How would you feel about snowboarding in the morning and surfing in the afternoon? Sounds kinda crazy right? Well not that crazy because this is a very real possibility if you live in California. From glaciers and deserts to beaches and volcanoes, California has some of the most incredibly diverse geography in the world. Furthermore, it has an incomprehensibly huge economy with some of the biggest metropolitan regions on Earth. And as if that weren’t enough, it has great weather. All year round. These are 25 reasons that California is one of the coolest places in the world.
If California doesn’t do it for you maybe you’d be interested in a beautiful small European town like the ones found in our 25 Most Incredible Small Towns In Europe list.
25
To start off with, 1 out of every 8 Americans lives in California
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
24
In fact, California is so big that if it were a country, it would have the 8th largest economy in the world
Source: ccsce.com, Image: wikipedia
23
That economy produces 80% of the world's almonds
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
22
Scientists recently discovered that air pollution in China causes more snowfall in California
Source: nytimes.com, Image: wikipedia
21
On that note, California has some of the most varied geography in the world. From beaches and deserts to alpine peaks and fertile valleys, California has it all.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
20
Thanks to perfect weather and advanced technology, the central valley is one of the world's most productive agricultural regions. In fact, without California the world would have a hard time feeding itself.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
19
The Sierra Nevada Mountains are home to Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
18
The San Francisco Bay Area is the world's de facto leader in high technology
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
17
California is home to some of the world's oldest (bristlecone pine), tallest (coast redwood), and most massive (giant sequoia) trees
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
16
Yosemite Falls is North America's highest waterfall
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
15
And Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in the continental United States
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
14
Death Valley is the lowest, hottest, and driest place in North America (and the hottest in the world)
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
13
State Route 1 has some of the most beautiful coastal scenery in the world
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
12
Speaking of beautiful coastlines, the area around Santa Barbara has come to be known as the "American Riviera"
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
11
California produces more than 17 million gallons of wine every year. A lot of that wine comes from the picturesque Napa Valley.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
10
At 3,031 meters (9,943 feet), Tioga Pass is the highest alpine pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
9
By this point you may have realized that it's pretty easy to go snowboarding in the morning and surfing in the afternoon.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
8
Actually, you can do all of this just within Los Angeles County itself. That's right, one of the world's largest cities, plenty of beaches, and snow capped mountains all in the same area
Source: wikipedia, Image: takebackyourhealth via Flickr
7
In fact, one quarter of all Californians live in Los Angeles County (nearly 10 million people)
Source: wikipedia, Image: jondoeforty1 via Flickr
6
This makes the county the largest in the US population wise. It has more people than 43 states. And oh yea, only 33 countries have more people than California.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
5
Did we mention that California also has volcanoes? At 4,322 meters (14,179 feet) the glacier covered peak of Mount Shasta can be seen all the way from the Central Valley
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
4
Remember how we said agriculture was a significant aspect of California's economy? Well, half of the fruit produced in the United States is grown in California.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
3
One of the most visited regions in the United States (3 million visitors annually), the sea cliffs of Big Sur provide some of the most spectacular scenery in the country
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
2
Santa Catalina is an island just off the coast of Los Angeles County that looks like it was transplanted from the Mediterranean
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
1
There is a town called Cool in California. It doesn't get any cooler than that.