Everyone knows what California is. The state, whose sights are known all over the world, became famous primarily thanks to Hollywood films. In addition to the famous Los Angeles, there are 480 cities and 58 counties. California is traditionally divided into two main parts - north and south. It is noteworthy that 35% of the state is occupied by forests, and 25% - deserts. Another 27% of the territory falls on valleys and settlements, 3% - on various reservoirs. The rest of the state is occupied by mountains. This contrast makes California an extremely interesting place to visit.
Upstate
This is a very beautiful area. You need to go here first if you decide to visit the state of California. Sights (what to see and where) are described in detail in any tourist guide. for example, in Northern California, the state capital is Sacramento. In addition, in this part of the territorial district is the famous San Francisco, located on the shores of the bay of the same name. It, together with two large cities, San Jose and Auckland, forms a large agglomeration, which is the center of industry and tourism in the northern part of the state.
Also in San Francisco is the famous Golden Gate Bridge, known for its beauty and grandeur of the structure.
In addition, the southern part of the Cascade Mountains, which are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, is located in northern California .
Describing the state of California, the sights of which can be listed for a long time, one cannot but mention Lake Tahoe, located on the border with Nevada. This is America's largest freshwater mountain reservoir: it is second in depth, second only to Crater Lake in Oregon.
Southern California
This part of the state is known for its warm coast and famous actors. The symbol of the southern part is Hollywood - the area of the famous Los Angeles. This place is the main location for filming a huge number of films.
Here are the world-famous film studios Universal (Universal Studios) and Warner Bros. (Warner Bros. Pictures). These giants of the film industry deserve a separate excursion, during which you can see the theme park with the scenery of the most famous films and delve into the tricks of special effects. In addition, the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located in Hollywood, which annually attracts hundreds of tourists from around the world.
Also in this part of California is the southernmost city of the state - San Diego, which offers many different attractions for its guests. This is a zoo covering an area of more than 40 hectares and the amusement park "Sea World", which became the first oceanarium in the world.
California State: Attractions and Attractions
Having decided to visit this sunny land, please be patient. You will need a lot of time to see all the interesting places and unique attractions. California provides an opportunity to have a great vacation for lovers of various types of recreation.
Those who prefer beach idleness with comfortable conditions can see the beautiful coast of the Pacific Ocean. It is in this state that Malibu Bay, known for the eponymous series, is located. There are many different beaches, each of which is unique in its own way. Fans of hiking and contact with nature can visit California's national parks, of which there are seven. All green areas are nature reserves and are protected by the government.
The unique nature of this state, a large number of sunny days a year and the presence of mountains provide the opportunity for skiing. For example, the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada annually attract thousands of tourists for an excellent holiday. Thus, we can state the following: California is a state whose attractions will appeal to even the most demanding travelers.
California National Parks
Americans are very sensitive to nature reserves, and their safety is controlled at the state level. That is why California has been famous for its purity and unique beauty for so many years. Sights, the list of which consists exclusively of beautiful places, we begin with national parks:
- "Yosemite." Almost all of its territory is a wildlife zone. It is included in the UNESCO list of natural heritage and is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Rare species of animals live here and unique plants grow.
- "Sequoia". It is combined with the Royal Canyon. Giant sequoias grow here - the largest trees in the world, which gave the name to the reserve. This park also has Mount Whitney - the highest peak. tourists can climb the King Canyon, which is carved in granite rocks by a huge glacier and a stormy river.
- "Joshua Three." There are two huge deserts of America - the Mojave and the Sonora desert. There are five oases in this reserve, the largest of which is the Oasis of Lost Palms. The world-famous Joshua Tree, after which the park is named, blooms between February and March, but the exact time changes every year.
- Cheland Islands. It consists of five islands that are located on the California coastline. The uniqueness of the nature of this reserve has remained untouched, due to the fact that not a single island is inhabited.
- Lassen Volcanic. It is a cluster of dormant volcanoes. All mountains are operational and can wake up at any time. This reserve is located in the most sparsely populated part of the state.
- Redwood After several extensions, it includes three parks with sequoias.These tallest trees grew along the California coast until they attracted lumberjacks. To preserve the remaining plants, a reserve was created where such famous films as Star Wars and Jurassic Park were filmed.
There is also the Death Valley National Park. This is the driest and hottest place on the planet. It is extremely popular in the world: California can rightfully be proud of it. Sights, photos of which can be seen in any encyclopedia, include snow-capped peaks of mountains and beautiful sand dunes. They make the nature of this reserve truly unique. It is recommended to visit the park in the winter months, because the air temperature here reaches 50 ° C.
Lake Raistrek – Playa
This is one of the most mysterious places on earth. The dried Lake Raistrek Paya is located in the Death Valley, thanks to which California (state) is famous. The sights of this place are moving stones that move without the help of humans or animals.
Each year, this lake changes its shape, shrinking or increasing in size. It is at this time that stones move that leave clear traces. The nature of the phenomenon has not been solved so far: it is this mystery that attracts many people to this place.
Alcatraz Island Prison
It is impossible to argue with the statement that California (state) is rich in interesting places. The sights of the USA are represented here primarily by the unique nature of many national parks and the beautiful beaches of the Pacific Ocean.
However, many tourists include in their excursion program a visit to the island of Alcatraz. This is where the historical building is located, which in the past was a maximum security prison, and now serves as a museum.
Well-known personalities such as Al Capone, George Kelly and Robert Stroud were detained here. Absolutely icy water of the gulf excluded the possibility of escape from prison. Despite this, the prisoners made many attempts to leave the island. There are five people on the list who, while fleeing, allegedly drowned. However, this information has not been confirmed to date.
California (Attractions): Grand Canyon
This place fascinates many travelers. The fact that California borders Arizona in the east allows us to attribute the Grand Canyon to the sights of the state, which is rightly considered the most ambitious of all such places on earth.
This is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the United States, each area of which offers its various types of recreation. The grandiose panorama that opens to the eye is amazing, and the grandeur of the canyon makes you think about the role of man in the natural world. In this place comes the realization of how insignificant human history is compared to the billions of years during which these monoliths formed.
Napa Valley
This place is also interesting for tourists. California is a state whose sights are represented not only by nature reserves and canyons, but also by numerous vineyards. They grow in Napa Valley.
This place is a paradise for lovers of good wine who come here from all over the world. For those who wish, a special “Wine Train” operates, which for 3 hours travels along all the vineyards of the valley, stopping next to the wineries. This allows tasting the freshest wine made almost before the eyes of visitors.
Disneyland
If the question arises, what does the state of California offer, the sights of which are so numerous, then Disneyland cannot be ignored. This place is the embodiment of the dream of a fabulous vacation that will not leave indifferent even adults. All the characters of your favorite cartoons that walk in the park do not say a word. Therefore, the guests do not lose the feeling of being in a fabulous country. This grand park has been operating since 1955 and is Disney's first park.
Santa Barbara - American Riviera
There are wonderful weather conditions. The seaside location of this small town makes Santa Barbara a great place to relax. And for the Russians, this name is strongly associated with the eponymous series, which is associated with many memories. The coldest temperature in this paradise is only 11 ° C in January, which allows you to enjoy a beach holiday all year round. In addition, the famous University of California is located here , and many celebrities have chosen this city for permanent residence.
As you can see, the state of California offers many interesting and beautiful places. Each traveler chooses the sights worth seeing, depending on their own passions and tastes.