Recurso 7: California – a travel guide
Everybody has heard of Hollywood. It is the home to the
film industry, and where many film stars and producers live.
Many people come here with the dream of becoming
famous but only a few achieve it. Most of them work in
shops or restaurants and some of them end jobless and
homeless.
The rich and famous people in California like going shopping
in Beverly Hills, with the most luxurious shops. Here you can
find the most expensive designer clothes. If you ever go
there and you don’t have much money, you can have a walk
and if you are lucky, you can get a picture with your
favourite celebrity.
While in San Francisco, you can see the impressive Golden
Gate Bridge, the largest suspension bridge in the world and
it is a must! The most famous landmark in San Francisco
Bay. You can also visit famous historic marketplaces like
Fisherman’s Wharf, ride on its famous streetcars or take a
cruise to visit Alcatraz Island, which was once the most
famous security prison in the United States, and see the
cells which were home to America’s most wanted criminals,
like Al Capone.
California is the most populous state in the US, with over
39 million people and the third largest by area.
California became a state in 1850, as the 31st state of the
United States. Its motto is ‘Eureka’ (I have found it!).
California is located on the West Coast of the USA, along the
Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada
to the east, Arizona to the southeast and the Mexican state
to the south.
California has a very mild climate and varied geography.
Thanks to its fertile land, many immigrants came here in the
past to grow fruit and wine.
California is the most populated state in the US with over 39
million people. It is also the richest of all. If it was an
independent country, its economy would be the 5th in the
world, beating up to the United Kingdom, according to
statistics.
Why is it so rich? Well, especially because of Silicon Valley,
which is a nickname for the southern portion of the San
Francisco Bay Area, which is home to many of the world's
largest high-tech corporations such as Apple, Google, HP or
Netflix.
SA3_Recurso 7|1
In California you can enjoy nature: lakes, waterfalls, deserts,
mountains and long beaches. There are many forests, too. The
most famous National Park is called Yosemite in the Sierra
Nevada Mountains. Here you can also visit the California
Sequoia Park and see the ‘General Sherman Tree’, the largest
tree in the world. In fact, this park contains five out of the ten
largest trees worldwide, with over 110 meters high. And they
are so big that you can even drive your car through some of
them.

If you like driving, you can enjoy the famous end to the ‘Route
66’. It’s known as ‘the Mother Road’ or ‘the Main Street of
America’. It has about 3940 kilometers, crossing 8 states and 3
time zones, starting in Chicago and ending in Santa Monica,
California. In the 20’s or 30’s it was the most popular road in
the United States but in the 60’s it stopped being used because
more modern highways were constructed. Until that time,
there were huge signs and advertisements, some bigger than
houses. Some of America’s famous restaurants started here like
McDonald’s in San Bernardino.

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Why is California called ‘The golden state’?
Because gold was found in 1849 and lots of people
went there to become rich. This was called the ‘Gold
Rush’.
California has always been the perfect place to
achieve the ‘American dream’, a place where anyone
could become wealthy and famous with hard work
and good luck. It was the land of opportunities: in
Hollywood studios, Silicon Valley or Disneyland.
But California is an international place and people
from many different origins live here. There are lots
of people from China, Japan and Europe. But most of
them are Hispanic, who are nearly 30% of the
population.
Spanish missionaries were the first people who
discovered these lands and that’s why many cities
have Spanish names: San Francisco, San Diego, Santa
Monica, Los Angeles or San Jose. The capital has
another Spanish name: Sacramento.
Have you ever skated? Do you know where
skateboarding started? In California, of course.
Particularly at Venice Beach. So if you ever come to
this lively place, you must visit the famous skate park
right on the beach and enjoy street musicians and
bodybuilders.
The practice of riding waves has always existed.
However, the Polynesians started to stand on a
surfboard. Then it became popular in Hawaii and of
course again, in California, whose coast is huge and its
beaches are a way of life for Californians.
If you like baseball games, California is your place!
You can see famous teams, as the San Francisco
giants. But if you prefer basketball, California has
some of the best teams: Los Angeles Lakers (16
championships), Golden State Warriors (6
championships including the last ones: 2017 and
2018).