Page 171 - 2015 Travel Guide to California

CENTRAL VALLEY
California’s vast and 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,
Manteca, Lodi
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 Central Valley is considered by many to be the greatest garden in the
world. The 400-mile-long fertile pocket of land, wedged between the Sierra
Nevada range and the coastal mountains in the center of California, is filled
with farms, orchards and vineyards. If you haven’t visited, it’s still likely you’ve
benefited from the region, as it supplies as much as 45 percent of the food eaten in
the United States.
The Central Valley contains thousands of acres of land under cultivation 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 agri-
cultural region is nothing more than a sleepy little farming area, but it also has a wealth
of spectacular scenery, opportunities for outdoor 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 sport (fishing, rafting, water-
skiing) and bird migration rest stops, as well as a necessary element of farming. In the
hot summer months, the area’s rivers and lakes help residents and tourists alike cool
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