California Travel Guide

For many the dream location, there is so much to California that it is almost too big and diverse to properly articulate.

It is the most populous state in the USA and the third largest.

California is the state of choices. Choose your lifestyle, be who you want to be. Choose your scenery, are you a mountain person, a desert person, a forest person or a coast person. Perhaps a little bit of all four. How do you like your cities? Glamorous, shiny and fast? Or perhaps stately and laid back? Maybe you don't like cities perhaps a one street town, a stop off on the wide, open road is more your style. California has it all.

Initially settled by the Spanish during the 16th Century it was nearly two centuries before Spain began serious colonisation. When Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821 California came as part of the deal, at least that was the idea. America had a different agenda that contributed to the Mexican American War and in1850 California becoming the 31st State.

The coming of the railroad and the discovery of gold in 'them thar hills' caused a surge in the population and California was well on its way. The earthquake of 1906 did little to discourage further growth and the burgeoning movie industry began to promote California as a land where dreams can come true. The Okies trying to escape the economic devastation of the 1930's dustbowl thought so. Sadly their dreams were mostly dashed, just ask Tom Joad.

California is still growing; it is a major centre for tourism, entertainment, computer technologies and financial service industries. The state is the largest agricultural producer in the US and yet, despite all this, there are still large parts of it that are uninhabited and unspoilt.

The weather is mostly fair all year round, the mountains get cold in winter and snow may make access a problem. The deserts are best in spring and the north is best in the autumn. Go anytime to the south and the sun will be shining.