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Laura Flippen
Central California
Central California
Discover the Central Valley
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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 kilometres down the middle of the state, are cities and towns rich with history, international culture, and “everyone’s welcome” charm.
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Timothy Archibald
California Questionnaire: Soterios Johnson
The New York City radio veteran and podcast host reveals why he loves living in the Golden State
Soterios Johnson is not exactly a California expert—not yet, anyway. And that is one big reason why he is the ideal host for the brand-new...
Courtesy of the Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant
Harris Ranch
This Central Valley oasis is a perfect place for a quick pit stop or even a relaxed meal and overnight stay
Looking for a great place to stop on Highway 5 between Los Angeles and San Francisco? Look no further:...
Jen Siska
Road Trip: Central Valley
Take a drive along Highway 99 to experience honky-tonk culture, culinary delights, urban adventures, and more
Famous for its bountiful produce, quality wine, and country music, the Central Valley is California’s heartland. It’s also a place of...
Spotlight: Fresno
From blooming fruit trees to an acclaimed art museum, discover the diversity of Fresno
Although it’s in the heart of California’s most productive agricultural region, Fresno is...
Buyenlarge/Getty Images
SPOTLIGHT: BAKERSFIELD
Experience California’s oil-rich history, with Basque food and country and western music on the side
The rapidly growing city of Bakersfield...
Courtesy of Hilmar Cheese Company
Hilmar Cheese Company
Learn how to make cheese at this “little secret” in the Central Valley
Most people are surprised to discover that California is the country’s second largest cheese...
Courtesy of the Haggin Museum
Stockton
Explore the Central Valley’s port city, on the Sacramento Delta
The ocean-bound freighters dotting Stockton...
Sacramento River Train
Ride along a stretch of Gold Country landscape while dining, wine-tasting, or watching a show
Mark Crosse/Getty Images
Fresno County Blossom Trail
Explore this driving loop that bursts with flowers in the spring and fruit during summer
Spring tends to kick off early in Fresno County with a fast-and-frenzied spectacle of blooming fruit and nut trees. Starting in mid-...
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 kilometres east of Napa, in a lovely but largely “secret” area of sprawling countryside and bayfront beauty. This...
Lake Berryessa, located just outside of Winters, has a sunken city underneath it called Monticello.
Laura Flippen
9 Great Central Valley Farm Stands
Sample fresh, seasonal produce and artisanal foods and chat with local farmers
This fertile valley stretches for some 724 kilometres from roughly Chico south to Bakersfield—the pancake-flat belly of California. Farms and...
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 college...
SPECIAL FEATURE
Farm-fresh produce, culinary adventures
Juicy heirloom tomatoes and just-picked strawberries. Super-sweet peaches shaped like mini UFOs. Artisanal cheeses, emerald-green olive oils, local wildflower honey—California’s farmers’ markets...
Laura Flippen
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 centerpiece of Stockton’s stately Victory Park. The 34...
April
Each April, the University of California, Davis, invites the public to its annual and unabashedly friendly...
Courtesy of UC Davis College of Engineering
Kodiak Greenwood
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area
Some 300 species of birds and mammals make this a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts
Located on the Pacific Flyway 96 kilometres north of Sacramento, Gray Lodge encompasses 3700 hectares surrounded by agricultural flatlands and...
Harriot Manley/ Sunset Publishing
Houseboating
Take to the water on a deluxe floating home
In California, it’s hard to talk about houseboating without talking about the Central Valley. One of the state’s premier places for vacationing in...
October
Honour the harvest season this October at the Hoes Down Harvest Festival, a family-friendly event that takes place at the beautiful...
Harriot Manley/ Sunset Publishing
California Delta
A boater’s and fisherman’s paradise awaits
Located northeast of the San Francisco Bay, this 1,000-mile network of inland waterways—the major drainage from the snow-capped Sierra Nevada to...
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...
Harriot Manley/ Sunset Publishing
Fresno
Discover agriculture and culture in the valley's biggest city
The Central Valley’s largest city makes for a surprisingly lively getaway. Seven stadiums and a pair of arenas satisfy sporty types, and an annual...
The 10 acres of rooms, passages and gardens at Fresno's Forestiere Underground Gardens were excavated by hand using only farming tools.
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 pleasant surprises. Once known for oil and...
Courtesy of Séka Hills
Séka Hills Olive Mill and Tasting Room
Taste olive oil and dine on locally sourced fare while enjoying views of tribal lands in the Capay Valley
Intimate Capay Valley is a world apart—with rolling hills and oak woodlands just west of the Sacramento Valley. Like its much larger neighbour,...
California
Snow-covered peaks in winter, gushing waterfalls in spring, wildflower meadows and glistening lakes in summer, vibrant colours in fall—this is a land of dramatic and wild...
California
Romance finds a home in this idyllic coastal region, where ocean fog rolls in from the ocean to blanket hushed redwood forests, and...
Spotlight: Sacramento
The state capital has an appealing collection of farmers’ markets. Sunday morning’s Farmers Market—cleverly utilizing the cool shade provided by a freeway overpass, is...