Day 1 – Flight to San Francisco
Time for another adventure. I’m off to California. It’s been a while – well 3 months anyway. I’m travelling with daughter No 1 and my son-in-law (not sure he knows what he’s let himself in for) to see daughter No 2 for her birthday.
Our itinerary starts in San Francisco, then consists of two loops; firstly, Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. Secondly, a 200 mile drive down Route 1 along the Pacific coast through Big Sur to San Luis Obispo.
| Day 1 | Flight to San Francisco |
| Day 2 | San Francisco |
| Day 3 | Sonoma Accommodation – Surestay Hotel by Best Western Fairfield |
| Day 4 | Lake Tahoe |
| Day 5 | Lake Tahoe |
| Day 6 | Folsom Accommodation – Motel 6 Sacramento, CA – North |
| Day 7 | Mariposa Accommodation – Miner’s Inn |
| Day 8 | Yosemite National Park Accommodation – |
| Day 9 | Yosemite National Park |
| Day 10 | Yosemite National Park |
| Day 11 | Yosemite to Palo Alto |
| Day 12 | Palo Alto to San Simeon Monterey Bixby Bridge Big Sur State Park Accommodation – The Gordon Hotel Dinner at El Chorlito |
| Day 13 | Morro Bay to San Luis Obispo |
| Day 14 | San Luis Obispo to Palo Alto |
| Day 15 | Palo Alto to London |
We’re flying with Virgin Atlantic. It’s my third time flying with them. On both previous occasions I swore ‘never again’. So expectations are set to low.
Travelling on a British plane (where we’ve lost interest in covid and decided to pretend it doesn’t exist) to the USA (where masks are still routinely required) I’m intrigued to see what happens on our flight. The answer is; on board, US trumps UK and having spent 3 hours in the airport where most people are maskless, once we board the plane, we are required to don masks, before sitting down next to the same people we were sitting next to moments ago without masks on.
We don’t get off to the best start; an hour delay with little explanation – just some random talk of paperwork. Finally, after sitting on the tarmac for almost 2 hours, we take off and drinks are served. I’ve been around a long time, but wine from a can is a new first – I’m still not totally comfortable with wine from a box or wine with a screw top… But it’s not bad. Dinner is pretty bland – you’d think it was difficult to make a Thai green curry taste bland, but Virgin have managed to successfully achieve it. Nevertheless, they totally redeem themselves with dessert; a chocolate pot which tastes amazing! First, due to my nut allergy, I check the label: ‘made in a factory that handles nuts’. Shall I risk it? It’s chocolate but it could kill me. A quick look at the in flight map tells me we’re directly over Iceland. They have good medical facilities, right? So I chance the chocolate pot which is sublime. And nut free, so no need to divert the plane and its 300 passengers to Reykjavik…
Then it’s time to settle down for the remainder of the 10.5 hour flight. Rule no 1 of frequent flying; never go to the cinema. That way, there’s probably going to be a decent movie you’ve yet to watch on board. A Virgin plus – the wine may be from a tin, but there are 3 drinks services – enough to anaesthetise me for a reasonable chunk of the flight. Although not ideal before watching Dear Evan Hansen for the first time – there were tears! And certainly not sufficient to prepare me for the ordeal of eating a Virgin cheese toastie. I don’t know how many flights I’ve taken, but we’re talking in the region of 300. That’s a lot of in flight meals. But nothing I’ve eaten on an aeroplane compares to a Virgin toastie. Exactly how you manage to get toast quite so chewy is beyond me…
The rest of the flight is as uneventful as sitting in an uncomfortable seat in a metal tube between two strangers for 13 hours can be and we manage to make up a little time, so arrive in San Francisco just 30 minutes behind schedule.
Time for the ordeal that is US immigration. In November it took us 1 hour 45 minutes, so I’m hoping for an improvement, although from row 62, with around 250 people in front of me, I’m not entirely optimistic. When the girls were young, when confronted by a long queue at US immigration, I would encourage them to cry in the hope it would bump us up the queue. That probably wasn’t appropriate then, and it certainly isn’t now she’s 28! So we must wait our turn with all the good parents.
Immigration is way faster than last time and customs, which also took ages last time, appears to be closed, so we can just walk through. Then it’s just a monorail to the car hire desk and a 25 mile drive to Palo Alto.
