California Transportation & Recreation - Planes, Trains, Cars, Motorcycles, Boats, Yachts, Watercraft and Sports

California features hundreds of train, trams and cable car rides, museums and experiences. It also contains millions of cars and road vehicles plus thousands of boats, yachts, ships, sailboats, kayaks and other watercraft. Then there's the airline industry and air transportation with millions of passengers riding daily through the nation's and California skies. Transportation is one of the hot topics in California, mainly because people spend so much time moving from one location to the next for work and pleasure. There are cultures and clubs surrounding transportation in its various forms, providing fantastically fun events and attractions appealing to all ages. Because this category is so vast, we thought it best to break it down into specific types and modes of transportation: Rail systems, road systems and vehicles, air transportation and water transportation that includes recreational rides, cruises and sports.

 

Planes & Aircraft - California offers a number of international airports and regional, national airports that allow tourists, vacationers and the local population to get around easily and quickly.

 

The major international airports include

Los Angeles International Airport -  LAX,

San Francisco International Airport - SFO, 

San Jose International Airport - SJC, 

Ontario International Airport - ONT, 

San Diego International Airport - SAN, 

Sacramento International Airport - SMF,

Ontario International Airport - ONT, 

Fresno Yosemite International Airport - FYI.

 

In addition to the airports serving international flights around the globe, there are many California airports that offer flights and / or connector flights throughout the United State (US or USA). Those airports include Burbank Airport, Orange County Airport, Long Beach Airport, Santa Barbara Airport, Monterey Airport, Redding Airport, Arcata-Eureka Airport, Santa Maria Airport, Watsonville Airport and many more. Helicopter flights and pleasure flights in small aircraft or private jets and planes are available from a variety of private, licensed companies located at dozens of smaller airports with landing fields such as Big Bear Lake, Oxnard, Grover Beach, Carlsbad, Fullerton, Watsonville and many more. Oftentimes these smaller airports include companies that offer sky jump training, flight lessons and other air activities.

 

Los Angeles is building an extensive public transportation network. Trains and buses connect to the MetroRail which now extends to Pasadena, San Bernardino and Long Beach.  There are a number of antique trains and train museums in Southern California and throughout the state.  Red cars, the MetroRail of the early to mid-1900's are immaculately kept in Seal Beach and in a museum that's restoring them in San Pedro. A train museum in Perris has an extensive collection of old trains. Fillmore has an antique train that actually offers rides in which guests dine, go on murder mystery dinners or ride to a forest to cut their own Christmas tree. 

The granddaddy of train museums is a fabulous facility in Sacramento, the California State Railroad Museum. In northern California historic trains are abundant, with many beautifully restored to their original splendor.  Unique train experiences, train rides and train museums hold fascination for adults and kids. Santa Cruz steam and beach trains at Roaring Camp in Felton draw hundreds of children to special events celebration Thomas the Train, a fictional character children love to read about.

In Napa Valley, the wine train is extremely popular. It offers sunset rides along the Napa Valley where guests can relive the romance of days gone by. Sipping fine Napa wines, dining on scrumptious meals and viewing the verdant hills are but a few of the simple pleasures enjoyed on this fantastic experience.

San Francisco cable cars are a phenomenon you wouldn't believe unless you stand in line to take a ride. The station near the Maritime Museum sometimes has a line of people that wind around the street for half a mile, just to ride an electric trolley! 

In San Diego, trains, trolley cars and buses work extremely well and are quite affordable. They not only shuffle commuters to and from work in northern San Diego County where you can ride the Coaster, they also provide an extensive network, connecting tourists to the theme parks, Balboa Park, Old Town and Tijuana, Mexico. 

Though civilization rushes quickly into space, the next frontier, there's an allure for trains and trams.  Children stand in awe at their massive size.  California offers many trains to explore.

Los Angeles is building an extensive public transportation network. Trains and buses connect to the MetroRail which now extends to Pasadena, San Bernardino and Long Beach.  There are a number of antique trains and train museums in Southern California and throughout the state.  Red cars, the MetroRail of the early to mid-1900's are immaculately kept in Seal Beach and in a museum that's restoring them in San Pedro.

A train museum in Perris has an extensive collection of old trains. Fillmore has an antique train that actually offers rides in which guests dine, go on murder mystery dinners or ride to a forest to cut their own Christmas tree. 

The granddaddy of train museums is a fabulous facility in Sacramento. In northern California historic trains are abundant, with many beautifully restored to their original splendor. 

Unique train experiences, train rides and train museums hold fascination for adults and kids. Santa Cruz steam and beach trains at Roaring Camp in Felton draw hundreds of children to special events celebration Thomas the Train, a fictional character children love to read about.

In Napa Valley, the wine train is extremely popular. It offers sunset rides along the Napa Valley where guests can relive the romance of days gone by. Sipping fine Napa wines, dining on scrumptious meals and viewing the verdant hills are but a few of the simple pleasures enjoyed on this fantastic experience.

San Francisco cable cars are a phenomenon you wouldn't believe unless you stand in line to take a ride. The station near the Maritime Museum sometimes has a line of people that wind around the street for half a mile, just to ride an electric trolley! 

In San Diego, trains, trolley cars and buses work extremely well and are quite affordable. They not only shuffle commuters to and from work in northern San Diego County where you can ride the Coaster, they also provide an extensive network, connecting tourists to the theme parks, Balboa Park, Old Town and Tijuana, Mexico. 

Amtrak train is a popular mode of transportation that allows guests to ride the length of the state of California. You can purchase a ticket and ride throughout the United States as well, in a rail system that offers views of the terrain from a comfortable seat or sleeping car.  The Surfliner, an Amtrak train route that travels mostly along the ocean, features a streamlined train in silver with blue trim. If you happen to drive next to it along the ocean in places such as Ventura, Seacliff, La Conchita and Santa Barbara, it is great fun to watch your car travel alongside it till it disappears through the thicket and is gone.

Though civilization rushes quickly into space, the next frontier, there's an allure for trains and trams.  Children stand in awe at their massive size.  California offers many trains to explore.