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Vallejo, California

Located in Solano County, Vallejo is named in the honor of Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo who was a General. It is considered as the largest city in the county. According to 2010 U.S Census Bureau, it is home to 115,942 residents and occupies a total area of 49.5 square miles, out of which 18.9 square miles is water and 30.7 square miles is land. It is situated to the north of the eastern Bay region in Central California.

The city is easily accessible from various directions. The non-stop shuttle service from San Francisco and Oakland International Airport benefits the Air travelers. Automobile travelers can take advantage from the junction of Interstates 780 and 80 and state highways 37 and 29. Amtrak and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) also offer various connections to the city in addition to Baylink Ferry. The city has a mild and Mediterranean climate year round. The average temperature in the city varies from 48 F to 70 F.

Strategically located in the midway between Sacramento and San Francisco, Vallejo offers an excellent overnight destination to explore various amazing things in Northern California. The city is just 35 minutes from San Francisco and about 15 minutes for Sonoma and Napa wine countries. An overnight stay in the city offers all the attractions and comforts of a big city with the appeal and charm of a relaxed small-town atmosphere.

Vallejo is a great place to live in. The city also has a bustling nightlife, various places to eat, places to see and can also offer you a great shopping experience. The city is known for its ambient social atmosphere and its lively residents.

Vallejo History

Vallejo's history begins in the year 1844 when Mariano G. Vallejo, a general noticed the promises of the city. Vallejo was named in the honor of him and became the capitol of California twice in 1850. The city grew into a vital naval and shipping center. Few historians believe that Mare Island was tagged after General Vallejo drove a big herd of horses into the Carquinez Strait. He was largely responsible for maintaining military peace in Vallejo until 1846, when independent-minded Californians rose against Mexican government in California through the Bear Flag Revolt. This revolt subsequently led to annexation of California Republic to the United States. Although, General Vallejo was a Mexican by birth and Mexican officer, agreed to the annexation, recognizing that the greater resources in the U.S would benefit California.

In 1850, Vajello proposed a new city called as "Eureka". His suggestion was accepted following state wide referendum. However, they proposed a new name called "Vallejo". In 1851, the commission that was appointed by the senate discovered a site overlooking the bay on a hill. San Francisco was viewed clearly from this site and was approved as a strategic value in the region. Vallejo became the official capitol of the state in 1851 and the government got ready to meet for the first time when a legislature was convened in the region during 1852. Although the meeting was held in leaky buildings, they motioned the sessions to Sacramento. In 1853, again a meeting was held in the same place with the purpose of shifting the capitol to Benicia and officially that happened on February 4, 1853. The name "Benicia" was named after Francisca Benicia Carrillo who was General Vallejo's wife. After legislature left, a naval shipyard was established by the government on Mare Island to help the town overcome any losses. The yard functioned for more than a hundred years and finally closed in 1996.

With the foundation of Mare Island Naval shipyard, the city began to flourish. The island grew into a large repair and ship construction facility during the Second World War. It showed a great impact on the city as most of the locals was hired to construct and repair ships. Although the shipyard closed in 1996, it left a tremendous impact in the increase of the state's economy.

In early 1900s, the city was a home to a Class D baseball team referred at times as "The Giants" by local newspapers and other times as "The Vallejos". Chicago White Sox and Pacific Coast League star fielder Ping Bodie was a part of the baseball team, and played for Vajello in which they reached the state title game.

About Vallejo, California

The city has some world-class attractions that brings visitors to the city all-year round. No other city in the San Francisco Bay Area offers as many favorite attractions and activities as Vallejo does. "Six Flags Discovery Kingdom" is the city's largest vacation destination that combines an oceanarium, theme park and wild-life park into one. It offers interactions with majestic marine life and exotic land animals and hosts rides for all age groups. Its featured attractions include Shouka, a 16-foot and 5000 pound killer whale and Six Flags' Dolphins two-hour program. For history buffs, the city and its surrounding areas offer plenty of history with well-known Mare Island Historic Park that is rich in beauty. This museum has the biggest collection of stained glass windows of Tiffany in St. Peter's Chapel. The renovated Empress Theatre anchors studios, art galleries and offers an incredible shopping experience.

You can even hop into a Baylink ferry to enjoy a one hour bay cruise. This cruise would take the visitors to or from San Francisco to Ferry Building Marketplace where you can also take a jaunt to Angel Island State Park. This historic park offers various outdoor recreation activities like kayaking, hiking and tram tours. You can also take a tour through PIER 39 that offers shopping, restaurants and many more. Wax Museum located in Fisherman Wharf is also one of the Vallejo's famous attractions where you can stop by to see world famous and infamous replicas.

The city also offers various challenging golf courses of all levels. Blue Rocks Springs Golf course is the one of the city's famous golf courses that offers an interesting and challenging 18 hole course. Some of the other golf courses in the surrounding areas include Hidden Brooke golf club, Mare Island Golf Club and Chardonnay Golf Club which offers unsurpassed sights of San Pablo Bay and beautiful mountains and hills surrounding the area.

Fifteen miles to the north of Vallejo city is the Napa Valley Wine County where you can enjoy some of the best winery tours. A rousing San Francisco Bay Area's three-day Birding Festival and Pirate Festival are the two of the city's great annual events. Farmers' Market is also the city's local attraction where it offers the best and freshest locally grown vegetables and fruits, directly from orchards and fields of the state's family farms.

You can also discover the gems of the city's visual and performing arts scene by its numerous theaters. Vallejo Symphony, known to be the California's second and oldest symphony have been entertaining the visitors since 1932.The Vallejo Music Theatre, Vallejo Community Arts Foundation Mira Theatre Guild and many more offer a wide range of visual arts to its community.

About Solano County, California

Solano County is situated in the Bay-Delta region of California. It is located midway between Sacramento and San Francisco and is considered as one among the nine San Francisco counties. According to 2010 U.S Census Bureau, the total population in the county is 413,344. Fairfield city is the county's principal seat and Vallejo is considered as the biggest city in the county.

The county was created in 1850 during statehood and is referred to as Benicia County. On the request of General Vallejo, the county derived its name from Chief Solano, an Indian Chief of Suisunes who were a Native American tribe in the region. Chief Solano led the tribes to Sacramento River and Petaluma River at one time. The Chief Solano was also referred as Sem-Yeto, which means "brave or fierce hand." Later the Chief was named Francisco Solano at Catholic Mission during baptism in the honor of Father Francisco Solano who was a Spanish Franciscan missionary.

According to 2000 U.S Census, the total area of the county is 906.67 square miles, out of which 77.48 square miles is water and 829.19 square miles is land. It has a great number of endangered and rare species that includes the beetle Elaphrus viridis, the annual plant Legenere limosa and the wildflower Lasthenia conjugens.

The county is a home to some of the renowned and world-class attractions that include parks, museums and recreational activities. It also offers some of the best outdoor activities, hiking areas and trails in and around the county. Bay Area Ridge Trail is one of its famous hiking trails in the county as it segments its trails into various other attractive locations such as Rockville Hills Community Park, Hiddenbrooke Trail, Lynch Canyon Open Space, Vallejo-Benicia Waterfront and Vallejo-Benicia Buffer. Mount Vaca is considered as the highest point of elevation in the Solano County. Most of its properties and districts are listed in National Register of Historic Places that includes Benicia Arsenal, Benicia Capitol State Historic Park, Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo Old City Historic District and many more.

The County is a Democratic County in congressional and presidential elections. The county is served by various transit agencies and each agency is interconnected. Amtrak and Greyhound provide long-distance transit services.