We make it to daughter No 2’s apartment by 6 pm, that’s 18 hours after leaving daughter No 1’s house. We haven’t seen each other since Christmas, so time for a catch up – in the Jacuzzi, of course.
Then in bed by 10, which I’m quite proud of – last time I only managed to stay awake until 8.30…
Day 2 – San Francisco
Today I get to spend Mother’s Day with my gorgeous girls in San Francisco. And my son-in-law; he hasn’t been to San Francisco before, so we plan to cover the iconic tourist attractions.
We start with a walk along Fisherman’s Wharf from Ghirardelli Square to Pier 39 with obligatory stop for sea lion spotting. An added bonus – there is a sailing event taking place in the bay and we get to watch quadruple Olympic champion Ben Ainslie in action as the boats hurtle past Alcatraz at incredible speed.
Working our way through San Fran must-do activities, we stop at Boudin bakery for soup in a sourdough roll before catching a tram to Lombard Street.
Well, that’s the plan – until we realise the tickets are $8 a ride and Lombard street is only two stops away. So, determined to get our money’s worth, we stay on the streetcar until the end of the line. It’s a fun ride – literally up and down the streets of San Francisco in the ancient tram, taking in the smell of burning as the brakes scream on the downhill sections.
We end up in Union Square. We really enjoyed our tram journey but now we are the other side of town and have a long walk back to the car. There is a brief discussion about whether to take the direct route through town (a steep 2 miles) or along the Embarcadero (further but flat). We (they) decide on the steep option with detour to walking Lombard Street en route – yay?
We set off, walking through Chinatown, where the lion dancers are practicing for a performance later on.
There are a lot of murals in Chinatown. My children don’t share my fascination with street art and get somewhat frustrated by the numbers of stops required to photograph various adorned buildings. They are particularly vexed when I stop to photograph a third Bruce Lee mural.
We reach Lombard Street and begin our ascent. There is a constant stream of cars driving down, with phones and selfie selfie sticks hanging out of windows. But we are the only people actually walking up it. It’s actually not that tough a walk and we reach the top fairly quickly, take the obligatory photo and descend back towards Ghirardelli Square the other side.
We figure that with all the miles (and elevation) we’ve covered today, we’ve earned a Ghirardelli milkshake. But the queue is massive and daughter No 1 is not renowned for her patience So we give up, return to the car and drive to Golden Gate Park.
We round off our San Fran sightseeing 101 trip with a drive through the western end of Golden Gate Park, stopping to see the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden, which is in full bloom, and the Bison Paddock. We don’t venture far into the park; it’s getting late and daughter No 2 is not happy about the lack of milkshakes and keeps muttering about blood sugar levels.
So, we return to Palo Alto, via Safeway for snacks and White Claw to consume while waiting for dinner to be delivered. Do Mother’s Days get any better than this?
Day 3 – Sonoma
Today we start what is very roughly a figure of 8, so the three of us visitors can see as much as possible when daughter No 2 has limited leave. We are starting with a northerly loop before dumping her and continuing south next week.
First, daughter No 2, who is training for a marathon, must go for a run. Initially, I agreed to accompany her by bike, but when we wake up, it’s raining heavily and my enthusiasm has waned. So she starts without me and I join for final few kilometres, which incorporates cycling/running to Stanford to pick up snow chains, which I must carry home by bike in a rucksack. Snow chains are very heavy. At first, it’s a struggle to start moving. Then, when I have to brake, I lurch forward and nearly topple over the handlebars. We reach the apartment with both me and the bike in one piece which, frankly, is not unsurprising.
Golden Gate Bridge
After a breakfast of air fried croissants and caramel sauce, we set off on loop 1 – first stop, the Golden Gate Bridge viewpoint. I think I would have to live in San Francisco for a very long time before I could drive across the Bridge without stopping at the viewpoint to admire the view and for the obligatory bridge photo op.
Cornerstone Sonoma
We continue to Cornerstone Gardens, on the outskirts of Sonoma. This interesting little place, which is free to visit, consists of ten gallery gardens and five culinary gardens. You can stroll around and enjoy the juxtaposition of art and nature, all with the backdrop of the beautiful Sonoma Valley and its vineyards. There are also shops, a restaurant and wine tasting rooms here, which we didn’t get a chance to visit as there was so much more we wanted to fit into our day.
