Our California Is Yours to Explore!

San Diego

Our tour begins in the far south of the state, near Mexico. San Diego is home to miles and miles of beaches, a famous zoo, and more than one million people. It is the second largest city in California.

Do you see the border between California and Mexico? (Fun fact: All of California was part of the country of Mexico from 1822-1848.)

Can you find Balboa Park, where the San Diego Zoo is located?

(Hint: You can zoom in using the plus button in the lower right. Click on the map and drag it to move around on the map.)

San Juan Capistrano

Heading north, our next stop is San Juan Capistrano. Migrating swallows are celebrated when they return to San Juan Capistrano each year in March. Swallows migrate 6,000 miles from Argentina in large groups.  The town of San Juan Capistrano welcomes visitors from all parts of the world to see the historic mission and witness the return of the swallows. This tradition has been celebrated since the early 1930s.

Why are some areas of this map colored green?

What is the number of the freeway that runs in a north-south direction through San Juan Capistrano? (Fun fact: This is the busiest highway in the entire country.)

Los Angeles

Sometimes called the "city of angels," this is California's largest city by population. The city has grown on flat land between the Pacific Ocean and the mountains. On every side of the City of Los Angeles, there are smaller cities and towns. These are sometimes called suburbs, and they are part of a local region.

Which mountain range is closest to Los Angeles?

Can you zoom in close enough to see the pier in Santa Monica where there are lots of fun things to do?

(Fun fact: Fossils of many prehistoric animals, including the saber-toothed tiger, have been found in the La Brea Tar Pits.)

The Channel Islands

Not all of California is part of mainland. The eight Channel Islands are too far off shore to be connected by a bridge. They must be visited by boat, plane, or helicopter. Very few people live on the islands now. A group of five islands just south of Santa Barbara are protected as Channel Islands National Park.

How tall is the highest point on Santa Catalina Island (the island closest to Long Beach)?

What is the name of one of the islands included in Channel Islands National Park? (Fun fact: To visit the National Park, you can take a boat from Ventura or Oxnard.)

Monterey

Monterey is a historic city where the Spanish once built a presidio, or fort. Later, the area became a center for fishing. Many people worked on boats and in canneries to profit from the rich sea life found in deep waters off the coast. Now, much of the sea life is protected.

Zoom in to the area of Monterey Bay just east of the number five to find Fisherman's Wharf and Monterey State Historic Park.

What is the light purple area just inland from Fort Ord Dunes State Park?

(Fun fact: The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary includes 5,322 square miles of ocean, some of which is more than two miles deep.)

San Francisco

This city is located on a peninsula, which is land surrounded by water on three sides. Bridges now make it easier for people to cross the water. The inlet to San Francisco Bay is crossed by the Golden Gate Bridge. The city grew up very quickly during the Gold Rush. It had to be rebuilt after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire destroyed most of the city.

What is the name of the city to the east of San Francisco, across the bay?

What is the name of the large, rectangular park located in San Francisco?

(Fun fact: There was so much demand for land in San Francisco that dirt and other materials were dumped into the bay to create new land on which to build.)

Sonoma

The land north of San Francisco Bay includes fertile valleys. The name Sonoma was given to the place by the Native American people who first lived here. Descendants of the Pomo, Coast Miwok, and Wappo tribes are still part of the community.

Is there another town that you think might have a name given by Native Americans?

Is there a place name you would guess that was given by settlers who arrived to this area after it became part of the United States?

(Fun fact: A museum with the world's largest Star Wars collection is located in Sonoma.)

Eureka

Eureka is an area of northern California referred to as the "redwood coast." The enormous trees that grow in the area have drawn people to the area for many years. In the state's early years, people came to cut the trees down to provide building supplies for the growing population. In 1880 there were over 400 lumber mills operating here. Now, tourists come to see the trees standing in magnificent groves.

What geographic feature separates Humboldt Bay from the Pacific Ocean?

What is the name of the largest Indian Reservation in California, located to the northeast of Eureka? (Hint: The Trinity River

(Fun fact: Coast redwood trees are the tallest trees on Earth and they can live more than two thousand years.)

Sacramento

Sacramento was created at a place where the American and Sacramento Rivers come together. The city sits in the middle of the Great Central Valley, so it is surrounded by valuable farmland. Because Sacramento is California's capital city, you will find the State Capitol building and many important offices here.

Name a street that runs along one side of Capitol Park, where the State Capitol Building is located.

The city streets are in a grid pattern. Streets that run north-south are given numbers (16th Street, for example). How are streets that run east-west named?

(Fun fact: Sacramento served as one end of the first railroad to connect California with the eastern United States.)

Coloma

Coloma is where the California Gold Rush started. When gold was found near Sutter's Mill by James Marshall, word spread around the world. Many types of people from all over the world took a chance and headed to California to be part of this opportunity.

Which river flows past Coloma? (Fun fact: This is a popular spot for whitewater rafting.)

What is the other name used for Highway 49 in this area?

Yosemite

Yosemite is the name of a spectacular valley in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where waterfalls plunge over towering granite cliffs and giant sequoias grow. This is the place where the idea for national parks began. A naturalist named John Muir helped convince President Abraham Lincoln to preserve land that would become part of Yosemite National Park.

Where would you want to start exploring here? (Fun fact: There are over 750 miles of hiking trails you could follow in the park.)

What is the name of the creek that flows into the eastern end of Yosemite Valley, between North Dome and Diving Board?

Great Central Valley

From the space station orbiting around the Earth, you can see that much of California's land is part of a vast valley stretching over half of the length of the state. Mountains encircle this valley, and the streams that flow down into the valley bottom from those mountains bring both water and fertile soil to the valley floor. Much of the land is used to grow food. To support the farmers, large processing plants prepare and package farm products for sale.

What name is used to describe the portion of the Great Central Valley that lies to the south of the city of Stockton?

What large mountain chain forms the eastern edge of the Great Central Valley?

(Fun fact: Farmers in the Great Central Valley produce one-quarter of America's food.)

Death Valley

On the eastern side of California's high mountains, there is little rainfall. This beautiful desert landscape is a challenging environment where plants, animals, and people must adapt to extreme weather. It is often over 120 degrees here, and water is scarce. Despite the harsh conditions, people came here to mine valuable minerals such as borax, silver, and gold. Outdoor enthusiasts now come to this area to visit Death Valley National Park.

What is the number of the highway that passes through Stovepipe Wells?

What direction would you need to go from Beatty Junction to get to Badwater Basin? (Fun Fact: Badwater Basin is the lowest point in the United States at 282 feet below sea level!)

Palm Springs

California's deserts are hot and dry, but they are also full of life. In a few places, water flows out of the ground in natural springs, and these places have always attracted both animals and people. The Cahuilla Indians have been living in this place for hundreds of years. More recently, Palm Springs became a popular tourist destination and a center for the arts.

What is the name of the valley in which Palm Springs is located?

Creeks and rivers in this area only flow during some parts of the year, while other times they are dry. How is this represented on the map (see the Whitewater River or Palm Canyon Creek)?

(Fun fact: Some of the water that flows out of springs in this area is hot.)