Top 10 places to visit in and near Fresno revealed by travel blogger
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Cassie Yoshikawa is a Fresno-based travel blogger whose recommendations and videos have been getting a lot of attention on social media.
YourCentralValley reached out to her to find out what her 10 places to visit in and near Fresno are.
“It’s been a little bit surreal,” said Yoshikawa. “I’ve been blogging for six years now, so it kind of just started picking up momentum just this past year and really in the past couple of months.”
Yoshikawa’s list includes five places in town – and five day-trips from Fresno.
1. Aerial Space Downtown Fresno “It’s kind of a wild thing, you’re trying aerial silks but they make it so beginner-friendly that anyone can do it and it.”
2. Forestiere Underground Garden: “That’s just so unique. I think it’s a little more well-known but where else in the world can you walk underground.”
3. San Joaquin Fish Hatchery: “A lot of people probably grew up going there for field trips but I went there for the first time as an adult and had so much fun seeing the lifecycle of fishes and being able to feed the fish.”
4. Rare Earth “They have coffee roasting classes if you like coffee like me it’s kind of a fun thing to put into practice.”
5. Shinzen Japanese Friendship Garden “$5 and you’re transported into another country almost, it’s a really peaceful place to kind of escape.”
6. Covell’s Clydesdales, “That’s over in Cambria near the coast. It’s a cool place if you love horses and nature – you can get there and back in the same day.”
7. Third Wheel Tours, “I just did this one in Paso Robles. You go wine tasting in the sidecar of a vintage motorcycle.”
8. Stevenson Falls, “It’s an hour away. You walk on a nice paved road to this gigantic waterfall.”
9. Castle Air Museum, “They have this huge airfield, like 40 acres. It’s cool if you’re into the military or if your kids love planes.”
10. Big L Ranch, “What better way to enjoy California and all its agriculture than actually using your hands to pick yourself?”
An Oklahoma native, Yoshikawa says her love for Fresno comes from an appreciation of everything Fresno has to offer.
“It’s an honor to see where people have grown up their whole lives with fresh eyes,” she says, “and getting to help out small businesses, help give them exposure, and share why they love Fresno too.”
Yoshikawa says since catching the travel bug, she’s traveled all over the world she had a chance to visit Italy when she was studying in Oklahoma and traveled to Greece as well.
“My parents were both military, so they had been all over the world,” she says, “hearing the stories I just always wanted to travel abroad.”
While she was in Greece, Yoshikawa says her perspective on faith and travel changed and that perspective shift helped develop the foundations for her vlog: Cassie’s Compass.
“Initially when I started traveling, I kind of traveled to escape and God was one of those things I left behind – that’s for Sundays at home,” she said, “but now for me, faith and travel is everywhere you go.”
Since starting her vlog six years ago, Yoshikawa says the mission has always been to travel, learn, and encourage others to appreciate what is right in front of them.
“As someone who’s not from here – it’s kind of cool to remind people, hey what we have here is pretty cool actually.”
You can follow her on her social media at Cassie’s Compass and on her website where she shares maps and other resources for people to make the most of her travels.