Sonoma Plaza
Next, we drive on to Sonoma itself for a wander round Sonoma Plaza and lunch. It’s an interesting little town set around a central park, lined with historical buildings. We could have enjoyed much longer here, but have quite a packed itinerary. So we walk a circuit of the park, and stop at a bakery for sandwiches before continuing to our next stop.
Sebastiani Theatre
The pink and green Art Deco style Sebastiani Theatre was built in 1933 and is still functioning as a theatre.
Sonoma State Historic Park
Sonoma State Historic Park consists of six sites around downtown Sonoma. At the northern of Sonoma Plaza is the Mission San Francisco Solano, which was built in 1824. It is northernmost Franciscan Mission in California and the last one to be built.
Next door are the Sonoma Barracks, birthplace of the California State Bear Flag. Here, in 1846, American settlers declared an independent Californian Republic with a homemade flag featuring a bear.
Windows XP Bliss Hill
As you drive along the CA-12, you pass Windows XP Bliss Hill, the iconic green hill is familiar to many as a Windows screensaver. We peer unsuccessfully out of the car window trying to spot the familiar hill.
Sonoma Harvest
Next, we head west towards Fairfield. There are plenty of wineries to visit around the Sonoma Valley, but he have opted for something a little different. Sonoma Harvest produces not only wine, but also olive oil.
We purchase a couple of glasses to drink while we do what is described as an olive oil tasting. In fact, she produces 5 different olive oils (all manufactured on site) and 5 balsamic vinegars for us to dip a little tub of croutons into. The oils are good but the vinegars are amazing. Once we have finished, we can’t resist buying what is going to be some very well travelled sriracha and mango balsamic vinegar.
Jelly Belly Factory Tour
Next on the itinerary is the Jelly Belly Factory for a tour. The tour costs $5 and we did wonder, as none of us are particular jelly bean fans, if it is worth it. Nevertheless, we purchase tickets and don the compulsory jelly bean hats and set forth on our self- guided tour.
Apart from observing the manufacturing process, which is actually quite fascinating, there are also interactive candy related games to play. There is a smelling section where you have to guess the flavours, a huge game of candy crush and a football style game. The kids have a go and attempt and manage to top the leaderboard, which they are surprisingly excited about!
My favourite is the art; there are portraits placed along the route, and at the end is an art gallery, which contains some classics, such as the Mona Lisa and the Girl with the Pearl Earring made from jelly beans. We actually really enjoyed our tour, it was probably our favourite experience of today’s very varied itinerary.
Accommodation – Surestay Hotel by Best Western Fairfield Napa Valley
We drive to tonight’s accommodation; the Surestay Hotel by Best Western Fairfield Napa Valley, which is situated right next to the Interstate (I-80) and next door to Texas Roadhouse. It’s a typical roadside motel. The rooms are a little tired and everything smells of exhaust fumes and cooked meat, but it is clean and has everything we need for an overnight stay. After checking in, the kids go shopping while I take a rest. I receive a call from reception to ask if the room is OK? I say ‘Yes, thank you’. She seems genuinely surprised. The kids return with a selection of locally produced wine and some snacks for our own budget style Sonoma wine tasting experience.
Dinner at Texas Roadhouse
After a couple of bottles of very nice wine, we head for Texas Roadhouse for an all American dining experience. We (I) can’t resist telling our waitress it’s daughter No 2’s birthday.
As a vegetarian, a steakhouse isn’t the obvious choice. There are no vegetarian mains, so daughter No 2 and I order three starters between us. We ask that they are served at the same time as the others’ main course. This confuses the kitchen staff completely. Our starters arrive immediately. We are starving after a long day’s travel (and plenty of wine). We tuck in, despite the fact that the ‘vegetarian’ cheesy fries come with a generous topping of bacon. When the main courses are served, our three selected starters appear once again. Despite sending some of the accidental extras back, there is a lot of food and we end up totally stuffed and clutching a very full doggy bag. Cold cheesy fries for breakfast all round!
Before we depart, daughter No 2 gets to ‘celebrate’ her birthday Texas style; a saddle is brought to the table and she must sit on it and shout ‘yee haw‘ with the entire restaurant watching. This ritual humiliation earns her a free bowl of ice cream, which she is too full to eat. It ends up in the freezer in our room to add to tomorrow’s gourmet breakfast extravaganza.
