Central Coast of California

Central Coast of California

The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. It extends through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara County, and parts of western Ventura County.

The Central Coast is also the location of the Central Coast American Viticultural Area.

History

The central coast area was originally inhabited by Chumash and other Native American people since at least 10,000 BC. Many of these settlements were coastal, where the people exploited marine resources and dwelt near freshwater inflows to the Pacific Ocean. For example there were significant settlements near the mouth of Morro Creek and Los Osos Creek.

Overview

The region is known primarily for agriculture and tourism. Major crops include lettuce, strawberries, and artichokes. The Salinas Valley is one of the most fertile farming regions in the United States. Tourist attractions include Cannery Row (in Monterey), the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the golf courses of Pebble Beach and the Monterey Peninsula, the rugged coastline of Big Sur and Hearst Castle in San Simeon.

The area is not densely populated. The largest city in the region is Salinas, with approximately 150,000 people. University of California campuses are found in Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara, on the extreme north and south edges of the region, respectively. California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), founded in 1994, is located within the central coast area itself, using facilities donated when Fort Ord was converted from military to civilian uses. In San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) was founded in 1901. A third state university, California State University, Channel Islands opened in Camarillo, California in 2002.

Travel

Travel is almost entirely by private automobile, although Monterey-Salinas Transit operates bus services throughout Monterey County as far south as Big Sur on the coast and King City in the Salinas Valley. Amtrak maintains train service with the Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner routes. Because of its position roughly halfway between the major cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, San Luis Obispo is home to America's first motel. There are no major airports, although Monterey, Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo have regional airports with commuter service. The only major highway in the area is U.S. Route 101, which runs north-south throughout the entire central coast. This highway runs from Los Angeles, over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and connects the Central Coast to the Bay Area in the north. A smaller but much more scenic route (Big Sur, Morro Bay, San Simeon) State Route 1, connects the coastal communities together.

Gallery

ee also

*Coastal California
*Monterey County
*Santa Cruz County
*San Luis Obispo County
*Santa Barbara County
*Ventura County
*Salinas Valley
*Monterey Peninsula
*Mission County (proposed)

External links

* [http://www.centralcalcoast.com/VisitorGuide.htm Central California Coast Guide with Photos] : A comprehensive guide to California's Central Coast
* [http://www.crystalinecove.net./ Central Coast Photos and Information]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Central Coast — may refer to:* Central Coast (New South Wales), a region of New South Wales, Australia: As well as other articles relating to this region: :* 2007 Hunter region and Central Coast storms:* 92.5 ABC Central Coast, a radio sttion broadcasting in the …   Wikipedia

  • Central Coast AVA — Infobox Wine Region name = Central Coast AVA caption = official name = other name = type = American Viticultural Area year = 1985, amended in 1999 and 2006. [http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text… …   Wikipedia

  • Central Coast Roadrunners — Football club infobox clubname = Central Coast Roadrunners fullname = Central Coast Roadrunners nickname = The Roadrunners founded = 1996 ground = Mustang Stadium capacity = 8,500 chairman = Larry Smyth manager = Bob Wilson league = Premier… …   Wikipedia

  • Quality Suites Central Coast — (Сан Луис Обиспо,США) Категория отеля: 3 звездочный отель Адрес: 1631 M …   Каталог отелей

  • Coast Union High School District — Coast Unified School District is located on the Central Coast of California in the community of Cambria. The district consists of one K 5 elementary school, one 6–8 middle school, one traditional 9–12 high school and one alternative high school.… …   Wikipedia

  • Saint Francis Central Coast Catholic High School — is a Catholic School located in Watsonville, California. The school was named after Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Francis de Sales, and is operated by an independent corporation that is a partnership between the Salesian Society and the Roman …   Wikipedia

  • California wine — Infobox Wine Region name = California caption = Vineyards in the Napa Valley AVA official name = State of California other name = type = U.S. state year = 1850 wine years = 1769 present country = United States part of = similar = sub regions =… …   Wikipedia

  • California State University, Monterey Bay — Infobox University name = California State University, Monterey Bay motto = established = 1994 type = Public president = Dianne F. Harrison city = Seaside state = California country = USA undergrad = 4080 postgrad = 140 faculty = 334 campus =… …   Wikipedia

  • Coast Miwok — People modern reconstructions of Coast Miwok shelters at Kule Loklo. Total population 1770: 2,000 1850: 250 1880: 60 Regions with significant populations …   Wikipedia

  • California English — is a dialect of the English language spoken in the U.S. state of California. The most populous state of the United States, California is home to a highly diverse populace, which is reflected in the historical and continuing development of… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”