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Jim West/Alamy

César E. Chávez National Monument

César E. Chávez National Monument
Take a journey into the farm workers’ revolution

The rousing cry of ¡Si, se puede! (Yes, it can be done!) rocked the world in 1972, when labour leader and civil rights activist César Estrada Chávez and his United Farm Workers Union co-founder, Dolores Huerta, came up with the slogan to champion their revolutionary causes. Today, the César E. Chávez National Monument tells the story of Chávez’s life and pays tribute to his leadership and nonviolent protests, which brought sustained international attention to the low pay and often inhumane working conditions of U.S. farm workers. 

Appropriately, the tribute site is known as La Paz, or peace. Located about 30 miles south of Bakersfield, it’s set on a historic ranch near the National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark/California Historical Landmark at Tehachapi Loop. The property contains a visitor’s center, memorial rose and cactus gardens, and a fountain-framed gravesite for Chávez (who died in 1993) and his wife Helen, plus their two loyal dogs.

Start in the exhibit hall, where Chávez’s office is preserved with piles of paperwork atop his ornately carved wood desk. The hall also boasts a rickety shack made of rusted corrugated metal and weather-warped wood as a shocking example of the deplorable housing common for farm workers during the 1960s.

The photography archive is impressive as well, detailing Chávez’s efforts that showed, indeed, ¡Si, se puede! In 1975, the Golden State passed the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act, as the first law in the U.S. to recognize farm workers’ collective bargaining rights.

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Laura Flippen

Central California

Discover the Central Valley

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March
Average (°C)
Mar - May
28°
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7°
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June - Aug
36°
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Sept - Nov
32°
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28°
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California’s heartland offers up one of the state’s most authentic and sensory-rich experiences, a chance to see—and taste—the state’s bounty at every turn. Follow oak-shaded country roads to farm stands overflowing with fresh produce, and meander along wine trails to some of the state’s most productive vineyards and low-key tasting rooms.

Peaches, plums, apricots, and tomatoes—just some of the ultra-fresh produce you will find at farm stands throughout the valley.

Throughout the broad valley, stretching for over 400 miles/644 kilometers down the middle of the state, are cities and towns rich with history, international culture, and “everyone’s welcome” charm. 

 

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Derrell McCain/Alamy

Best Kept Secret: Solano County

See why this Central Valley region holds its own in terms of good wine, pretty countryside, and cool activities

A treasure awaits about 20 miles east of Napa, in a lovely but largely “secret” area of sprawling countryside and bayfront beauty. This is ...

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Lake Berryessa, located just outside of Winters, has a sunken city underneath it called Monticello.
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Alex Farnum

Davis

You don’t have to be a student to enjoy the perks of this ag-oriented college town

Eco-friendly, liberal leaning, progressive, impressive professor’s homes and fraternity houses—Davis has the hallmarks of a classic American...

SPECIAL FEATURE
Farm-fresh produce, culinary adventures

Juicy heirloom tomatoes and just-picked strawberries. Super-sweet peaches shaped like mini UFOs. Artisan cheeses, emerald-green olive oils, local wildflower honey—California’s farmers’ markets are...

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Laura Flippen
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Laura Flippen

Haggin Museum

Local history merges with world-renowned art at this must-see museum in Stockton’s Victory Park

Housed in an early-19th-century brick building, this handsome art and history museum is the centrepiece of Stockton’s stately Victory Park. The 34...

California's Heartland

California's Heartland
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The Tehama Trail is a surprisingly fertile area—a prime place for farms and ranches. Many invite visitors to stop in and buy fresh produce, artisanal olive oils, and other local food products.

The trail links together nearly two dozen vineyards, orchards, and grass-fed beef ranchers and...

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Bakersfield is full of surprises. Once known for oil and agriculture, this Central Valley town is morphing into an arts, culture, and sports hub, while still offering a glimpse of the past. Visit Colonel Allensworth State Historic...

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Kodiak Greenwood

Gray Lodge Wildlife Area

Map of Shasta Cascade
Some 300 species of birds and mammals make this a Mecca for outdoor enthusiasts

Located on the Pacific Flyway 60 miles north of Sacramento, Gray Lodge encompasses 9,200 acres surrounded by agricultural flatlands and...

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Harriot Manley/ Sunset Publishing

Houseboating

Take to the water on a deluxe floating home

In California, it’s hard to talk about houseboats without talking about the Central Valley. One of the state’s premier places for holidaying in a...

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Harriot Manley/ Sunset Publishing

California Delta

A boater’s and fisherman’s paradise awaits

Located north-east of the San Francisco Bay, this 1,000-mile network of inland waterways—the major waterway from the snow-capped Sierra Nevada to...

Lodi Wine Country
Dale Goff Photography

Lodi Wine Country

Sample the city’s famous Zinfandels after a day of outdoor fun

Best known for big red wines, particularly old-vine Zinfandels, the American Viticultural Area of...

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The 10 acres of rooms, passages and gardens at Fresno's Forestiere Underground Gardens were excavated by hand using only farming tools.
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Courtesy of Buck Owens Crystal Palace

Bakersfield

Experience California’s oil-rich history, with Basque food and country western music on the side

This rapidly growing city in the southern Central Valley is full of surprises. Once known for oil and agriculture, Bakersfield has...