Davis is at the north end of California's Central Valley, about 15 miles west of Sacramento.  Daytime is hot and dry in the summer, with highs often in the 90's and occasionally over 100.  A cooling breeze usually blows overnight.  Unlike many parts of California, there are no major faults nearby and earthquakes are rarely felt here.

The city of Davis (population 65,000) is best known for its bicycles.  With few hills and more than 50 miles of bike paths, travelling around the city by bike is easy.  The city's downtown shows the influence of the large student population, with several coffeeshops and bookstores and a variety of inexpensive restaurants.  Several of these restaurants also set up booths at the farmer's market on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings.