Page 152 - 2019 Travel Guide to California

FORESTIERE UNDERGOUND GARDENS, Fresno, right;
sunset paddle boarding at Lodi Lake, below.
Two river valleys—the Sacramento and
San Joaquin—dominate much of the
region, and the waterways provide oppor-
tunities for sport (fishing, rafting,
waterskiing) and bird migration rest stops,
as well as an essential element of farming.
In the hot summer months, the area’s rivers
and lakes help residents and tourists alike
cool off, and a shady swimming hole is an
ideal spot to spend a weekend.
Swing by one of the roadside produce
stands for the best souvenirs in the Central
Valley. Be sure to enjoy your prizes before
you return home, because the edible
treasure of the region is best sampled fresh.
INSIDER’S
»
TIP
City & Town
College-town Davis has more bikes per
capita than any U.S. city. Modesto and its
hot rods were the stars of American Graf-
fiti—and auto fans still flock to the valley
city. Fresno’s architectural history includes
brick warehouses along the Santa Fe rail-
road tracks and the 1928 Pantages Theatre.
Catch a baseball game at Banner Island, home of the STOCKTON PORTS.
An offshoot of the team credited with inspiring Ernest Lawrence Thayer’s
famous “Casey at the Bat” poem, the Ports got their name because
Stockton was California’s only inland port.
The Great Outdoors
A sprawling web of rivers twists through
the Central Valley—from the Sacramento to
150 2019 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
LODI CVB; FRESNO/CLOVIS CVB