The saying goes, ‘Life is about the journey, not the destination,’ but for travel, it’s usually all about the destination, of course. Unless you are a rare, maybe seasoned, road-tripper with less of an urgency to get to the destination and more of a curiosity as to what is out there along the way.

It’s this curiosity that led us to explore Highway 99 — an unlikely roadtrip extravaganza, but a proud unofficial sponsor of plenty along this stretch of the California Ag Belt.

“Don’t you mean the Armpit of California?” My one (and only) Bakersfield friend mused to me when I shared my roadmap to fun.

“Don’t poo-poo on my parade,” I shot back from my comfy Sacramento office. “I’m coming to see you, and it will take me 12 hours to get there.”

Highway 99 itself runs from Redding to Bakersfield, but for the matter of time and print space, here is a condensed list of must-see roadside attractions should you, too, be trekking anywhere between Sacramento and Kern County:

The furthest north on this roadmap is the official landmark origin of the A&W Restaurant in Lodi. It is here that Roy Allen (the “A” in A&W) sold his very first Root Beer, and continues to sell A&W Root Beer 102 years later. I’m not a huge fan of Root Beer Floats in my daily diet, however, it’s an easy exception for the must-do on your California bucket list. Plus, the diner inside is a fabulous blast from the past of A&W nostalgia, and outside are larger-than-life A&W characters to pose with for picture memories.

Continuing south on 99, our next favorite discovery is Poot’s Cactus Nursery in Ripon. Initially, we checked out Poot’s strictly for the name. We determined, as we detoured, that we need more friends in our lives named (or nicknamed) Poot, because, well… Poot. But once we arrived and started strolling through the unique succulents and cacti of this expanded Greenhouse, we were quickly enthralled by the various plant species, some we had never seen before. I purchased one that I thought would look lovely hanging in my kitchen window, and was also the recipient of a much-needed lecture on plant care from the nursery owner.

Onward and southward, the next tourist trap we recommend is Dutch Hollow Farms in Modesto. Open year-round for all the classic farm experiences, the real show stopper is their Tulip season. The owner has been carefully building up a small slice of Holland paradise, complete with the recently constructed Windmill for visitors to climb up into and photograph the acres of blooming tulips below. There are various entry & activity fees associated with touring and harvesting your own garden pickings, so come prepared and know it is worth the visit.

A lesser-known gem, as one continues along this route, is the large Hillmar Cheese Company (in Hillmar) that boasts a market and full visitor education center on the site of its dairy production farm. Come for the fresh cheese curds, stay for the interactive dairy education museum. We did both, and afterwards sat and snacked for a bit amongst their outdoor picnic area- landscaped with walking paths, trees, and a waterfall. I imagine employee appreciation is solid here if their lunch breaks include this kind of zen.

The crown jewel of roadside attractions on Highway 99 is the Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno. A hidden gem with an entirely different meaning- a 10-acre citrus orchard and expansive personal retreat was carved out by hand underground by Sicilian immigrant Baldassare Forestiere well over 100 years ago. Now a registered historic landmark, visitors can purchase tickets for a guided tour to see it all for themselves. We had no idea how astonishing this man-made wonder was until we found ourselves 20 feet underground, admiring a fully blooming orange tree. Yes, this tourist hotspot is well worth the detour.

Once back on the road, there are two more stops not much further south from Fresno: the Sun-maid Market outside Kingsburg, and the town of Kingsburg itself. Truth be told, I’m not big on raisins. Several unfortunate memories of being the only kinder student with a Sun-maid raisin box for morning snack while my classmates enjoyed fruit by the foot and other artificial red dye 40 junk foods (thanks, mom) led me to have what I can only describe as a lifelong chip on my shoulder towards the red box of dried out grapes. But visiting Sun-maid’s gift shop reconciled a bit of this bitterness, thanks to their “world’s largest” raisin box photo op outside their market, and all their charming apparel, souvenirs and goodies inside. Pull over for this easy crowd pleaser- it’s visible from Highway 99!

The town of Kingsburg earns its fame as California’s Swedish capital. Not nearly as comparable to popular Solvang (Danish Capital of California), Kingsburg still gives the Swedish-themed downtown a solid fair shot at bringing this Northern European culture to life. The many businesses, murals, architecture, and art installations will entertain you- including the coffee pot-inspired water tower and various Dala Horses on street corners downtown. Any time is a great time to pass through, but do consider the Swedish Festival that is held in May each year.

One last stop one cannot pass up is Bravo Farms located in Traver. Now, if you frequently drive Interstate 5, you likely are familiar with the Bravo Farms located in Kettleman City- they proudly declare themselves the “Second Happiest Place on Earth,” and we might not argue that claim. However, the original Bravo Farms in Traver, while far quieter and unsuspecting, does lay claim to the World Famous 7-story treehouse, actually constructed around a surprisingly large and structurally sound shade tree. Relive your childhood dreams- you can climb all 7 stories and look out, just don’t push your kids over on your way to the top.

There are a few more quick and easy notable mentions I won’t go into detail about here, lest I decide to write a whole book but while on Highway 99, keep an eye out for:

The Shinzen Friendship Garden in Fresno

The Rosa Brothers Creamery in Tulare

Dust Bowl Brewing Company in Tulare

The Cross Country Runners Overpass in McFarland

The Halo Box- The world’s largest box of Mandarins, visible from the highway in Delano

For more ideas on traveling our state, follow @Ca.love.fornia on Instagram.