Similarities and Differences in Tourist Attractions in Northerrn and Southern California - Essay Example

Northern and Southern California are the leading travel destination in California. Both regions have tourist attractions, which attract tourists throughout the year (94). However, Northern California has more destinations as compared to Southern California in terms of parks and Gold mining. Therefore, although California is a prime tourist destination in the United States, Northern California contributes more to the tourism industry as compared to the Southern California. This paper compares and contrasts Northern and Southern California in terms of their similarities and differences in entertainment, tourist attractions, and lifestyles.

In Northern California, in El Dorado County, Coloma, Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park is an outstanding tourist attraction. The park is situated 18 miles in the south of Auburn, or on Highway 49, 9 miles on the Northern part of Placerville (95). The park has tree-lined streets, which are quiet all year long. A significant number of visitors visit the park in summer or for any special events in the year. One of the memorable events that attract visitors is the yearly commemoration of the gold discovery of 1848 in every January (96-7).

The park attractions sites include buildings that have continued to exist from the gold rush, trails, picnic areas, and a replica of Sutter's Mill. In addition, the Gold Discovery Museum signifies gold-rush-era exhibits that include mining tools and other memorabilia (98). The park is opened daily while the buildings and museum are opened daily except on Christmas, New Year day, and Thanksgiving Day. Gold Bug Park is another tourist attraction in Northern California. The park is situated in Placerville; 1 mile north of Highway 50 on Bedford Avenue (99).

The park’s outstanding characteristic is the Gold Bug Mine, which is a tiny, hard rock gold mine. The Gold Bug Mine contains two lighted streams, which are accessible to the community for self-guided trips. The streams are 147 feet and 362 feet correspondingly (100). In Addition, there are gift shop hill-walking trails, historical museum of the public area, stamp mill and picnic sites. The Empire Mine State Historic Park found in the Northern California, Nevada County, is also a tourist attraction.

Grass valley is where the park is situated. In California, the Empire Mine is recognized as the biggest, highest and the deepest operating hard rock mine. The mine produces about 6 million ounces of bullion (102). Mine’s buildings, restored gardens and the vendors’ residence surround the park. In addition, it has trails of 10 miles. The park offers travels of the owner’s home and the mine’s home. In addition, Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park attracts a significant number of tourists in Northern California.

The park is located 26 miles northeast of Nevada City on North Bloomfield Road (103). The park has enormous cliffs as a result of mighty streams water that washes the entire mountains for miners to find gold. In addition, the park has a 7,847-foot bedrock passageway that acts as a drain. The tourist centre comprises displays on life in the old mining town of North Bloomfield (104-5). South Yuba River State Park is also a tourist attraction in northern California. The park is situated 5 miles in the Northern city of Nevada.

It extends along more than twenty miles of the South Yuba River