Day 4 – Lake Tahoe
Today, we are driving 140 miles north west to Lake Tahoe. Today is also daughter No 2’s birthday, so she starts the morning in style eating last night’s ice cream. With a stick. Meanwhile, the rest of us have our delicious Best Western grab & go breakfast to look forward to; 2 long life muffins, a satsuma and a fluorescent yoghurt!
After our tasty and nutritious breakfast, we set off in the direction of Lake Tahoe. Loading the car takes a while. It’s fair to say that there’s been an over purchase on the snack front (or perhaps an under consumption, depending on your point of view).
We are soon out of wine country and driving through olive groves and nut trees, past the urban sprawl of Sacramento, onwards and upwards to today’s first stop; El Dorado National Forest. We park by the ranger station – according to the internet, a source of maps and information. It’s closed. The map box outside is empty, but there are some newspapers which contain a very rudimentary map. We start walking along what appears (on the rubbish map) to be a trail to a waterfall. Pretty soon we reach a ‘keep out’ sign and a lot of smoke and burning wood. Two firemen appear and attempt to give us directions. Each gives very detailed and very different directions. The result, not surprisingly, is that we get lost. The others attempt to walk in the opposite direction. I’m over aimless wandering in the forest and volunteer to guard the car (and the crisps).
We’re parked next to a log flume, which the fireman told us was ‘pretty cool’. It’s actually empty. A fireman, in a forest, lighting fires, with poor knowledge of water sources!
After a delicious lunch (cold cheesy chips and Oreos) in a clearing in the forest, we drive the final 40 miles to South Lake Tahoe. It’s a spectacular drive along the banks of South Fork American River, running parallel to the old Pony Express Trail. As a child, Buffalo Bill used to ride the mail to the gold rush towns along here.
We climb and climb through breathtaking scenery. The road contains several sections of contraflow, where we must drive in convoy following a pilot car, so no opportunity to stop – all the lay-bys are cordoned off. So, we crawl along, cameras hanging out of the windows.
Finally, we reach the summit at 7300 feet and start to descend towards the lake. We reach our hotel; Motel 6, which has an unsettlingly large number of bear warnings posted around the grounds.
The initial plan was to drive the 2.5 miles to the lake, but the kids have other ideas and determine to walk. I’m far from convinced as we set off and moan (a lot) about it being a long way and America not being equipped for walkers as we walk along the cycle trail, as there are no pavements. Finally, we reach the lake and descend some very snowy steps to the beach. I sink into a snow drift up to my knees and get completely soaked.
It’s very beautiful on the beach, but there’s no way I’m going to attempt to climb back up through the snow drift so we edge our way along past private jetties and stairways trying to find another public access point. Finally we find one and set off on the long walk back to the motel.
We decide to drive towards the Nevada state line for dinner and end up in the ski resort of Heavenly at Basecamp pizza. I have a pear and Gorgonzola pizza topped with rocket and balsamic vinegar. It’s very tasty, which is good as it’s probably the most expensive pizza I’ve ever eaten. And the suggested tip is 25%. Only in America would it be acceptable to request $10 just to bring a pizza from the kitchen to your table!
After dinner we walk to the state line which has a disappointing lack of state line signage and then to the lake, which is all fenced off so we can’t actually get anywhere near it. By the time we reach the car we’ve walked a total of 12 miles today and I am totally exhausted.
Day 5 – Lake Tahoe
We survived the night which is a relief as it’s minus 2 degrees and daughter No 2 turned the heating off because the noise was bothering her.
Today we are driving around the west of Lake Tahoe to walk some trails and enjoy the scenery. Although it’s stunningly beautiful, its also very seasonal and everything is shut.
According to its website, our first stop; Tallac Historic Site is closed, but the car park is open and you are welcome to wander around the grounds. Not true – the car park is locked and it’s illegal to stop on the road, so we continue to our second stop; Inspiration Point.
Inspiration Point is a viewpoint overlooking the lake, Fannette Island and Vikingsholm. The car park here is also closed. I don’t understand why you would close the car park to a viewpoint? There are plenty of people stopping anyway, just parking on the road, which is much more dangerous. It certainly is a spectacular view.
