Is it just me, or is California the best state, by far? But why? So many reasons! Here are all the fun, fascinating facts you need to know about this amazing state.
Everything You Can Get In the US, You Can Get In CA
This is meant to say, CA has it all. The ocean, lakes, mountains, forest, and desert are all a part of California’s diverse terrain. And, depending on where you’re staying or where you live, lots of these things can all be done in the same day. In fact, if you want to go swimming in the ocean, and skiing in the mountains, you can in California. All you have to do is get to the coast to spend a few hours on the beach and then make your way to Lake Tahoe, where you can ski on the hills and sip hot chocolate.
California Is Known As The Grizzly Bear State
Or at least it was. As people started to migrate to the state, more and more, the bears were wiped out. California became known as The Golden State after that along with The Land of Milk and Honey, The El Dorado State, and the Grape State.
Olympics
Because California is so diverse, it’s the only state that has hosted both the winter and summer olympics. The summer olympics in 1984 were held in Los Angeles, and the Winter Olympics were in Squaw Valley in California in 1960.
Lots of People
California is the most populous state. By area, it’s the third largest. California has so many people that approximately 38 million people are from the state. This means that 1 in every 8 Americans lives in California.
The Rushes
California’s most famous for its Gold Rush which started in 1848. It’s a little known fact that California had a Silver Rush, too. It took place in the Calico Mountains from 1881 to 1896. By 1904, Calico was a ghost town.
California Doesn’t Discriminate
In California (and 3 other US states,) “Ladies’ Night” are against the law. The don’t want gender discrimination so they don’t do it.
California Could Be Its Own Country
California has a larger population than all of Canada. As of 2016, Canada had 36.29 million people, and California, 39.3 million. Though it isn’t its own country, it could soon be 3 separate states.
California’s Distinctive North and South
There is a palm tree and pine tree planted next to each other at the midpoint of California, where the south meets the north. The palm tree is for the entrance to Southern California, while the pine tree is for the entrance to Northern California. This could change, though, now that they are voting on whether or not to make CA three states.
Longevity
There is a light bulb in Livermore, California that has been lit for over 100 years.
The Movie State
The movie industry is based in Hollywood all because movie makers were trying to get away from Thomas Edison. He was based in New Jersey and he had patents that covered virtually the entire movie making process. California didn’t have those patents in place and the Ninth Circuit of Appeals in California was known to rule against these types of patents.
Gold, No Oil
They may have gotten gold, but they won’t get oil. At least not off the coastline of California. In 1969 there was a drilling blowout in Santa Barbara that killed thousands of birds, fish, and sea mammals, along with devastating tourism and commercial fishing. There has been no drilling since off that coastline.
State Of The Gobblers
The turkey gobblers that is. More turkeys are raised in California than in any other state in the United States. (I spent some time in Northern California just last week and can attest to this. And they gobble at the same time as roosters crow, early in the morning!)
You Could Win Money There And Lots Of It 
The Country Store in Baker, California has sold more winning California State Lottery tickets than any outlet in the state.
They Have Desert, Too
Death Valley is recognized as the hottest, driest place in the United States. It isn’t uncommon for the summer temperatures to reach more than 115 degrees.
And Five More California Fun Facts
- It is estimated there are approximately 500,000 detectable seismic tremors in California annually. Wow.
- There are more than 300,000 tons of grapes grown in California each year.
- And to that effect, more than 17 million gallons of wine are produced each year.
- The redwood is the official state tree. (Some of the giant redwoods in Sequoia National Park are more than 2,000 years old.)
If you have never been, you have go to go! This state is beautiful, has ideal weather, and offers anything and everything you could ever want about the United States. Yay, California.