Central Valley, California Attractions

Oakdale Cowboy Museum

• Oakdale has been coined "The Cowboy Capital of the World." The Oakdale Cowboy Museum, in Stanislaus County, celebrates the area's farming, ranching industry and rodeo history. Ranch workers in Oakdale have won more than 25 professional rodeo world championship titles, according to the museum. The venue includes artifacts and memorabilia, including rodeo awards, boots, branding irons, leather saddles, photographs and spurs. An interactive area includes cowboy and cowgirl costumes that kids can put on.

  Oakdale Cowboy Museum
  355 East F St.
  Oakdale, CA 95361
  209-847-5163
  oakdalecowboymuseum.org

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

• The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks stretch through the Central Valley's San Joaquin Valley, an area that goes from Fresno to Bakersfield. The parks are located next to one another in the southern part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Activities include camping, cross-country skiing, hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, sledding and snowshoeing. Other highlights include tours of the Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park and driving the 50-mile Kings Canyon Scenic Byway.

  Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
  47050 Generals Highway
  Three Rivers, CA 93271
  559-565-3341
  nps.gov/seki/index.htm

Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino

• The Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino brings a taste of Las Vegas to the Central Valley. The casino has 42 table games, including blackjack, 3-card poker mini-baccarat, 2,000 slots and video games, and a 1,200-seat bingo hall. A spa offers massages, skin and nail care, and body treatments like seaweed body masks. Visitors attend shows to see touring musicians and comedians like Tracy Morgan. The adjacent hotel has 255 suites and guest rooms. This venue, located in Kings County, is owned by the Tachi Yokut Tribe.

  Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino
  17225 Jersey Ave.
  Lemoore, CA 93245
  559-925-2250
  tachipalace.com