Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks were the last stops on our Northern California Road Trip. Both parks lie in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Central California, about 230 miles north of Los Angeles and about 275 miles southeast of San Francisco. And, even though Kings Canyon and Sequoia sit adjacent to one another, there is a distinct difference between them. Kings Canyon features dramatic vistas, rock faces, and valleys while Sequoia is more […]
Kings Canyon National Park, sister park to Sequoia, was the final stop on our epic four National Park California road trip. While most feel it is not as grand as her neighboring sister or upstate cousin Yosemite, by some measures we felt it was much more and had saved the best for last. Most noteable is the fact that the park holds the deepest gorge in the United States and is home to the General […]
Yosemite National Park was the third stop on our Northern California Roadtrip and the one I was most excited about. What we weren’t aware of prior to our visit (surprising since I usually research these things to death) was that we would be participating in the park’s 125th Birthday celebration. And, despite the other half a million people also attending the birthday party, it was a great time and we felt very privileged to be […]
Lassen Volcanic National Park was our first of three National Park stops on this Northern California road trip. Our choice of lodging was the Drakesbad Guest Ranch located in the Warner Valley area inside the park. While not easy to get to, once there you will find a retreat like no other. But, this place is not for everyone–no television, cell phone service or internet. If, however, you are looking for a rustic adult summer […]
The drive around Lake Tahoe is 70 miles and, if driven without stops, would likely take around 4 hours. I’m quite sure though that there is no human who could make this trip without stopping–the views are just too spectacular (plus you have to eat, drink and empty the bladder right?) Make it a perfect sunny day in the high 70’s and throw in two girls who feel compelled to stop at every pull out […]
I love wine and I love wine tasting and I was so excited to finally get to Napa Valley to enjoy all that wine goodness. I have also tasted wine from some of the best wine regions in the world from South Africa to Italy to the Pacific Northwest. That being said, I’m certainly not a wine snob by any stretch but I’m probably in the minority here as I could not have been more disappointed and […]
Being old hippies at heart, Haight Ashbury was definitely on the “to do” list while we were in San Francisco. Nothing more really than just a very ecclectic assortment of shops and cafes with a fair amount of homeless hippies to add to the colorful atmosphere. Once you’ve been, that’s enough but we liked it and were glad we went.
We visited Muir Woods on a very foggy, drizzly kind of day. The paths were muddy and the views not that great but all in all, it is a beautiful place no matter what the weather and we enjoyed hiking the trails. The star attraction of Muir Woods is definitely the Coast Redwood. These relatives of the giant sequoia are are known for their height. While redwoods can grow to nearly 380 feet, the tallest one here is 258 […]