First Stop California

Our first stop is California, the 3^rd biggest state (after Alaska and Hawaii) in the United States. Over 38 million people live there, which is nearly twice as many people as live in Australia. California is on the west coast of the USA.   Two of the most famous cities in California are Los Angeles and San Francisco, and we will visit both of these!

 Now here’s some interesting things you may not know about California:

- Los Angeles is also known as The City of Angels, as Los Angeles translates from Spanish to English as The Angels.  

-   Los Angeles has 90 theatres and more than 300 museums, greater than any other state in the US. 

-  The Gold Rush during 1848 to 1852, created the highest mass migration since the history of the world began. During the time, California's population went from 14,000 to 223,000!

- California has more theme parks and amusement parks than any other state in America. Bearing in mind how popular Florida is, this one came as a bit of a shock! Knott's Berry Farm is the oldest theme park in America. It was originally opened in 1940.
- Walt Disney had an apartment built in the legendary fire station in Maine Street for his family and himself, so that he could keep an eye on the progress. The staff would know when he was in residence as he would leave a light on in the window. Since his death, that light has been left on permanently to remind everyone that his spirit still lives on in Disneyland.

Hollywood is a part of Los Angeles, like Lambton is a part of Newcastle. The Hollywood sign originally read Hollywoodland before it was altered in 1949.