Yosemite National Park

I visited Yosemite for the first time 17 years ago with my brother when he lived in California.  I have two memories of the trip... the first is hiking to Mirror Lake and I could swear every sign we saw said 3 miles to the lake even though we hiked a good distance between signs and once we got there the lake was pretty much dried up.  Not the right time of year to hike to Mirror Lake. My second memory was walking back from Mirror Lake and my brother hitting my arm twice, me telling him to stop hitting me, and then him saying pay attention there is a bear in front of you! Eeek!  We stopped a good distance from the bear, it looked at us, then walked on and we stayed put to make sure it was good and out of our way before continuing. 

This trip was with the purpose to see the waterfalls in the park (which was good because we didn't see any wildlife). With all the rain California had this past winter and spring, the waterfalls have been strong and beautiful.  The only downside was it seemed like half of California had the same idea and traffic was horrible once we got in the park.  After stop and go for a good hour, we were finally able to park the car, get out, and really do some exploring.  We saw a few different waterfalls but the major ones were Bridal Falls and Yosemite Falls.  Both are very easy short hikes to get to the base and a raincoat or some kind of water protection is a good idea.  Even when it seems like the water isn't moving in your direction, a quick gust of wind can change that in an instant as we found out the cold, wet way at Bridal Falls.  There is something about getting close to a waterfall and hearing the rush of the water and feeling the power that comes rushing down from overhead that is intoxicating and magical at the same time. 

Bridal Falls

Yosemite Falls, of course, is the star of the show.  It is named after the park after all! Or is the park named after it? I'm not quite sure.  It is so tall it has two levels to complete the waterfall.  You can see it as you approach the area in your car and it makes you want to stop and stare in awe (probably part of the reason for the traffic jam to get there).  You can hike to the top of the falls but we weren't equipped and didn't have the time to do the trek this time but standing at the bottom and watching the water fall was amazing and every new angle I would see of the falls I had to stop and take another picture because it was just so beautiful. 

Yosemite Falls

It was cold and wet but completely worth it!

On our way out of the park there was a pull off vista that shows the most magnificent view of the valley with Half Dome and the waterfall laid out in front of you that you cannot miss when visiting Yosemite.  I still think the picture I took looks like a fake backdrop because it is just that incredible. It was crowded with tour buses and cars and people with selfie sticks but it was worth it to jostle through the people for even a momentary glimpse of the landscape.  The pictures speak for themselves.

And just because the place is so beautiful that I couldn't stop taking pictures...here's a few more.

Mendocino Coast and Ft. Bragg

Ft. Bragg and more specifically Glass Beach have been on my list of places I wanted to see since before I even left Florida.  Bryan and I decided to make a weekend of it and drive along Highway 1 north of San Francisco and up to Ft. Bragg hugging the Mendocino coast line along the way.  The coastal drive is full of beautiful vistas and many pull offs along the road where you can stop to enjoy the view. 

Our first planned stop is known as Bowling Ball Beach.  If you don't know what you are looking for then you will definitely miss it.  There are no markings on the side of the road but I had read to be on the lookout around mile marker 11.5 and there it was.  Take the north trail and it will save you some time if you decide to go there.  Getting there was a little adventure of it's own.  There are no steps down to the beach so we traversed a few logs that were rather high up (I kept thinking about the movie Troop Beverly Hills when walking across it) and made it to the beach then turned north and walked towards the giant rocks.  They were very impressive but probably would have been more impressive if we had gotten there closer to low tide.  Still, it was a fun adventure and awesome sight.

We stopped at two lighthouses along the way as well including the Point Arena Lighthouse and the Point Cabrillo Light Station.  We didn't actually go in either of the lighthouses (although you could for a fee) but instead walked along the grounds and the shoreline overlooking the lighthouses and watched the waves crash against the cliffs the lighthouse was sitting on.  My favorite was the Point Cabrillo Light Station.  Not only is the lighthouse beautiful but we sat on the cliff overlooking the water and watched whale spouts and fins breaking the surface and even a few whale tails flipping up before a deep dive.  We sat there for a good hour watching the waves and the whales and it was magical.

Point Arena Lighthouse

Point Cabrillo Light Satation

Whale spouts and backs coming out of the water

Whale tail

Our final destination was Ft. Bragg. We stayed at the North Cliff Hotel which had a fantastic view of the sunset from our balcony.  There is no air conditioning in the hotel but at the time of year we were there it wasn't a problem.  There was a nice seating area and even a fireplace in our room.  Fancy.

Sunset from our balcony at the North Cliff Hotel

As beautiful as our Saturday was, we woke up to a cold and rainy Sunday.  Breakfast at the hotel was delicious and a great way to fuel for the day.  We headed straight for Glass Beach in the morning. 
The sea glass has accumulated after years of dumping trash along the coast creating sea glass of a variety of shapes and colors that have washed up onto the beach.  Dumping has not been allowed in the area since the 60s but the glass continues to wash up on the beach.  I had read that there was not much glass there anymore but I thought there was a lot and that it was very impressive.  We went at low tide and that probably helped with seeing more glass.  Most of it was clear but there were all different colors scattered throughout and it was really pretty to see.  It did not disappoint which I was grateful for after the trek to get there and my high expectations while trying to get there.

