Northern California

We spent eight days making our way up the remaining 400 miles of the California coast. Our first two days were spent in the National Recreation area Point Reyes, at a quaint hostel inside the 40,000 acre park. The coast in this area was the start of the transition from swimmer friendly beachfronts to a more organic feel with large rocks jutting out of the water and driftwood spotting the sand everywhere you looked.

We were hoping to stay near Sonoma where wine country surrounds you, but had trouble finding a campground that wasn't full. We spent the afternoon sipping wine at one of the local wineries in Sonoma, and headed out of town where we found a resort in the nearby town of Guerneville,CA that told us they would not turn away anyone during Lazy Bear weekend. After setting up our tent in the backyard of the resort we quickly realized that we were the only couple featuring one male and one female - Lazy Bear was a GLBT event. We had a good time and were able to take out one of the canoes the resort provided to patrons on the Russian River. As day turned into night we decided to avoid the hot tub which filled with naked men as the sun went down.

Our next stop was the Lost Coast, the only stretch of Highway 1 that doesn't hug the ocean due to the rocky and rugged terrain of the area. We camped in the King Range area for a couple days in a deserted campsite and enjoyed long hikes through the fog and mist on the black sands beach.

For years D & I have talked about taking a trip to see the majestic Redwoods. We finally made this bucket-list item a reality when we arrived at Humboldt Redwood State Park. There was a magical feeling as we walked through groves of Redwoods that were 2000 years old and towering over 300 feet tall.

As much as we would have loved to spend more time in the forest we were exhausted after camping for five straight days and needed some civilization. Luckily we found a good meal, a warm shower and floor to crash on in Arcata,CA near the boarder of Oregon. We were grateful to spend the night with Emily and Bill around the campfire during our last evening in California.

San Francisco in B&W

I mustered up enough courage to try a little street photography while we were in San Francisco. I felt a little out of my comfort zone but I had a great time and only got shooed away once - not too bad in my book!

Sausalito and San Francisco

On our way to San Francisco from Yosemite we spent a night in a beautiful Victorian hostel in downtown Sacramento.

For a state that has so many cities with unique character one would assume that Califonia's capital would have something to offer but if it did we did not find it. We did however manage to get our bikes stolen in the short time we were there - a heinous crime against humanity. We left the crime ridden streets of Sacramento and headed for the city by the bay.

For the second on time this trip we stayed in a converted army barracks, this time in Sausalito. An open artist studio was happening in one of the converted army barrack buildings just down from the hostel so we checked that out for a bit.

Afterwards we were driving aimlessly around the area near the hostel known as the Marin Headlands when we saw the most amazing sight. As we made our way up a windy narrow road the fog briefly parted and we caught an unexpected glimpse of the golden gate bridge. It was a fascinating view we will not soon forget.

Thanks to my dad's obsession with credit card miles we stayed at Hotel Kabuki, a swanky Japanese themed hotel just outside of downtown San Francisco. We spent two days exploring the city and culture. San Francisco is one of our favorite cities and we highly recommend a visit if you haven't been there.

Hiking Half Dome

After hiking and camping for three days in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park we needed a little R&R before heading to Yosemite NP so we splurged and stayed at the Motel 6 in Fresno. A very forgettable stay and city so I'll move right along. We arrived at Yosemite National Park on a Wednesday morning and the swarms of people made it feel like it was Labor Day weekend. We had our minds set on hiking the famous Half Dome; an enormous granite mountain rising 4800 feet from the Yosemite valley floor. The hike is so popular a permit system was introduced to reduce the amount of people using this part of the park. We were lucky to secure a last minute permit to both climb the mountain and camp in the backcountry. The first day we hiked in five miles and gained 2100 feet in elevation before setting up camp near a refreshingly cool river complete with the perfect swimming hole.

The next morning we woke up early and made it to the infamous cables 600 feet below the summit.

It's hard to describe the feelings as we looked up at the giant rock slab with cables that seemed to lead into the sky. With one cautious step after another we made our way to the top. The views of the valley floor almost a mile below were amazing but we couldn't bask in our glory too long, there were eight miles of hiking that we needed to complete to get back down to our car. Our full week in the National Parks was great but we were definitely ready to eat good food and take hot showers. Next stop, the city where cable cars reach the stars - San Francisco.

Big Sur and the National Parks

We were flattered the Hearst family wanted to keep us as guests at the castle but the schmoosing was getting tiresome and the road was calling so we continued North to Big Sur. In our heads Big Sur was an unknown gem where we would find hidden beaches and have our choice of campsites; unfortunately everyone else thought the same thing. Big Sur was beautiful and we were able to enjoy an isolated cove and a nice sunset but we were not able to find camping and had to continue North to Monterey... where we slept in the car.

We were both looking forward to visiting Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Yosemite National Parks on the east side of California. We started by spending a couple days in Kings Canyon known as an alternative to Yosemite since it has similar granite rock canyons without the crowds. During a long hike we came across a group of people all taking pictures in the direction of a creek. When we looked to see what everyone found so exciting we saw a bear with three cubs just 40 feet away! They were not aggressive and seemed preoccupied with getting to the water for some fishing.

The next day we headed South to Sequoia National Park to see what John Muir called "the big trees." At first glance they don't look that big but once you approach one and get close the true size becomes realized. Since it is hard to describe in writing I'll list a few facts to help visualize the sheer size of these trees.

