California Central Valley and Sacramento Delta
The Central Valley is the very large inland area that forms the center of California. Wikipedia's description is good -- the southern half of the Central Valley is the San Joaquin Valley, the northern half the Sacramento Valley, and what separates the two valleys is the Sacramento Delta area. What makes the area a valley are the Coastal Range on the west, the Sierra Nevada range to the east. If you've driven the I-5 from Southern California up to Oregon, then you've covered the length of the Central Valley. Unfortunately, few seem to get off the I-5 and get to know what is really there. Since I can't tolerate driving the freeway for long distances, I've taken many a back road across the Central Valley, and gained an appreciation for how much the Central Valley is the work horse of California -- and for the history embedded in the Central Valley.
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Taft and the Oil
industry One of the more startling scenes of the Central Valley is the oil fields on the western side of the southern Central Valley. A look through Taft and the nearby areas will give a sense both of the history of oil in California, and how much it remains an active industry. |
| Carrizo Plain
National Monument Just over the hills and west of the oil fields is the Carrizo Plain National Monument -- a surprisingly large, and mostly untouched, valley. |
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Bakersfield Integral to the oil economy, and later the agricultural economy of the southern portion of the Central Valley, is Bakersfield. It's worth a visit just for the architecture. |
| Mendota, Firebaugh,
and more Many of the smaller agricultural towns of the Central Valley have interesting historical architecture. (Click on picture for more on Central Valley small town life.) |
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San Joaquin
National Cemetery And then there's the Central Valley's contribution to various wars. (Click on picture for more of the San Joaquin National Cemetery.) |
| Sacramento Delta
and Sacramento The Sacramento Delta and Sacramento -- architecturally interesting, and oddly Southern feeling. |
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