User:Wrh2/Maps

California regions

Notes: State of California map: http://www.visitcalifornia.com/sites/all/themes/vca/images/region-map.png	Notes: The southern portion of Sonoma County should be in the Bay Area
Notes: Complete	Notes: See http://mapsof.net/uploads/static-maps/California_Central_Valley_map.jpg for a more detailed map (CC-SA)
See http://mapsof.net/uploads/static-maps/california_map_gold_country.png for a more detailed map (CC-SA)	See http://mapsof.net/uploads/static-maps/California_Central_Valley_map.jpg for a more detailed map (CC-SA)
See http://mapsof.net/uploads/static-maps/california_map_high_sierra.png for a more detailed map (CC-SA)	See http://mapsof.net/uploads/static-maps/california_desert_map.jpg for a more detailed map (CC-SA)

Kern County Neighbors

• 1 Kings County - Located northwest of Kern County, rural Kings County is responsible for billions of dollars of annual agricultural production, much of it from the dairy industry. Travelers passing through on Interstate 5 may find the area lacking in attractions, although there are a few hotels and other amenities in the county's small towns.
• 2 Tulare County - Neighboring Kern County to the north, Tulare County has two personalities. The western half of the county lies within the agricultural Central Valley, offering rural landscapes as well as plenty of hotels and other amenities for travelers. The eastern portion of the county features the wilderness and high elevation of the Sierra Nevada range, including the largest trees on earth in Sequoia National Park, and the western slopes of Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower-48 states.
• 3 Inyo County - Kern County's northeastern neighbor is a land of extremes, covering a massive 10,000 sq mi (26,000 km²) expanse of the Eastern Sierra and California Desert. Inyo County is home to Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower-48 states, as well as Death Valley National Park, the largest national park in the lower-48 states and host to earth's hottest temperatures and the continent's lowest elevation. In addition, ancient bristlecone pine trees can be found within the White Mountains, the oldest of which is estimated to be around 5,000 years old.
• 4 San Bernardino County - Kern County's eastern neighbor, massive San Bernardino County covers 20,000 miles of the California Desert, an area larger than nine of the US states. The Mojave National Preserve is a centerpiece of the region, spanning portions of the Mojave, Great Basin, and Sonoran deserts. Fans of Americana will enjoy cruising historic Route 66, which bisects the county across its southern half and includes the ghost town of Amboy. The western side of the county spans both the outskirts of Los Angeles and the San Bernardino mountains, including popular destinations such as Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead.
• 5 Los Angeles County - While many places claim to have "something for everyone", Kern County's southern neighbor actually does. There are movie studios to tour in Hollywood and its surrounding cities, shopping at luxury boutiques in Beverly Hills, the Ice Age fossils of the La Brea Tar Pits, the incredible museums of Exposition Park (including the Space Shuttle Endeavour), hiking and camping opportunities in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, some of the world's most impressive roller coasters at Magic Mountain, the famous beaches of Malibu, Santa Monica or Venice, and a million other options; just budget extra time to get to all of these places as you brave the infamous traffic with the county's ten million residents.
• 6 Ventura County - While to some extent it is an extension of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, Kern County's neighbor to the west is home to rural getaways like the town of Ojai that share more with the remote Central Coast region than they do with the massive cities to the south. While the county is heavily populated (with services to match), the Los Padres National Forest dominates the northern part of this county and provides recreational opportunities for those who want to spend time outdoors.
• 7 Santa Barbara County - Kern County's southwestern neighbor is most famous for the town of Santa Barbara and is sometimes considered the northern boundary of Southern California. While mountains run through the region, the county is well served by a network of highways, making road trips to the many beautiful wineries a popular activity. The Danish town of Solvang is a popular destination, and rocket launches can sometimes be viewed near Vandenberg Air Force base, America's west coast spaceport.
• 8 San Luis Obispo County - San Luis Obispo County is located to the west of Kern County, and it marks a noticeable shift in landscape from areas to the south, with a dramatic and remote coastline that draws nature lovers. Hearst Castle is located here, the massive and historic former home of the newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. The town of San Luis Obispo is a college town that is the last large city for over 100 miles for those traveling north along the coast.
• 9 Monterey County - Located northwest of Kern County, Monterey County is what many people think of when they think of the Central Coast - the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the beautiful 17-Mile Drive, Cannery Row, Pebble Beach golf course, and the rugged beauty of Big Sur. The northern part of the county contains every manner of amenity for travelers, ranging from chain motels to five-star resorts, while the southern portion of the county is remote and accessible mainly by the Pacific Coast Highway or on foot by hikers.