Mature Sequoias average 250 feet in height and live to be over 2500 years old.
Sequoia bark is over two feet thick making them almost completely resistant to fire and infestation.
The base diameter of the General Grant Sequoia is 40.3 feet. That is wider than a three lane highway! If it were cut down there would be enough wood to make 40 five bedroom houses.
The General Sherman tree is considered the largest tree in the world for overall volume. It weighs over four million pounds.

Hearst Castle

One place we read about in our guide books and heard about over and over while in California was Hearst Castle. Since we were driving right by it on our way to Big Sur we figured we should check it out. The castle was donated to the state by the Hearst family in 1957 and it is now a major tourist attraction. There are numerous tours offered that explore different parts of the castle and property. We chose the main rooms tour which covered the dining and entertainment areas as well as the surrounding grounds.

A little background info... William Hearst toured Europe as a young boy and the architecture of the castles he saw during this trip left a lasting impression on him. After his parents died he inherited a huge amount of money and he decided to have a castle built in the foothills on the ocean. He reportedly walked into female architect Julia Morgan's office and said "I'd like to build a little something upon the hill at San Simeon."

The castle is unlike any in Europe - Hearst took inspiration from a variety of architectural styles and with the help of Julia Morgan created his own masterpiece. It took over 30 years to build the castle and by the 1920's and 30's the castle was being used to entertain the countries most elite including Charles Lindberg, FDR, Charlie Chaplin and Clark Gable. Part of the 127 acres of land surrounding the castle contained the largest private zoo and zebras are still reportedly living in the area. The pools were our favorite and it almost seemed a crime we could not jump in.

Wine Country and San Luis Obispo

One cannot visit Santa Barbara without checking out some of the fine wineries located just outside of the city. We took a tip from our camp host and decided to do a tasting at the Gainey Winery located in the San Ynez Mountains. We arrived as they were opening the doors to the tasting room... ehem.. at 10am. No surprise here - we had the place to ourselves. The tasting room had a rustic, earthy feel and was dimly lit by candlelight. Barrels upon barrels of wine lined the perimeter and the smell of oak was present in the air.

We sipped our samples and finished our winery experience with a tour where we learned about the different methods for growing grapes and the many steps that turn grapes into the sweet nectar of the Gods.

As we headed North wineries dotted the Pacific Coastal Highway but we refrained from stopping and trekked on to the "Happiest Place in America", San Luis Obispo. SLO is the first city we've experienced that seemed to fit us perfectly. The downtown restaurants and bars are void of any corporations and the city has a small town feel. Everyone, and I mean everyone, that we talked to was friendly. We were invited to a round of disc golf with some guys we met on a hike and to a bar to have drinks with a girl we met at free yoga in the park. We'll be back one day SLO.

Santa Barbara

It takes the patience of a saint to drive North along the coast out of LA on a Saturday morning. Saints we are not. We could have walked faster through Santa Monica. As we continued North at a snails pace we crept through Malibu and the traffic lightened. The landscape turned from cityscape to gorgeous golden foothills. Mountains entered the picture and joined the dark blue waters of the ocean. The anxiety of the traffic dissipated as we gawked at the beautiful scenery on our way to Santa Barbara.

The city of Santa Barbara had a beautiful downtown area filled with Mediterranean-style architecture with stucco white walls and red clay tile roofs. Although the city is home to a lot of LA's rich and famous it is not pretentious and the downtown restaurants and shops offered a relaxed atmosphere.

We camped for three days in the San Ynez Mountains about 15 miles inland surrounded by hiking trails. Looking into the woods with our headlamps the first night we saw multiple sets of eyes staring back at us. The fearless creatures looked like a cross between a fox and a coyote and came into our site and began to snarl at us. After a sleepless night worrying we were going to be eaten alive we discovered they were the endangered Kit Fox. "Pretty awesome huh," was the comment from the camp host the next morning. Yeah, pretty awesome but I'd rather see them in a zoo.

Our second day we did a some kayaking in the morning and took a friend's advice and called her good friend Jane who lives in Santa Barbara. Jane is a yoga teacher, artist, and world traveler and was a real treat to visit with. We were invited to have dinner at her and her boyfriend Steven's yurt located in the mountains just outside of Santa Barbara. We enjoyed great dinner conversations and ended up staying until late evening. We hope to return the favor and invite them to stay with us whenever and wherever we decide to settle down during this journey.

Next stop, wine country!

La La Land

One thing you always hear about Los Angeles is the awful traffic. Rumor confirmed. We stayed at the San Pedro Hostel - converted army barracks that lacked character and friendliness. It wasn't the most inviting atmosphere but Danielle found a little furry friend that lived on the premise that kept her company. The grounds around the barracks were beautiful so that also made things a little better. Check out this Korean Friendship Bell if you're inclined - it could be seen right out of our window!

We spent an afternoon downtown and checked out the grammy museum that is a must-see for any music lover. The museum was chock-full of interactive exhibits, the history of recorded music like the inventor of the stenophone being none other than Thomas Edison (did he invent everything??), and intricate stage costumes and instruments.

That evening made our way to the night market in the predominately Vietnamese neighborhood of Los Angeles. We only saw four other white people there and it was like stepping back into the capital of Vietnam. Lots of excellent cheap food and really bad music. If only everyone threw their trash on the ground it would have been really authentic.

Since the city was stressing us out we only stayed two days. Next stop, the home of Micheal Jackson's Neverland Ranch - Santa Barbara.