West Coast - Part 1

A couple of weeks ago we did a road trip along the US west coast. It was only 10 days, but the experience, the vast landscaping and the perfect weather made it completely fulfilling. Also, we had part of the family who flew over to San Francisco, where we met to enjoy our holidays together. Since we are further away than normal, it was great to be able to join a family vacation with a visit of an unknown part of the country.

The first part of the road trip was in California. My parents and brother had been in San Francisco for a couple of days before we arrived, which was great because when we met they had already accustomed to the local time. They picked us up at the airport, and from there we drove directly to our first station. 

First Station - Yosemite National Park

We spent two days near the National Park (it was before the big fires they unfortunately suffered just days after we left). We had rented a house, which was a great options for 2 nights, that way we could cook breakfast and dinner, spend some time together in the common areas and rest after the day-time activities. The house was almost an hour away from the park, and it was in a suburb close to a lake. There we could see some wild animals just meters away from us.

The next day we entered the park around 10 AM. It was a hot and sunny day, and contrary to what i had thought, the park didn't offer much shadow. The day started in the Yosemite Valley, where we did some small walks to get closer to the falls and the huge rock formations.

The pleasant part of the park is that you can go from one place to the next on a public bus, then you can find your way to the nature. Also, there is many bike paths, beaches, camping places, so it gives a lot of possibilities. It was hard to spend there just one day...

 After lunch, we drove out of the valley and up towards the glacier point, where the views of the same valley we had been were spectacular. Andres pictures speak for themselves.

The big rock formation in the center is called the Half Dome, taking its name from its shape. It can be hiked up with a permit, and last year, when we were planning out trip in October 2013, it was one of our goals. Unfortunately due to the government shutdown we could not do it. And this year we also left it go, maybe it is time to accept that it is not going to happen...

Second Station - Santa Rosa and the California Coast Highway

The next highlight in our journey was the Redwood National Park. However, it was very far to make it in one day, so we decided to spend one night in Santa Rosa, a small town located near the Sonoma Valley. Our intention was to visit a vineyard and do some wine tasting, however, we came on a Saturday, and all the vineyards were over full. In the end, we had lunch in a BBQ place having a good wine, close to many vineyards but not in one... Sometimes the plans need to be changed slightly, however, the result was just as good. Santa Rosa was a small town that we shortly visited and where we stayed the night, not a lot to say about it.

The day after that we entered the Highway 1, that goes along the coast across the state, on our way north towards the Redwood National Park. The views from the car were astonishing.

The cached  a beach full with seals. A boat nearby was approaching them, and although we weren't very close we could enjoy the spectacle of them trying to reach the water as soon as possible.

Later on we  parked the car and followed a path that led to a beautiful cliff.

We spent some time in this beautiful beach, some of us even took a siesta, but nobody bathed in the Pacific Ocean, the water was very cold.

Third Station - Redwood National Park

This excursion was the best one of the trip by unanimity. Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world, and they live thousands of years.

When you enter the park you find yourself embedded in an eternal fog. This humidity is indeed what the redwoods need, along with constant climatic conditions throughout the year.

Some of these trees have been hit by lightnings, as the picture above. However many of them manage to survive and grow around the holes left in their trunks.

Here beautiful pictures of the landscape.

Our lunch was at a picnic place next to a huge of these trees.

We say these elks just across the street.

We spent the afternoon in the Fern Canyon, a place where some parts of the movie Jurassic Park had been recorder. You really felt like you were in the Jurassic era.

Although we just saw a small portion of the state, California impressed us with how much it has to offer. In the next entry you'll read about our experience through the Oregon coast, Portland and our last station in Seattle, it will come soon!

Thanks for reading,

Lita & Andres