Clovis

Clovis is a Western-flavored city on the northeast edge of Fresno, where the flat valley begins to rise toward the Sierra Nevada. It began as a railroad and lumber town, and the old flume that once carried logs down from Shaver Lake is still part of its story. Old Town Clovis is the heart of the place, with antique shops, boutiques, Western wear and cafes along Pollasky Avenue. The rodeo is a big part of local identity, and the community turns out for parades and street fairs through the year. It feels like a small town that has grown up beside a large city.

Start in Old Town on foot. The Clovis Museum on Pollasky Avenue sits in a former bank building and shows local history, including a piece of the old Shaver Lake flume. The Clovis Botanical Garden focuses on plants that do well with little water. The Clovis Trails network passes parks, the garden and Old Town, so a walk or bike ride links the main stops. The Clovis Rodeo Grounds on Rodeo Drive host the spring rodeo. The Clovis Community Heritage Center at the Veterans Memorial District adds more local history, and families will find plenty of parks.

Old Town has restaurants from casual to fine, along with coffee shops and a cluster of bars within walking distance of each other. The Friday Night Farmers Market runs in Old Town from spring into autumn and is the best way to spend a warm evening, with produce and food on closed streets. ClovisFest in September fills Old Town with vendors, and a hot air balloon fun fly is part of the weekend. Western wear shops and antique stores make shopping here more fun than a mall. Fresno is next door, so more restaurants and entertainment are only a short drive away.

Old Town Clovis is the pleasant place to spend the day, but most hotels cluster along the busy roads near Highway 168 and Shaw Avenue, where parking is easy and the road out is quick. Fresno, next door, has a wider choice of lodging. Clovis is a driving city, though the trail network works well for bikes. Clovis Transit runs local buses and dial-a-ride service. There is no intercity train or bus station in the city, and Fresno Yosemite International Airport is the nearest airline airport, a short drive away. Rental cars are easy to pick up there.

April is the best month, when the Big Hat Days street festival and the Clovis Rodeo open the season and the foothills are green. Summer is hot and dry, and the Friday market and mountain escapes take over. Autumn is mild and busy with ClovisFest and other Old Town events. Winter brings cool days and valley fog, and a Christmas parade and carriage rides in Old Town. One full day covers Old Town, the museum and the garden. Add a second day if you plan a trip to Shaver Lake or Kings Canyon, or if you want the rodeo weekend.

Clovis opens the Sierra to the east. Highway 168 climbs from town to Shaver Lake and Huntington Lake, with forest campgrounds and cabins along the way. Highway 180 runs east from Fresno to Kings Canyon National Park at Grant Grove, and Highway 41 heads north from Fresno to Yosemite's south entrance by way of Oakhurst. Highway 99 is close by for trips north to Modesto or south to Visalia and Sequoia. A night here fits between Highway 99 stops and mountain days, and it works well in rodeo month.