Naturally Outdoors at Sequoia and Kings Canyon
This article originally appeared on My Yosemite Park
Don’t miss out on your chance to discover more than the biggest trees and the tallest mountains. Explore the towns that sit at the foot of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Get outdoors and experience agri-tourism at its best in towns like Visalia, Porterville, Dinuba and Exeter where farms that roll up to the towering Sierra Nevada mountains to the east are filled with the intoxicating scent of peaches, table grapes, nectarines, kiwis and oranges.
"Many families are looking to enhance their national park trip by exploring the gateway communities just outside the parks," says Suzanne Bianco, tourism marketing director of Visalia Convention and Visitors Bureau, noting that the area is nestled against Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. "Not only can visitors learn where their food comes from and in some cases how it’s made, they can taste fresh-from-the-farm meals cooked by local chefs who partner with the farmers for the freshest ingredients."
Farm to Table in Tulare County
Start off at Bravo Farms' cheese factory off Hwy. 99 in Traver to sample cheese and Californian wine, watch staff make artisanal cheese, visit the petting farm and dine at Wild Jacks restaurant on-site. Head to Rosa Brothers Creamery in Tulare for free ice cream samples and to watch ice cream being crafted. Then book a farm tour at Farmer Bob’s World in Ivanhoe to take a farm wagon tour through orange groves, pick oranges and shop the farm store.
Stop at the Bari Olive Oil gift shop and tasting room in Dinuba to discover infused and organic olive oil. Owners Ryan and Kyle Sawatzky are the fifth generation to farm the property founded in 1936. And don’t miss Stafford Chocolates in Porterville.
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park
There’s also a fascinating agricultural history to discover in the area. In Earlimart, you’ll find Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park where Allensworth, a former slave, and a handful of families established a town in 1908 governed by Black people. While its prominence faded after Allensworth’s death in 1914, tour his house, a historic schoolhouse, Baptist church and library.
Murals, Nature Preserves and Botanical Gardens in Tulare County
Beyond, you'll find outdoor shopping at the Tulare Outlets and beautiful flowers and produce at Woodlake Botanical Gardens, California's first agricultural botanical garden.
Kaweah Oaks Preserve is a great place to see native plants, take photographs and is just off Hwy. 198 in between Visalia and Exeter. There are several trails on the 344-acre nature preserve, each less than a mile long. It’s one of the last remaining valley oak riparian forests in the San Joaquin Valley. Look for great horned owls, gray foxes and more. Leashed dogs are allowed on the trails. It’s a 10-minute drive from downtown Visalia and is managed by Sequoia Riverlands Trust, as are other open space areas like Dry Creek Preserve, Homer Ranch and Blue Oak.
The Central Valley is known for its gorgeous spring blossoms that burst with vibrant pinks and snowy whites. Blossom viewing is typically from mid-February to mid-March. It is especially beautiful in Tulare County towns like Dinuba, which are filled with almond, peach, plum, apricot and citrus blossoms that create views that people worldwide travel to see.
Amid all the agriculture, you'll find an artistic bent. In Exeter, 31 vibrant murals tell the story of the quaint town where restaurant names like Monet's Wine Bistro are a tribute to the arts, as well as to the farm-to-fork movement. Check out the "When Emperors Ruled" mural that captures an era before the county's popular Emperor grapes were upstaged by seedless varieties.
Bring the kids to Sequoia Springs at Visalia Adventure Park that has water slides and a water-based play structure for younger kids. Or head to Kaweah Oaks Preserve and hike through one of the last remaining oak riparian forests in the valley.
You can also check out Fox Theatre, one of many built by Fox Film Corp. in the 1920s, is home to the town's symphony, comedy shows, old movies and big-name acts like Dwight Yoakam. The Tulare County Museum houses one of the state’s largest Native American basket collections.
"Vacation is meant to be a time to explore and experience," Bianco says. "Slow down and enjoy the journey."
Visit Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
While more than 4 million visitors flock to Yosemite each year, only 1.7 million make it to Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks.
Yet, the scenery, mountains and sequoia groves are just as inspiring if not more so, especially because you are not rubbing elbows with flocks of tourists the whole time. Highlights include the General Sherman Tree, the world’s largest tree, in Sequoia National Park. The General Grant tree in General Grant Grove at Kings Canyon National Parks is the second largest sequoia in the world.
For More Information:
Sequoia Tourism Council
SequoiaVisitorsGuide.com
Visit Visalia
(559) 334-0141
www.VisitVisalia.com
Tulare County Tourism & Film Commission
(559) 624-7187
discoverthesequoias.com
Exeter Chamber of Commerce
559-592-2919
www.exeterchamber.com
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