| Page Views: 7,734 Last Visit to California: June, 2003 | California - The Golden State by Geoff_Wright - last update: Jul 11, 2003 |
California was not my original intended starting point for my visit to the United States. Since discovering Virtual Tourist, and making the many VT friends that I have, it has been a dream to visit some of the beautiful locations, especially where some of my VT friends are located. For the past two years my VT pal, Phil (Phildeni), has been encouraging me to visit him in Oregon, but for one reason or another, it wasn't possible - until this June.
The flights from London to Portland, Oregon, usually (if not always) include a stopover in, for instance, Fort Worth. That adds hours to the journey, and the cost of the flight is quite high too. So, after browsing though the flight options I found that to fly to Los Angeles was the cheapest option, and then I would take the train to Portland. To fly into LA would also allow me to meet some of the Virtual Tourist staff, and this was arranged. I had also thought about hiring a car whilst in LA and driving to Arizona, to see some of the Grand Canyon, one of the places I really wanted to see. However, I quickly dismissed this idea, and just as well! |
|  | During the time that I was planning my trip (although really I had no plans!), Phil decided he would like to meet up with the VT guys also, and told me of his intention to drive the 900 plus miles from Portland to LA, have our VT meeting, and then drive me back, along the coast, to Oregon. What a guy! What a great VT friend too. So, if you are still reading this page, you'll have to read my account of my travels in the pages that follow. This particular page on California will consist of pictures of some of the great places we visited on our journey along the coast, but don't forget to look at some of the more detailed pages too. Oh, and this page is far from finished, it's just that we are busy haymaking at present. I'll be adding more tips soon - promise! |
For those who don't know much about California, here is a little bit of information:
California has a population of 34 millions, and a land area of some 158,693 square miles. It was admitted to the Union in 1850 as the 31st State. The capital is Sacramento. California is bounded on the north by Oregon, on the east by Nevada and Arizona on the south by Mexico, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Ranking first among the US States in population and third in area, California has a diverse topography and climate. A series of low mountains known as the Coastal Ranges extends along the 1,200 mile coast. The region from Point Arena, north of San Francisco, to the southern part of the state is subject to earthquakes caused by the San Andreas Fault. The Coast Ranges extends receive heavy rainfall in the north, where the giant redwood forests prevail, but the climate of these mountains is considerably drier in southern California, and south of the Golden Gate no major rivers reach to ocean. Behind the coastal ranges lies the great Central Valley, drained by wastelands, notably the Mojave Desert. Rising east of the Central Valley is the Sierra Nevada range. Death Valley is east of the southern Sierra Nevada. | | |
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Geoff_Wright's California Travel Tips
 Comments for Geoff_Wright about California | | | | |
buzzz Sat Aug 2, 2003 09:06 UTC
California sounds great. I want to do that drive along the Pacific Coast Highway one day. Pity you didn't get to Bryce Canyon Geoff, maybe next time!! | Gili_S Fri Jul 25, 2003 09:56 UTC
Great adventure and good transportation tips. But to add to the history, isn’t California invaded by the gringos that took it off from Mexico? | Gypsystravels Fri Jul 11, 2003 15:23 UTC
I love to hear stories like this. VT is such a big part of so many of us "old-timers" of vt. Glad that you enjoyed a small part of the U.S. I am sure that many visits will follow, especially with great vt friends to guide us along.... | Geoff_Wright Thu Jul 10, 2003 20:58 UTC
Well, Stace, I had four stars marked on my ticket. But I didn't get four-star treatment, LOL! |
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