It was another fun weekend exploring California.  There is so much to see and do here!

The Lost Coast and Redwoods

Planning a last minute get out of town getaway is always fun and this time the destination was up to the Lost Coast of California in Shelter Cove where Bryan grew up going to visit as a kid and then driving up to see Redwoods National Park and Fern Canyon.

Lighthouse on the Lost Coast

I could not have asked for a better weekend or better company.  We drove up Friday after work and arrived after dark but woke up to a beautiful view of the ocean and hearing the waves crashing far below.  It took a couple of hours to drive up to Redwoods National Park especially stopping along the way to explore sweeping vistas.  I had previously visited Muir Woods and had my first taste of some of the giant redwood trees but the ones in the national park are on a whole different level.  These amazing giants of trees that are hundreds are years old are so awe inspiring.  If you want to feel truly tiny in this world then stand next to one of these trees. 

Elk at the Redwoods Park

Feeling tiny

Fern Canyon was a place I had read about and had put on my list to see when I came out to California.  At this time of year, the dirt road is well worn and quite bumpy to get there (I am told they fill the potholes in the summer time) but worth the effort.  It takes some wading through cold water to get through the canyon and see the views so bring some waterproof shoes or at least a pair that you can get wet.  I wore old tennis shoes and every time I stepped back into the water the cold felt like ice and took my breath away but the view was awesome and worth the momentary discomfort.

On our way home the next day we drove through the Avenue of the Giants.  It is a 31 mile drive over winding roads through giant, ancient redwood trees. With every turn of the road I felt dwarfed by these magnificent trees.  We pulled to the side of the road on occasion to be able to get out of the car and look up.  There were a lot of "wows" that slipped from my lips when we came around a bend in the road. The road winds through small towns with places to eat along the way if you want to.  Definitely worth the detour if you are in the area.

Shelter Cove is a small town, far off the beaten path on the coast and requires a bit of effort to get there.  It is a quiet, peaceful place with sweeping views that has very little development.  It's a plan ahead kind of a place as there are not really restaurants or a normal grocery store in the area but if you like serene and peaceful then this is the place for you.

Truckee, California

One of the things that Californians always seem to tout as one of the best things about their state is that you can swim in the ocean in the morning and ski down a mountain in the evening.  I have checked out a bit around the ocean side so when my friend Ashley suggested a weekend in Truckee, I jumped at the chance to not only see her but explore the mountain side of California.  As a Floridian, I have to admit that every time I see snow I feel like it is Christmas because that was the only time I saw snow as a kid when we made our way north to grandma's house. So when it started to snow on Sunday morning, I felt like a giddy little kid.

Truckee is a small town that is about a 30 minute drive to the north side of Lake Tahoe. We stayed downtown in the Truckee Hotel that has been a continuously running hotel since the 1800s. The location is great, right in the middle of the town and an easy way to walk around and explore the shops, restaurants, and bars in the area.

We spent Saturday afternoon snowshoeing around nearby Donner Lake.  The town has a shop where you can rent gear.  We bundled up in the cold only to start shedding layers as soon as we built up a sweat with the activity. I have not been snowshoeing in many years and my hips were definitely talking to me afterwards but we saw some beautiful scenery and it was a fun way to get out and see the nature in the area.  The snow was so high that at times we were level with the branches and I almost tripped over a picnic table that was completely covered in snow.

Muir Woods National Monument

When I took this assignment in northern California I knew that I would want to check out some redwoods while I was in the area. I grew up singing This Land is Your Land and "From the redwood forests to the gulf stream waaaters..." continually played in my head while I was in the park. I had tried to come to the park one other time but learned it gets crowded early and the closest parking spot I could find was 3 miles(!) from the entrance. This time I got there around 9:15 am and still couldn't find parking in the parking lot but only had to walk about a half mile to the entrance. Because Muir Woods is a part of the National Park system, I got to put my National Parks Annual Pass to good use which was an added bonus! (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

When entering the park it felt like I was entering a different world.  Tall trees towering over me with a richness in color of the tree trunks and bright green leaves overhead.  The trail is crowded, which is to be expected considering how hard it is to find parking even early in the morning, but I took one of the side trails and managed to hike for about 30 minutes before seeing another soul.  It was calming and cathartic to listen to nothing but the sound of running water and birds chirping around me. I scaled a fallen tree over the stream and hiked up the side of the hill to get to be eye level with some of the tree tops.  I am kind of amazed that I didn't leave with a crick in my neck from looking up in wonder for so long.  I took lots of pictures and some of them turned out great but, as always, it can never really capture the feel of being among these giant old trees with so much history and knowing that generations before and hopefully after me will walk among them and enjoy their beauty.  It's amazing to be able to have so much accessible nature so close to a very large city.