Page 128 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

CENTRAL VALLEY
California’s fertile heartland
B Y J I L L K. R O B I N S O N
TOP CITIES
Modesto, Fresno, Bakersfield, Davis, Stockton, Fairfield,
Merced, Visalia, Madera, Vacaville
INTERNATIONAL GATEWAYS
Sacramento International Airport (SMF), 80 miles
(129 km) from Modesto, 172 miles (277 km) from Fresno
San Francisco International Airport (SFO), 94 miles
(151 km) from Modesto, 186 miles (299 km) from Fresno
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX),
118 miles (190 km) from Bakersfield
TOURISM WEBSITE
visitcentralvalley.com
POPULATION
4,858,000
CENTRAL
VALLEY
The rich green strip wedged between the Sierra Nevada range and
the coastal mountains in the center of California is considered by
some to be the greatest garden in the world. The 400-mile-long
fertile pocket of land is filled with farms, orchards and vineyards, and sup-
plies as much as 45 percent of the food eaten in the United States.
The Central Valley contains thousands of acres of land under culti-
vation and small farming communities that seem to have been frozen
in time. In the larger cities (Modesto, Fresno and Bakersfield) there’s
still a small-town friendliness that encourages visitors to slow down
and look beyond the farmland. From the quiet, northernmost towns of
Orland, Yuba City and Davis to Visalia, Tulare and Maricopa at the
southern end of the valley, it’s easy to feel at home and see what some
call “the Other California.”
Travelers using Interstate 5 to get through the Central Valley may
believe the agricultural region is nothing more than a sleepy little farming
area, but it also has a wealth of spectacular scenery, opportunities for out-
door recreation, highlights of California history and funky roadside
diners. The best way to discover the area is by slowing down and taking
Highway 99, which feels more like a back road. Cities and towns cluster
along the route, giving you a chance to pull off and explore at your leisure.
Two river valleys—the Sacramento and San Joaquin—dominate the
majority of the region, and the area waterways serve as opportunities for
126 2014 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
KEN WOLTER/SHUTTERSTOCK. OPPOSITE: STOCKTON CVB