Bailey House, La Casa de Estudillo, Laguna Art Museum, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Laws Railroad Museum & Historical Site, Legion of Honor, Livermore Heritage Guild, Lizzie’s Trail Inn & The Richardson House, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Lummis Home-El Alisal, Maidu Museum & Historic Site, Manhattan Beach Historical Society, Marston House Museum & Gardens, Meux Home Museum, Mission Inn Museum, Mission San Juan Capistrano Chapel & Museum, Mission Santa Ines (Ynez), Mission Soledad, Muller House Museum, Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), Museum of Western Film History, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM), Nike Missile Site SF-88, Norton Simon Museum, Palomares Adobe, Orange County Museum of Art, Peg Leg Smith Historical Marker, Petersen Automotive Museum, Pioneer Oil Refinery, Point Cabrillo Lighthouse Museum, Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, Presidio Officers' Club, Rancho Camulos Museum, Richard Nixon Birthplace, Robert Louis Stevenson House, San Fernando Mission, San Joaquin County Historical Museum, Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara Museum Of Art, Skirball Cultural Center, Spruce Street Suspension Bridge, Stagecoach Inn Museum, State Indian Museum, The Banning Museum, The Broad, The Fowler Museum, The Huntington Library- Art Museum & Botanical Gardens, USS Hornet - Sea, Air & Space Museum, USS Pampanito, USS Recruit, The La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, Whaley House Museum and Workman & Temple Family Homestead Museum.
- National/State Forest/Parks: Angeles National Forest, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, California National Seashore, Carrizo Plains, Channel Islands National Park, Crystal Creek Falls, Death Valley National Park, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Inyo National Forest, Joshua Tree National Park, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, King Range National Conservation Area, Kings Canyon National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, Los Padres National Forest, Lower American National Wild & Scenic River, Lower Falls, Lundy Canyon Waterfalls, Manzanar, Modjeska Peak, Mojave National Preserve, Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve, Mountain Home State Forest, National Parks Service, Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve, Pinnacles National Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Point Reyes National Seashore, Redwood National & State Parks, Redwood State Park, Romero Canyon Trailhead, San Bernardino National Forest, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Sequoia National Park, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Sierra National Forest, Skull Rock, Stanislaus National Forest, State Parks California, Sunrise Lake #3, Tahoe National Forest, Yosemite National Park and Yosemite Valley.
- Popular Attractions: Alcatraz Island, Altaville Grammar School, Anaheim Landing, Andres Pico Adobe, Applegate-Lassen Emigrant Trail, Artist's Palette, Ash Mountain Recreation Hall, Azalea State Reserve, Bass Lake California Crane Valley Dam, Battery Mendell, Benbow Lake State Recreation Area, Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness Area, Big Sur, Bishop Creek Battleground, Black Star Canyon, Bodega Bay & Harbor, Bok Kai Temple, Cabrillo National Monument, California Cavern, Camarillo Ranch, Carrizo Plain National Monument, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Casa del Herrero, Castle Mountains National Monument, Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge, Catalina Casino, Cemetery of El Campo Santo, Chaw Se' Roundhouse, Chimney Peak Wilderness, Clipper Mountain Wilderness, Crossroads of the World, Crystal Cave, Devils Postpile National Monument, Dinkey Historical Bridge, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, El Capitan The Salathé, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Farley’s Olancha Mill Site, Fertile valleys, First Military Flying School in America, Forestiere Underground Gardens, Fort Ord National Monument, Fremont Weir State Wildlife Area, Giant Dipper Roller Coaster, Gordon's Ferry, Happy Isles Bridge, Hay Tree, Harvey House, Hearst Castle, Helena Modjeska Historic House & Gardens, Hells Gate, Hill Carrillo Adobe, Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area, Hollyhock House, Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge, Hotel Californian, Indio Hills Palms, James W. Marshall State Historical Monument, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Jennie Lakes Wilderness, John Medica Garden, J V Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Kaiser Wilderness, Kendall-Frost Mission Bay Marsh Reserve, Kennedy Gold Mine Tours, Lake Tahoe, Lighthouse Field State Beach, Little Picacho Wilderness, Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, Lower Lake Stone Jail, Mailliard Redwoods State Natural Reserve, Manhattan Beach Pier, Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Martinez Park Reserve, McElroy Octagon House, Mercer Caverns, Misión San Francisco de Asís, Mission Santa Cruz, Mokelumne Wilderness, Monarch Wilderness, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Moro Rock, Mount Shasta Wilderness, Mt Whitney Fish Hatchery, Napa Valley Railroad Depot, Oak Grove Fire Station, Old Los Angeles Zoo, Palm Springs, Palomares Adobe, Piedras Blancas Light Station, Pioneer Monument, Piper Mountain Wilderness, Point Dume, Point Reyes, Posey Station of Butterfield Overland Mail Lines, Presidio, Preston Castle Foundation, Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad, Roberto-Suñol Adobe, Queen Anne Cottage, Reyes Adobe Historical Site, Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park, Sacatar Trail Wilderness, San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve & Nature Center, San Francis Ranch, Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Saucito Ranch Well, Sequoia National Park's Tunnel Log, Slab City, Snow Mountain Wilderness, South Warner Wilderness, Stahl House, Star of India, St Johns River Trail, The San Francisco Mint, The Willms Ranch, Tule Lake National Monument, Tule River Stage Station, Union Square, Van Ness Arch, Watts Towers Arts Center, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness and Zabriskie Point.
- Popular Cities/Towns to Visit: Anaheim, Avalon, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, California City, Carlsbad, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Coronado, Daly City, Encinitas, Escondido, Fresno, Half Moon Bay, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Malibu, Monterey, Nevada City, Newport Beach, Ojai, Oakland, Oceanside, Palm Springs, Pasadena, Sacramento, San Jose, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Santa Monica, San Diego, San Francisco, Sausalito, Solvang, St Helena, Temecula and Thousand Oaks.
- Special Events: (January) California Exposition, Rose Bowl Game, Rose Parade, (February) Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party, Transgender Erotica Awards, (March) San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, SiliCon, West Coast Computer Faire, (April) Fiesta Broadway, (May) Anime Conji, Bay to Breakers, Bishop Mule Days, FanimeCon, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, RuPaul's DragCon LA, (June)AirShow San Diego, Dana Point Concours d'Elegance, El Dorado County Fair, Miss California's Outstanding Teen, Ojai Music Festival, San Diego County Fair, San Francisco Pride, (July) Big Bay Boom, California State Fair, Gilroy Garlic Festival, Hayward Gay Prom, Hollywood Book Festival, Outfest, San Diego Comic-Con, San Diego Pride, Stanislaus County Fair, (August) Alameda County Fair, Crunchyroll Expo, Japan Expo USA, Monterey Car Week, San Francisco Drag King Contest, Silicon Valley Pride, Ventura County Fair, Yolo County Fair, (September) California Festival of Beers, Frameline Film Festival, J-Pop Summit, National UFO Conference, Netsuite Open, Oracle OpenWorld, Palos Verdes Concours d'Elegance, SacAnime, Superfrog Triathlon, Wrightwood Mountain Music Festival, (October) Bay Area Science Festival, Kiddie Kapers Parade, Levi Leipheimer's King Ridge GranFondo, Monterey Jazz Festival, Orange County Auto Show, (November)Del Mar Antique Show, Doo Dah Parade, Pacific Media Expo, Sevenstock, (December) Comic Arts Los Angeles, KIIS-FM Jingle Ball, LA Auto Show and Run for Courage.
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, Redwood National & State & Parks and Yosemite National Park.
Catalina Island, CA. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay
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