California

If you like variety, California is a great place to be. If you want ocean, it's got the Pacific. If you want mountain ranges, it's got them. If you want farmland, it's got about 700 vineyards and less exciting (but tasty nonetheless) crops galore, including those for sale at certified farmers' markets found in 350 cities and towns. If you want desert, it's got Death Valley (and more). If you want outdoor activities, it's got something for all types of weather: whale watching, swimming, surfing, mountain biking, mountain climbing, hiking, camping, cycling, inline skating, kayaking, skiing, snowboarding. You get my point!

With such variety, it's not a surprise that California, which is the third-largest US state, is the most heavily populated, with almost 34 million inhabitants. For those who like comparisons, its population is slightly more than that of Canada, which is the second-largest country in the world!

Being in California, there's no end to famous folk who hail from the state, some of whom include: George Lucas; a quintet of figure skating phenoms (Brian Boitano, Rudy Galindo, Michelle Kwan, Debi Thomas, and Kristi Yamaguchi); a tennis trio (Lindsay Davenport and Venus and Serena Williams; Tiger Woods.)

It's a land of firsts and birthplaces. California is the birthplace of Kwanzaa, a holiday created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karega, of California State University, Long Beach. And the familiar American eateries Denny's, Carl's Jr., Taco Bell, A&W, and Bob's Big Boy all had their start in California. California's Plumas County is the birthplace of downhill ski racing in the Western Hemisphere. Mountain biking was reportedly invented in Mill Valley near San Francisco (which is also the home of surgeon B.J. Hunnicut, as M*A*S*H fans know).

Your children will certainly agree that California is the greatest place in the world, since it has more theme parks and amusement parks than any other state: Disneyland; Knott's Berry Farm Theme Park; Universal Studios Hollywood; SeaWorld; Six Flags parks (Santa Clarita and Vallejo). And then there are other fun-filled sites such as the Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego zoos (and more!); 900 miles (1,448 kilometers) of coastline (thus an extensive assortment of beaches to choose from); Yosemite National Park; the National Yo-Yo Museum (Chico); the Tournament of Roses Parade (Pasadena); LEGOLAND California (Carlsbad); the Cartoon Art Museum (San Francisco), and more! If your kids like the unusual, how about take them to San Jose's Winchester Mystery House, a 160-room mansion with more than 10,000 windows and odd features like stairways that lead to the ceiling and doors that go nowhere. They're not quite dinosaurs, but kids are sure to enjoy a trip to view the saber-tooth cat and mammoth fossils left by creatures who did not have a happy outing to southern California's La Brea Tar Pits. Want weirder? How about the Mystery Spot in the redwood forests near Santa Cruz. What's so mysterious? – within the Mystery Spot, the laws of physics and gravity apparently cease to exist! This is a small list: just think how exhausted you could make them, then enjoy some time for yourself!

What could adults do? Tour a winery. Attend a professional sporting event (though the kids would like this too), whether your game is baseball, football, basketball, or hockey (or more). Shop – whether at high-end stores on Rodeo Drive, at a mega-mall in the suburbs, or a quaint shop in a small town. Go out for a night on the town, and attend a performance of a theater, symphony, or opera company – and/or a comedy or dance club.

Whether it's migratory tradition, like the swallows returning to Capistrano, or the allure of great weather (and amenities and scenery) like that which draws the thousands of monarch butterflies to winter in locations like Pacific Grove and Pismo Beach, or the inexplicable pull of the Mystery Spot, you'll be drawn to California.

See our 1,286 Jobs in California

Discuss This Article

Have something you'd like to say? Tell us what you think! Read and post comments for this article.

Find a Job in California

Choose your career:

MedHunters is the world's biggest healthcare job board. Our job directory has 16,110 jobs with 2,333 hospitals and other direct employers.

We want you to find your next job on MedHunters. Need Help? Call us at 1-888-884-8242, email us at info@medhunters.com or sign up now.