California Tourist Attractions

California tourist attractions and travel guide to the best, top, most popular tour sites in the state.

Some of California's Top Tourist Attractions:

• California Academy of Sciences
• Japanese Tea Garden (The)
• California State Railroad Museum
• San Diego Zoo (The)
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
• Paramount's Great America
• Golden Gate Bridge
• Children's Discovery Museum
• Tech Museum of Innovation
• Monterey Bay Aquarium
  
  For more tourist attractions with links to their websites, search our exclusive directory in the left column.

Population: 33,871,648

Governor: Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger
(R, to January 2007)

California is one of the Pacific Coast states of the United States of America, physically one of the most remarkable, economically one of the more independent, and in history and social life one of the most interesting of the Union, It is bounded N. by Oregon, E. by Nevada and Arizona, from which last it is separated by the Colorado river, and S. by the Mexican province of Lower California. The length of its medial line N. andS. is about 780 m., its breadth varies, from Iso to 350 m., and its total area is 158,297 sq. m., of which 2205 are Water surface. In size it ranks second among the states of the Union. The coast is bold and rugged and with very few good harbours; San. Diego and San Francisco bays being exceptions. The coast line is more than 1000 m. long. There are eight coast islands, all of inconsiderable size, and none of them as yet in any way important.

Entered the Union: September 9, 1850

As the: 31st state

Motto: Eureka (I Have Found It)

Nicknames: The Golden State

Flower: Golden Poppy

Bird: California Valley Quail

Song: "I Love You, California"

Sports Teams: Anaheim Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants (Baseball); Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Sacramento Kings (Men's Basketball); San Jose Raiders (Women's Basketball); Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, and San Francisco 49ers (Football); Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks (Hockey)

Origin of Name: From the name of a fictional earthly paradise in a book called Las Sergas de Esplanidian, written by Garcia Ordonez de Montalvo around 1500

Major Industries: Manufacturing, Agriculture, Biotechnology

Historical Sites: Sutter's Mill, where gold was first discovered in California in 1848

Points of Interest:

• Lake Tahoe
• San Diego Zoo, San Diego
• Alcatraz, San Francisco
• SeaWorld of California, San Diego
• San Diego Wild Animal Park, Escondido
• Disneyland, Anaheim
• Napa Valley, Napa
• Disney's California Adventure, Anaheim
• Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey
• Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles

Bordering States: Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona. California also borders Mexico