Did you know Pat Morita, star of The Karate Kid, was from Fairfield, CA?

More fun facts about Fairfield:

• Fairfield is the hometown of Keisha Baker, who won a Gold Medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics as a member of the U.S. Women’s 4×400-meter relay team.

• When Ronald Reagan was president, Jelly Belly beans were served in the Oval Office and on Air Force One.  They were also the first jelly beans in outer space when President Reagan sent them on-board the Challenger space shuttle in 1983.

• The Suisun Valley has roots dating back to the 1800s and represents more than a century of continuous wine grape growing activity.  The region received formal American Viticultural Area (AVA) recognition in 1982 and is part of the North Coast Appellation.

• Suisun (pronounced SUE-soon) means “west wind” in Patwin, the Native American tribe that once inhabited this area.

• The Anheuser-Busch Brewery Fairfield will generate 15 percent of its fuel needs from a bio-energy recovery system, which turns brewing wastewater into fuel.

• The Suisun Marsh is the largest contiguous brackish water marsh remaining on the west coast of North America and the largest coastal wetlands remaining in California.

• The Suisun Marsh has the largest concentration of river otters found anywhere in the U.S.
 
• Known as the “Gateway to the Pacific,” Travis Air Force base handles more cargo and passenger traffic than any other military air terminal in the United States.  Travis AFB became one of the major departure points for military units heading for combat in Vietnam.

• The railcar home of Maude (Ruth Gordon) from the cult movie Harold and Maude is located at the Western Railway Museum.

• George’s Orange in Dixon, now part of Mr. Taco, is one of two of the remaining original 16 “giant orange” stands built in 1926 by Frank E. Pohl.

• The California River Delta at Rio Vista offers some of the best wind surfing conditions in the world.

• Rio Vista is home to California Vegetable Specialties, the only endive grower in North America and the largest producer of endive outside of Belgium.

• The California Delta is home to two car ferries that still transport drivers and their vehicles to and from Ryer Island. Operated by the California Department of Transportation, the ferries are free and operate daily.