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Points of Interest In and Near Davis, California
Walking Distance | Biking Distance | Short Driving Distance | Over an Hour Away
Walking Distance
Downtown Davis has many restaurants, shops and is very walkable. Town art installations abound and is well-known as Bike Capital of the United States, as it has more bicycle ridership and ownership per capita than anywhere else in the nation.
Davis Farmer's Market attracts 6,000 to 8,000 people each week and features produce from California growers, music, crafts, coffee and baked goods. Saturday 8:00am -1:00pm year round. Every Wednesday from 4:30pm to 8:30pm the Farmer's Market has PICNIC IN THE PARK, when you can also buy dinner to eat in the park while listening to live music. Central Park, Davis 4th and C St.
The UC Davis Arboretum is 100 acres of beautiful gardens and plant collections. It has 17 different gardens including the popular Redwood Grove, California Native Plants, White Flower Garden and Gazebo, and Oak Collection. The Arboretum gardens are a 5 minute walk from the Conference Center. It is always open and free.
The Davis Bike Loop is about a 12 mile long winding path that takes you in a tour around large portions of Davis. It goes through greenbelts, bike tunnels and bike bridges.
The Historic Davis Pedestrian and Bike Tour allows you to explore historic locations at your own pace and in any order you choose.
Information on longer bike rides
Bicycles can be rented from:
UC Davis Bike Barn (530) 752-2575
B&L Bike Shop in downtown Davis (530)756-3540
Ken's Bike and Ski on G Street, Davis (530)758-3223
All locations listed are in Sacramento which is 15 to 30 minutes by car. Bus is available but has limited service. YoloBus # 42 Inter-city goes from UCD Memorial Union to downtown Sacramento once per hour, takes about 60 min for $2. YoloBus # 42 43, the Davis/Sacramento Express goes from the UCD Memorial Union to the Downtown Sacramento 7 times daily M- F 40 min for $3. For schedule see www.yolobus.com.
Old Sacramento and California State Railroad Museum The unique 28-acre National Historic Landmark District and State Historic Park is located along the beautiful Sacramento River. Bustling with activity, the district is alive with shopping, dining, entertainment, historical attractions and world-renowned museums set within the time of the California Gold Rush and the Transcontinental Railroad. Old Sacramento is free and the Railroad Museum is open every day, $9.
California State Capitol Building and Park Public tours are conducted daily, on the hour, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for free. Portraits of California’s governors including Arnold Schwarznegger,Ronald Reagan, and current governor Jerry Brown, an historic flag collection, the Assembly and Senate Galleries. In the Capitol Park more than 800 different camellia varieties can be found.
Sutter’s Fort was the first non-Native American community in the California Central Valley. It has been restored to its condition in1846. The "Fort" built by Swiss immigrant John Sutter more than 150 years ago was not only located at a pivotal point in California. It was a pivotal point in history. This combination of big dreams, bold adventures and reality all manifest themselves at Sutter's Fort State Historic Park and help bring California history to life. $5 entrance fee.
The California State Indian Museum is a small museum next to Sutter’s Fort. It has some of the smallest baskets in the world, a redwood dugout canoe, ceremonial regalia, beadwork, and hunting & fishing tools—some of which are more than twenty-four hundred years old. $3 entrance fee
Crocker Art Museum , founded in 1885, was the first art museum established in the Western United States. The Museum's collections includes Californian, European, Asian, African and Oceanic works, international ceramics and one of the finest early collections of master drawings in the United States.
Muir Woods National Monument is located in just across Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. It is known for the magnificent old growth coast redwood forest (Sequoia sempervirens). They are the tallest trees in the world. 1.5 to 2 hours by car depending on traffic.
San Francisco is well known for its extraordinary hills and the famous cable cars running up and down them giving it a beauty unlike anywhere else. Chinatown with pagoda-tiled roofs, Cantonese conversations, and busy live-produce markets is the oldest and largest Chinese community outside of Asia. North Beach and Little Italy includes the famously twisted and steep Lombard Street. Fisherman’s Wharf, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum are other can’t miss places. It is also one of the best places in the nation for Asian cuisine: Korean, Thai, Indian, Japanese and, of course, Chinese. 1.5 to 2 hours by car depending on traffic. Here is a quick video tour of San Francisco from a unique point of view.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park is the closest place to Davis to see the largest tree in the world - the inland Giant Sequioas (Sequoiadendron giganteum). Calaveras became a State Park in 1931 to preserve the North Grove of giant sequoias. This grove includes the "Discovery Tree", also known as the "Big Stump", the first Sierra redwood noted by Augustus T. Dowd in 1852. This area has been a major tourist attraction ever since, and is considered the longest continuously operated tourist facility in California. 2.5 hour drive.
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States and it is located along the border between California and Nevada. The clarity of its water and the panorama of surrounding mountains on all sides is well known. It is home to a number of ski resorts, summer outdoor recreation, casinos and other attractions.
Emerald Bay State Park In 1969, Emerald Bay was designated a National Natural Landmark for its brilliant panorama of mountain-building processes and glacier carved granite.The natural beauty, geology and history of this unique island make it one of the highlights of any visit to the Lake Tahoe area. The park features Vikingsholm, one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the western hemisphere and the "Tea House" on Fannette Island, the only island to be found in all of Lake Tahoe.