California Travel

California...the name conjures in the imagination stunning mountains, raging rivers, and dramatic coastal scenery. Hollywood, Disneyland, Yosemite, Redwoods, San Franciso, LA to name but a few of the many natural and man-made attractions in this huge state.

Other major features of California include Death Valley, the Mojave Desert, the San Andreas Fault, the romantic San Francisco Bay area and the majestic Sequoias.

The American River is where gold was discovered in the 1800s. Now, Sutters Fort in downtown Sacramento offers a glimpse into that illustrious past.

California has over 200 state parks and recreational areas. National Parks are Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Redwoods, Lassen Volcanic, and Sequoia. State-sponsored attractions include Gray Whale Cove State Beach, McArthur-Burney Falls State Park, Tule Elk State Reserve, and many portions of the Redwood park system.

California's Central Valley with itś huge agricultural production is the dominant part of the central portion of the state.

Southern California is home to the most important ¨image makers"in the world, and what happens in Californa often becomes the new trend for the world.

History of California

The history of California stands in great contrast to the history of the USA's Eastern lands. There was some Spanish Mission activity dating back for several hundred years, but Native Americans representing hundreds of different tribes and several language groups dominated the California scene until about 1849 when the Gold Rush to California's Gold Country near Sacramento changed California's future quickly and dramatically.

Few California miners ever struck it rich or even stayed in the West, but the huge influx of miners along with businesses to serve the mining communities turned forts into towns and towns into larger cities. Soon, California was a key destination for American's westward migration.


California History

California's Gold Country

California Travel

The California Kids Guide has some good California history links.

Weaverville CA Gold Stamping Mill

Weaverville CA Stamp Mill
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Weaverville, California was home to a lot of gold miners back in the day, as the fast flowing rivers and streams of the gold-rich Trinity Alps gave up their bounty. More agressive mining techniques were used here at the stream behind the stamp mill, where "hydraulicking" water canons blasted aways tons of soil to uncover a the tiny flecks of gold dust that were then extracted via sluices.

Read more about the California Gold Rush at Online Highways.