California – the golden state of America
California is the most populous US state located on the Pacific coast. California’s landscape is very rich and varied. Canyons, hills, mountains and their heavenly peaks securely shelter the California Valley from the hot desert winds. It is in this state that the highest peak in America is located – Mount Whitney, and the lowest geographical point of the country, which is located in Death Valley.
The state of California is the magnificent San Francisco and the hard-working Sacramento, the capital of the Silicon Valley of San Jose and the city of angels Los Angeles, the picturesque town of Palm Springs and the flourishing resort of San Diego.
The cities of Laguna Beach, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara are home to the best resorts in California. It is here that the most luxurious and prestigious hotels in California are built. Very wealthy tourists rest at these resorts, of course, the prices here are quite high.
What is interesting to know
Tours to California, of course, are primarily associated with an indispensable visit to Hollywood, but this is far from the only attraction of this state. California hotels in the Hollywood area are especially popular. No wonder, because here at every step you can meet famous American actors and actresses.
California is already traditionally called the “golden state” of the United States, by the way, not only because of the gold found here. This name refers to both the blooming nature and the wonderful climate of this state. It is not surprising that Russians have been willingly purchasing tours to California, especially in recent years.
Summer holidays in California are in great demand among water sports enthusiasts. The resort of California at this time of the year offers its guests excellent conditions for diving and surfing.
Tours to California in winter are willingly purchased by lovers of skiing. Yosemite National Park has excellent trails and slopes.
Holidays in California include shopping. In the richest area of Hollywood in Beverly Hills, there are boutiques of world famous fashion houses. Prices in these boutiques are sometimes simply astronomical, but this does not bother wealthy tourists at all.
California is the golden state of America, which annually attracts thousands and thousands of tourists from all over the world.
The name of the state of California comes from the name of the province “Las Californias”, which was part of the Spanish colony in North America. The province itself got its name from the island of California, invented by the Spanish writer Garci Rodriguez de Montalvo, which he described in his novel at the beginning of the 16th century. According to the book, the mythical island inhabited by the Amazons was located east of the Asian mainland, next to the earthly paradise, and was ruled by Queen Califia.
The indigenous population before the arrival of European settlers consisted of many Indian tribes: Chumash, Salinan (Salin), Maidu, Utians (Miwoks, Oloni), Modocs, Mojave, Pomo, Shasta, Tongva, Wintu, Esselens, Yokuts, Washosho, Yana, Chimariko, karuk, chuppah, kahuilla.
The European foot set foot on the land of California in 1542, when the expedition of the Spaniard Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo arrived on the North American continent, and then Sir Francis Drake arrived in these parts in 1579.
After Mexico gained independence, California became part of it. In 1847, as a result of the American-Mexican War, the territory was divided between Mexico and the United States, and a year later a new independent state, the Republic of California, was proclaimed. California officially became part of the United States in 1850.
Interesting sights
One of the most interesting places in Los Angeles is the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park. The park is entirely dedicated to feature and animated films created by the film studio of the same name. The main pride of the park are its stunning shows.
For example, the show dedicated to the film “Water World” offers to watch the battles of jet skiers, accompanied by gunfights, extreme stunts and a series of explosions, which by the end of the show destroy a good half of the scenery.
Also in the park Universal Studios Hollywood has many attractions. The pavilion dedicated to the film “Earthquake” offers its visitors to experience real underground points with a force of 8 points. The Jurassic Park pavilion allows you to plunge into the atmosphere of the film and see walking dinosaurs.
Sequoia National Park
Every year, the Sequoia National Park welcomes more than a million tourists from all over the world who want to see with their own eyes a giant forest of centuries-old redwoods. In the specially protected area of the park, you can see for yourself how big trees really are and even try to cover an eight-meter diameter trunk with a group of friends.
The Forest of the Giants is the most accessible area of the park. You can climb to a height of 1800 meters by jeep, bus or on foot along convenient hiking trails. Five of the largest trees on the planet grow here. The most famous of them is the General Sherman Tree at the base with a diameter of 11.1 meters.
The bark of the sequoia is fibrous and very unusual to the touch: when touched, the palm sinks inwards, remaining dense and whole. Some trees have been living here for one and a half thousand years, and this is absolutely not the limit, since the average age of the giants is about four thousand years.
Another interesting attraction of the park, which offers an example to compare the insignificance of man in front of nature, is the Log Tunnel. Once in the arch one of the redwoods fell and blocked the road. It was absolutely impossible to remove it because of its huge size, so it was decided to make a tunnel right through it. The passage three meters high and five meters wide has become a favorite adventure for motorists who guide their vehicles through such an unusual obstacle.