Page 133 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

city’s fresh cuisine at one of many side-
walk cafés, take a stroll in the quaint
downtown district and tour the richest
agricultural region in the United States.
Just up the road, take a short detour off
famous California Highway 99 to taste
delicious wines along the Madera Wine
Trail. Visitors will enjoy award-winning
wines at more than a dozen wineries that
dot the Madera County countryside. From
here, travelers are nearly at Yosemite
National Park’s doorstep.
Old School Fun in a Modern Setting
Vacaville’s pastoral setting, vibrant down-
town and world-class shopping make it a
perfect getaway or home base for your Cen-
tral Valley California vacation experience.
Set against the rolling hills just west of
Sacramento Valley, Vacaville is a special
place to live, work, play and visit. The city’s
central location and affordable lodging are
only a short drive from such major cities
as San Francisco, Oakland and Sacra-
mento. However, if you’re looking for
some great local fun, you’ll love the his-
toric downtown area, scenic parks,
performing arts venues and the legendary
Nut Tree, which has been a staple of
Northern California road trips and
overnight stays for decades.
Underground and Country Sound
An underground garden may seem an
impossibility, but in Fresno, the
Forestiere Underground Gardens are filled
with grottos of lush trees and grapevines.
After your subterranean journey, head to
aboveground U-pick farms from May
through September to get your fill of
berries, cherries and plums—or, just cut
to the chase and get a fresh pie at a farm-
stand stop. Fresno is also a gateway to all
three national parks, making it easy for
visitors to sample the best of the valley
before heading into the mountains.
In Bakersfield, kick up your heels and
dance with the cowboys at Buck Owens’
Crystal Palace, one of the places where
you’ll get to hear the famed “Bakersfield
Sound,” developed right here in the 1950s.
»EAT, PLAY,
STROLL, RELAX.
Central Valley
Tourism Association
visitcentralvalley.com
DAVIS FARMERS MARKET is busy
with bikes, great food and friendly
people, top and right.
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