Experience the Wonders of Interior California

Coastal California: Los Angles, San Francisco, Monterey and San Diego are well known. Lesser known are the wonders in California's valley regions. My goal here is to present glimpses of some of my favorite places and activities in Interior California.

Sacramento

Sacramento is the county seat and the Capital of the Golden State. Its tree-lined older neighborhoods justify the claim, "The City of Trees". The major employer of this river city of 486,000 inhabitants is government.

As the Eiffel Tower is the signature of Paris, the extremities of Sacramento's Capitol Mall mark Sacramento. The eastern anchor of Capitol Mall is the government campus. It highlights the gold domed Capitol. The western anchor is Tower Bridge. It is the televised signature of Sacramento. It crosses the Sacramento River rendering access to the coast. Much of Sacramento's entertainment, its arts and its rich history lay within a fifteen minutes stroll from either anchor.

For art lovers: The northern boundary of the Capitol campus houses the home for the Sacramento Opera; the world renowned Sacramento Chorale and on special occasions the Sacramento Philharmonic.

A two-block stroll from Tower Bridge is oldest art museum west of the Mississippi, The Crocker Art Museum. Its recently opened addition added 125,000 square feet to further delight art lovers and experts. Various niche museums are brief strolls from the Crocker.

For outdoors event: Sacramento offers large parks with elaborately embroidered matured trees. Many of these green spaces are located near the Sacramento and American Rivers. These waterways provide calming movement for water watchers and fishing, swimming and cooling off for the more active.

Seasonal activities: Our Dixieland Jazz Festival is one of many jamborees that celebrate music. The citywide Fourth of July gathering celebrates our freedom and local pride. We cheer our athletic heroes at NBA games, championship Triple A baseball games and UFL football games.

A brief ninety-minute car trip towards the southwest is the heart of California major wine producing home.

Napa Valley

Napa Valley is the home of nearly 400 wineries. Its mix of flat lands and rolling hills is lined with vines that thrive in the valley climate. On hot days, the vines perfume the valley with an aroma that beckons dining with a special one under a shade tree.

Isolated within mountain ranges, Napa is home to many world wonders. It has a petrified grove of trees, a functioning geyser, natural mud baths, a dinner train, and a cooking school. This fertile oasis treats the pallet to wine tasting and great foods. And it enlivens the mind with tours revealing the winemaker's secrets. Only one other California region offers a more satisfying experience.

A 166-mile drive from Sacramento towards the southeast is a valley region that educates, humbles and renews your spirit.

Yosemite National Park

Glaciers carved the Yosemite Valley. They chiseled striking granite rock formations, breathtakingly powerful waterfalls, thus providing space and nutriments for some of the largest and oldest trees in the world. Then Nature populated the valley with abundant wildlife: mountain lions, bears, dears, snakes, eagles and many species of fishes.

Immerse yourself in the spirit of the valley environs. The Ahwahnee Hotel is a castle-like structure built with the rock and woods of the valley. Its huge dining hall is the stage of extravagant holiday events that attract guests from all corners the world.

Stay overnight and enjoy Park Rangers' fireside gatherings warmed with blankets in the chilled night air. For the ultimate experience release yourself and vicariously live in the valley stories and myths of the indigenous tribes.

Lake Tahoe (two hours east of Sacramento) and Mount Shasta - the sleeping snow-capped giant - (three hours north of Sacramento) are other natural wonders to experience in Interior California. With Sacramento's many hotels and its short distances from these valley sites, it is the ideal center from which to visit the wonders of Interior California.