Modesto's location at the centre of California's middle valley puts it within easy reach of some of the state's great destinations.
Yosemite National Park is two hours east on Highway 120 — close enough for a long day trip if you start early, although an overnight in a Sierra foothill town gives you a much better experience. The Gold Country towns of Sonora, Columbia, and Murphys are an hour and a half east. The Bay Area — San Francisco and Oakland — is ninety minutes west, easy as a day trip in either direction.
Closer to home, the Hetch Hetchy reservoir, the Stockton waterfront, and the wine villages of Lodi to the north all make decent half-day excursions.