Northern California Parks

 

We flew into San Francisco and unintentionally drove through the city on our way north. The city looked very clean, and we saw only two persons who may or may not have been homeless.

We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge and first went to the Muir Overlook.

Next, we drove to Reyes Point which was a mixed bag. One surprise was the elk.                          

                                              

On to Petaluma where our little hotel took Halloween very seriously.

Dinner was at the Wild Goat Café. I had a lamb burger and Teresa had a salad.

The next morning, we started with a pastry, crepes, and egg breakfast at our hotel. On to Safeway to stock up on provisions.

We drove to Armstrong Redwood State Reserve. We hiked a trail and ate our picnic lunch in a designated picnic area.

We proceeded north along the coast. We toured Fort Ross, a Russian stronghold from the early 1800’s and stopped at Salt Point State Park.

We went to the Point Arena Lighthouse and saw seals nearby getting some afternoon sun.

On to Mendocino and our B & B. We ate at an Irish pub. I had fish and chips, Teresa had a Reuben sandwich. Gelato for dessert.

In the morning, we first hiked the Headlands of Mendocino, lots of photos.

Next, we went to Russian Gulch and took a two-hour trek.

We then drove to Humboldt to traverse the Avenue of Giants- the giants being redwoods.

We drove to Eureka to a Mexican place for dinner. We got ice cream/gelato while walking around Eureka’s Old Town after.

On to Trinidad and our cabin for three nights.

The next morning, we headed to Tall Trees Park and did its namesake trail of 4.4 miles – more redwoods.

We then drove to Lady Bird Johnson Grove where we first had our picnic lunch. We did its shorter trail.

On to Sue-Meg State Park. We visited the indigenous people’s display then went to Agate Beach  where we found no agates.

Lastly, we went to Wedding Rock and Patrick’s Point.

The next day started with a morning at the beaches from College Cove Beach down to Moonstone Beach (where there were plenty of surfers) with several beaches in between.

After that we went to the Sequoia Zoo/ Skyway. There were a few unusual animals, but the highlight was walking part way up the height of the Redwoods in a grove very close to Eureka.   

After our picnic near the redwoods, we went to the Humboldt Cider Company where we shared a “flight” of five different ciders.

We walked some more in Eureka’s Old Town before heading back to the room.

The next morning involved more redwood groves. First was the Boy Scout Trail, which we decided was the best one so far.

Next was Titan’s Grove which was another good one.

We then were off to Oregon where we travelled along the Coastal Scenic Road making several stops.

We spent the next morning driving to Crater Lake. Upon arrival we had our picnic lunch overlooking it.

We drove around the lake stopping at several spots but only hiked down once- to Cleetwood Cove. The climb back gave us some cardio time. Overall, I enjoyed the Santorini caldera more.

On the way to Lava Tube Caves, we stopped by some Indian petroglyphs.

Next to Captain Jack’s Stronghold, a lava area that was used defensively by a tribe against US forces.

Lastly was the series of lava tube caves. We did seven of them. Teresa liked them more than I did.

The next day was Lassen Volcanic National Park day. Two long hikes, the King’s Creek Trail the better. Overall, something you don’t need to see if you have been to Yellowstone.

On to Lake Tahoe. We stayed in South Tahoe which is bisected by the California/ Nevada state line.

We visited a local beach and then drove to a hike to Eagle Lake.

Italian for dinner, Teresa won. Her lasagna was better than my fettucine alfredo. We did discover a grilled Romaine Heart with blue cheese and prosciutto is very good.

The next morning, we drove to the Rubicon Trailhead for a three hour hike. It was mostly along the western shore of the lake but did include a visit to Vikingholm, a home on the south end of Emerald Bay.

After our hike we drove around the lake clockwise, stopping at several scenic spots – one for lunch.

Finishing the circuit, we drove to our hotel in California but then went out and walked to Nevada and through Harveys and Harrahs casinos.

In the morning, we first drove to Bodie. It was a once prosperous gold mining town from 1877 to 1892 and then slowly became a ghost town.

Next, we drove to Lake Mono, then lake June. Finally, we drove to Mammoth Lakes and hiked the Crystal Lake trail for two hours.

The next day was the short drive to Yosemite. Our first adventure was to hike to and climb Lambert Dome. We spent part of the time with Christoph, who was by himself from France.

Next, we drove to Oldstead Point for the view.

After that we drove to the trailhead to Lake May and hiked for two hours there and back.

It was an hour’s drive from there (speed limits are low to prevent bear deaths) to the Yosemite Village Lodge for a three-night stay.

The next morning, we rented bikes for the day to explore the Yosemite Valley Floor which we covered quite well. We had some short hikes; my favorite was Happy Isles.

We found ourselves near Curry Village at lunchtime, so we decided to try the Pizza Deck pizza. It lived up to its hype. It was another sunny day but when shaded by the forest the temperature dropped 15 degrees.

In the morning, we drove to Glacier Point for the view (theme of the day). We then hiked to Sentinel Dome, which we climbed – much easier than Lambert Dome. We then hiked to Taft Point for another view.

On the way back we stopped at Bridalveil Falls, not very robust, and at El Capitan- we couldn’t find any climbers.

The next day we strolled four hours through the Sequoias in Mariposa Park.

On to King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Park. We saw the General Grant Sequoia and took some hikes. We learned how to use the panorama feature on the camera for tall trees.

We stayed at the Lodge and ate there also, good meal- I had the rib-eye; Teresa had the onion soup and a berry salad with chicken.

The next morning, we went to the General Sherman Tree part of the Sequoia National Park. That tree is the most massive tree on earth. We hiked for about 3 ½ hours in the forest it inhabited and saw legions of sequoias including the Lincoln, the President, the Sequoia Chief, the McKinley and the Senate group.

After a picnic lunch we went to Moro Rock and climbed. It had stairs – lots of stairs. 

    

We then took another hike to see Tharp’s Log, the home of the area’s earliest European resident.

Lastly to Chimney Tree, which was a hollowed-out tree open to the sky- not very impressive.

The next day was a travel day. Before leaving the Park, we went to the Sequoia Tree Museum and took a hike on the Tall Trees Trail nearby.

We stayed the night in King City. In the morning, we headed to Pinnacles State Park. We confused our GPS when we put in different destinations in the Park as there were two discrete entrances and we travelled some back roads unnecessarily. It was a great park. We did five hikes in six hours including quite a bit of elevation change and the negotiation of a cave. At the end of Juniper Canyon Trail and the beginning of High Peaks Trail we met some folks who had climbed up from the other entrance.

On to San Juan Battista, and old mission town that is rather quaint. The old mission is still there. The first person interred in its cemetery was a child, Maria Trinidad, who was laid to rest in 1798. One store in town claimed its building was built in 1798, another in 1800, yet the town sits on the San Andreas fault.   

 

Our last day started with a pontoon boat ride to see sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters and various birds.

Finally, we made a trip to a significant stop on the generational migration route of Monarch butterflies.