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Gateway To Yosemite

Spend a day, spend the night, spend the weekend! Merced is a unique city, filled with warm, friendly people that will instantly make visitors feel welcome. Our city offers a wide variety of attractions, historical sites, accommodations and dining opportunities that are sure to please.

Unsure of where to start? Try the Merced Conference and Visitors Bureau and California Welcome Center, 710 W. 16th Street. Inside, our friendly staff will help you find information on all the exciting things to see and do in our vibrant community. Maps of the area, brochures, YARTS Bus tickets, and information on local hotel accommodations are all available. If it's souvenirs you are looking for, The California Welcome Center has them. T-shirts, books, hats, locally grown products and UC Merced merchandise are just a few of the great items you can pick up here.

Arts and Culture are thriving in this proud community. From the galleries at our Multicultural Center to the live performances at Playhouse Merced, there is sure to be something for everyone!

Try planning your trip around one the areas great events. The McLane Pacific Cycling Classic brings world class riders from around the globe to Merced each March. Rev up those engines for the Springtime Reunion Car Show. Car buffs will enjoy the selection on vintage and custom during this May event. Experience aviation history as vintage planes descend on the Merced Airport each June during the Merced Antique Fly-In. Bring the kids to The Big Valley Arts & Culture Festival. Special Project Stations" give families the opportunity create works of art together. Vendors and regional artists demonstrate and display their wares during this September event. Want to sing the blues? Come for the Central Valley Blues Festival, the largest of its kind in the valley.

While you're exploring Merced, venture out into its County. Go see the world's largest cheese factory, visit the best military air museum in the country or take your family to a space & science learning center.

And who can for forget, Merced is the Gateway to Yosemite. Whether summer, fall, winter or spring, Yosemite is a picture perfect destination for couples, families, or personal time.

You are invited! Come play, stay, and experience Merced!

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Welcome Center

The California Welcome Center Merced
710 W 16th Street Ste A
Merced, CA 95340

Phone: (209) 724-8104
Fax: (209) 384-2793
Email: bakerk@cityofmerced.org

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Must See Image
Wander Grizzly Island in the Suisun Wetlands

Making up over 10 percent of California’s remaining natural wetlands, the Suisun (suh-soon) Marsh , 35 miles northeast of San Francisco, is a massive sprawl—nearly 116,000 acres. Sitting at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, it’s a striking area of low-lying islands and silent, sprawling tidal wetlands, and offers great hiking (trails are level and easy), wildlife viewing and fishing.

Grizzly Island’s waters are home to striped bass, white catfish, white sturgeon, black crappie, and even the occasional largemouth bass. (The bass seem most abundant in early summer, when the normally brackish waters of the marsh are at their freshest.) The Grizzly Island complex isn’t small; we’re talking roughly 15,000 acres with 75 miles of road and trail.

Try hiking the graveled trails at Peytonia Slough. Wherever you hike, keep a close eye on the trail; you might see otter footprints or the hoof marks of tule elk. Introduced to the island in the late ’70s, the elk have flourished. Don’t neglect the skies either; the marsh is home to over 220 species of birds. If you’re lucky—and alert—you might spot a peregrine falcon.

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» Lamp Liter Inn Concert Series
May 7, 2009 12:00 AM to May 6, 2010 12:00 AM

Why spend a lot of money going to town for entertainment, when you can stop by our delightful Inn and enjoy cocktails with Live Music of all genres for a fraction of what you would spend. Our delightful Inn is centrally located in Visalia, known as the "Gateway to the Sequoias." Check out our web page for show listings.

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