The third largest state in the United States is California, located on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean. It borders Mexico and the states of Oregon, Nevada and Arizona. A little further from the coast is the last state in the USA, Hawaii.
California is very popular for vacations in the USA, California is also the most populous state in America. The capital of California is the city of Sacramento. In 1850, California became the 31st state to join the Union. California’s official nickname is the Golden State.
With an area of 423,970 km², California is the third largest state in the USA after Alaska and Texas. This state is known for Los Angeles through Hollywood and its famous actors. Former actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was even the governor of California. Silicon Valley and the native city of San Francisco, where Apple founder Steve Jobs was born, also stand for California.
It is also popular to drive along the coast of California on a round trip through the USA, Route 66 or Highway 1. Numerous national parks, past coasts and beaches lead these routes.
California is also known for its great agriculture, known as the “Fruit Belt” of America, whose climate is ideal for growing grapes, oranges, lemons and avocados.
Climate & Weather in California
The climate in California can be divided into three zones: On the coast, the temperatures are lower than in the interior of the country due to the influence of the relatively cool Pacific. In the north there are often rainy winters. In the mountains like the Sierra Nevada it often gets quite hot in summer, but due to the altitude, the temperatures drop quickly after sunset. In winter you have to reckon with very large amounts of snow.
In the desert it is mostly sunny and warm during the day all year round, but it cools down considerably at night.
Landmarks in California
The most famous sights of California are: Golden Gate Bridge, Death Valley, Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf, Hollywood Walk of Fame and Yosemite National Park.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Yosemite National Park
Redwood National Park
National Parks in California
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park
Yosemite National Park
Channel Islands National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Death Valley National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Redwood National Park
Cities and larger towns in California
Sacramento
Fresno
Los Angeles
Santa Barbara
Santa Cruz
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose
Ventura
Universities in California
University of Southern California (USC)
Stanford University
University of California
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena
California State University (CSU)
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Airports in California
Bob Hope Airport (Burbank) / BUR
Fresno Yosemite International Airport / FAT
John Wayne Airport – Orange County (Santa Ana) / SNA
Los Angeles International Airport / LAX
Long Beach Airport / LGB
Metropolitan Oakland International Airport / OAK
Monterey Peninsula Airport / MRY
Norman Y.Mineta San Jose International Airport / SJC
Ontario International Airport / ONT
Palm Springs International Airport / PSP
San Francisco International Airport / SFO
San Diego International Airport / SAN
Sacramento International Airport / SMF
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport / SBA
San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport / SBP
Rivers & Lakes in California
Clear Lake
Eagle Lake
Lake Shasta
Lake Tahoe
Mountains & Volcanoes in California
Mount Whitney
Mount Eddy
Mount Shasta
White Mountain Peak
Fisherman’s Wharf – The waterfront area with Pier 39 in San Francisco
Fisherman’s Warf is one of San Francisco’s most viewed attractions. Because the Fisherman’s Warf waterfront is home to many of San Francisco’s most popular attractions. These include Pier 39, The Cannery, The Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf, an underwater aquarium, Ghirardelli Square, an old chocolate factory, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, a curio exhibition, Pampanito a WWII submarine World War II, National Liberty Ship Memorial (SS. Jeremiah O’Brien), an old ship with museum and an old Del Monte canning factory.
Fisherman ‘s Wharf is a waterfront district in northeast San Francisco, California. It goes from Van Ness Avenue in the west to Kearny Street in the east of San Francisco.
Fisherman’s Wharf was created around 1900 when Italian fishermen settled there. In the 1950s it was developed for tourism with shops, restaurants, museums and hotels worth seeing. Until 1970, Fisherman’s Warf was used for mooring cargo ships.
In the port area you will find many shops, restaurants, galleries and museums. You can buy crabs, shrimps and crabs at snack bars. Many sea lions have settled in the port area due to fishing. Fisherman’s Wharf sea lions are used to people, so you can get very close to them.
Pier 39 Fisherman’s Wharf is particularly well-known with its many shops, rides, the aquarium and restaurants. Pier 39 is the closest place to get to the sea lions that have settled on the docks. From Pier 39 you have a wonderful view over San Francisco.
The Aquarium of the Bay is home to over 20,000 marine animals from the San Francisco Bay and surrounding waters. The visitor walks through crystal clear tunnels and is only a few centimeters away from sharks, rays, octopuses and other amazing sea creatures. Special events at the San Francisco Aquarium include animal feedings, naturalist presentations and behind-the-scenes tours.
Major shopping malls on Fisherman’s Wharf harbor include Ghirardelli Square, The Anchorage, and The Cannery.
In the summer there are many outdoor events on the streets of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, as well as flea markets and live concerts.
There are many hotels and popular destinations such as Chinatown, the cable car turnaround, the Maritime National Historical Park and Lombard Street on the edge of the Fisherman’s Wharf harbor area.
One attraction that is famous for the city of San Francisco is the Cable Cars. There are three cable car lines in total, which are mainly only offered as a tourist attraction. The Cable Car Museum is also interesting and informative.
Fisherman’s Wharf now sees more visitors than the Golden Gate Bridge or Chinatown. In addition, the ferries (Red and White Fleet) to Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge start from Fisherman’s Wharf.
Address of the Fisherman’s Wharf attraction in San Francisco:
Fisherman’s Wharf
San Francisco, CA 94133
