California

Hello! I am a big, sunny place with warm, happy weather. I have a giant blue ocean where big, friendly whales splash and play in the waves. Can you hear them? Splash! My trees are super tall, so tall they tickle the clouds in the sky. They are called redwood trees. Lots of families live here, and they love to play on my sandy beaches and hike up my gentle mountains. I am a very special place on the edge of a big country, where the sun says goodnight to the land. I am California! I am also called the Golden State because I am so bright and sunny.

For a very long time, the first people who lived here were called Native Americans. They loved me and took great care of my rivers and forests. Then, one day, big ships with big white sails came across my ocean. New friends from a place called Spain arrived. A kind man named Father Junípero Serra helped build special white houses called missions where people could learn and pray. The very first one was built a long, long time ago, on July 16th, 1769. Many years later, in 1848, someone was looking in one of my rivers and found a sparkly surprise. It was shiny, yellow gold! Wow! It was like a giant treasure hunt. People from all over the world came to look for the sparkly gold. A little while after that, on September 9th, 1850, I became a very special part of the United States.

Today, I am a happy place where big dreams come true! In a part of me called Hollywood, people make amazing movies with superheroes and talking animals that make you laugh and cheer. I also have super fun parks with magical castles and fun rides for everyone to enjoy. One of them is called Disneyland, and it opened its happy gates on July 17th, 1955. Smart people who live here also invent wonderful things like computers and phones that help us talk to our friends all over the world. I love being a sunny home for so many people with big ideas. I am here to remind you that you can always dream big, too!