Modesto

Modesto has served as an agricultural centre in California’s San Joaquin Valley since the railroad arrived in 1870. Set on the broad valley floor between the Stanislaus and Tuolumne rivers, it remains closely tied to the farms, orchards and food production of the Central Valley. E. & J. Gallo Winery was founded here in 1933 and is still headquartered in Modesto. The city is also the birthplace of filmmaker George Lucas, whose early memories of local cruising informed American Graffiti; classic-car culture returns each summer for Graffiti Summer. Downtown’s illuminated Modesto Arch, bearing the motto “Water Wealth Contentment Health,” is a familiar civic landmark. Explore nearby webcam locations that provide complementary perspectives on Modesto and the San Joaquin Valley.

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