World Country Guide

Central Valley

Sprawling from Bakersfield in the south to the Mendocino National Forest in the north, the Central Valley is one of the most productive farming areas in the world. Covered in orchards, fields and vineyards and fed by a network of rivers and lakes – including the 1610km (1000 mile) Delta waterway system – it offers plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities. There is also an abundance of historic sites to explore, and wildlife refuges where visitors can observe native animals in their natural habitat.
The discovery of gold and oil brought settlers of every nationality to Bakersfield and today it is a proudly multi-cultural city. The history of the region is on show at the Kern County Museum, which features 58 historic buildings and Black Gold: The Oil Experience, a science, technology and history interactive exhibit, which opened in November 2002. The California Living Museum is a zoo, botanical garden and natural history museum featuring exhibits native to California.
In the Bakersfield area are the Tule Elk State Reserve, a protected area for native elk, and the Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park at Earlimart, a town with restored 19th-century buildings built by and for African-Americans. The Kern National Wildlife Refuge at Delano is a winter home to wildfowl; the best time for birdwatching is from October to March. The Upper and Lower Kern rivers are popular with whitewater rafters.
The city of Fresno is at the heart of Fresno County, the fifth-largest county in California and the USA’s leading agricultural region. The Kings Canyon, Sequoia and Yosemite national parks are all close to the city. The Fresno Metropolitan Museum has a permanent exhibition on the life of William Saroyan, the Pulitzer Prize- and Oscar-winning author who grew up in Fresno, as well as a large collection of landscape paintings by Ansel Adams and Maynard Dixon, and Native American baskets. The charming Chaffee Zoo features rainforest, orangutan and tiger exhibits and the world’s first computerised reptile house, where temperature, humidity and light cycles are controlled to resemble a natural habitat, as well as regular camel rides and hippo feeding. Children also love Storyland, with its buildings inspired by fairy tales. The Meux Home (1899) and the Kearney Mansion (1906) are museums recreating turn-of-the-century lifestyles, while the Forestiere Underground Gardens, a 60-room underground maze over 4 hectares (10 acres), is one of the city’s more unusual attractions.
Known as the ‘Gateway to Yosemite’, Merced is just a short drive from the Yosemite National Park and its spectacular valleys, waterfalls, granite monoliths and giant sequoias. The Yosemite Wildlife Museum is a great place to learn about the animals that live in the area. Visitors to Merced can also sample the award-winning wines and beers at the Red Rock Winery and Brewery or see cheese being made at the Hilmar Cheese Company. The Castle Air Museum at Atwater displays 43 vintage military aircraft from World War II and the wars in Korea and Vietnam.
Many visitors see the sights of the Delta by houseboat, but Stockton also makes a good base from which to explore the region. Formed by the Sacramento, San Joaquin and Mokelumne rivers, the Delta is the ideal place for boating, fishing, water-skiing and windsurfing. Attractions in nearby Lodi include the The San Joaquin County Historical Society Museum, which traces the history of the area from the earliest native inhabitants up to the present, the Micke Grove Park and Zoo and the Great Valley Serpentarium, a living reptile museum. Those with a sweet tooth should take a detour to the Hershey Visitors’ Center at Oakdale, where visitors can watch chocolate being made, or the Herman Goelitz Candy Company in Fairfield. The inventors of the jelly bean give daily tours of the factory where the famous Jelly Belly beans are produced. Modesto, south of Stockton, is home to the world’s largest winery, E & J Gallo. The vintners have preserved the 1883 McHenry Mansion, furnished with period antiques, for visitors.
The following is a selection of special events occurring in Central Valley in 2005:
Mar 5-6 Fresno County Blossom Trail, Fresno. Apr 22-24 Asparagus Festival, Stockton. Apr 27-May 1 Merced County Spring Fair, Los Banos. May 5-8 Dixon May Fair. May 12-15 High Desert Spring Festival, Ridgecrest. May 20-21 Swedish Festival, Kingsburg. Jun 15-26 San Joaquin County Fair, Stockton. Jul 9-24 Merced County Fair, Merced. Sep 8-11 Desert Empire Fair, Ridgecrest. Sep 21-Oct 2 Kern County Fair, Bakersfield. Sep 24 Dixon Scottish Games & Gathering, Dixon. Oct 5-16 Big Fresno Fair. Nov 12-13 Kearney Park Renaissance Faire, Fresno.