After a brief photo stop at a roadside waterfall, we continue to Emerald Bay to visit Vikingholm; built in 1929 in a Scandinavian style, it was the home to some wealthy American woman. Here, the house and facilities are also closed, but the car park is open. However, as you need to pay by phone and we don’t have an American SIM, we end up parked on the road (again).
The walk to the house is described as a steep one mile trail. There are multiple warnings about not attempting it unless you’re physically fit and confident of being able to make the return ascent. In my mind, I am imagining something way more hard core than the gently sloping road we encounter.
We walk down to the bottom, then follow another trail to the beautiful Eagle Falls waterfall. Then we return to the lake for a picnic lunch, which is very pleasant until we come to the attention of some Canada Geese who are very keen to join the picnic.
Before setting off on the walk back up the hill, I go to the toilet, which is grim. I perch between the poo on the back of the seat and the blood on the front, while trying not the breathe! Daughter No 2 takes one look and goes to the men’s toilets instead.
After we have walked back up to the road, which really isn’t that steep or demanding, we drive back down to South Lake Tahoe. This time, we manage to find a parking space at the Tallac Historic Site and take a walk around the various summer residences of wealthy Americans of the 1920s; the Baldwin Estate, the Pope Estate and the Valhalla Estate. Then it’s back to the hotel for curry and an early night as we have to be up early tomorrow.
Day 6 – Folsom
Today, we descend the Sierra Nevada and head for the outskirts of the Californian capital of Sacramento, where we are meeting a friend of my son-in-law. He has offered to show us round the historic town of Folsom. It’s an early start as we attempt to get through the sections of contraflow before the traffic is too heavy. And it’s definitely a day for layering, as it’s minus 3 degrees as we depart Lake Tahoe and 17 degrees by the time we reach our destination two hours later, rising to 26 degrees by mid afternoon.
Folsom History District
We meet our host who takes us on a walking tour of Folsom History District, along Sutter Street – these buildings, dating from the 1850s, were once the hang out of gold prospectors and a stop on the pony express.
Folsom Depot
The Folsom Depot station dates back to 1856, when it was a stop on the state’s first passenger railway, the Sacramento Valley Railroad. Today, it houses a Visitor’s Center, where can obtain tourist information or purchase souvenirs.
Dinner at Hacienda del Rio
We stop at the top of the street for lunch at the Hacienda del Rio (now Riley’s on Sutter) which does amazing Mexican food and even more amazing cocktails – I choose an orange sherberita (orange sherbert margarita) which is really good!
Wine Tasting at Crystal Basin Station
Then we walk back down Sutter Street to the Crystal Basin Station for some wine tasting of produce from the Crystal Basin Winery situated some 30 miles east in Apple Hill in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
We select a white wine flight; a selection of really good wines, but she throws in some equally tasty rosé and some Pommie (sparkling pomegranate wine) too.
Folsom Prison
Full to the top with burritos, margaritas and wine, we take a drive across the Rainbow Bridge to Folsom Prison, California’s second oldest prison, made famous in a song by Johnny Cash. From here, you can access the Johnny Cash Trail (more inspirational than actual – the trail connects various places connected with the singer’s life. There are plans to install public art along together route).
Folsom Lake
We finish our tour off walking off our lunch at Folsom Lake, created by damming the American River, which flows down the Sierra Nevada. It’s very pretty and we also spot plenty of wildlife, including ground squirrels (I did even know they were a thing) and a coyote.
The remainder of the day is spent visiting our host’s toy store and then back to his home for a barbecue with his family.
Accommodation – Motel 6 Sacramento, CA – North
Our accommodation for the night is the Motel 6 Sacramento, CA – North, on the interstate a few miles out of town. It’s presumably in a less than salubrious area, as security is tight. But once we’re in, it’s a perfectly clean and comfortable motel.
Day 7 – Mariposa
Today is mostly about driving, as we head 160 miles south east to the outskirts of Yosemite National Park. Our destination is another old mining town; Mariposa. It’s a very American drive; we get on the interstate outside the motel and the next direction is to exit in 120 miles. That gives us sufficient time for the entire Wicked soundtrack.
Lunch at Miner’s Roadhouse 140
We arrive in Mariposa at 1.30 pm and order lunch in the Miners’s Roadhouse 140. As already mentioned, Mariposa’s history lies in gold mining (it sits atop the Mother Lode – a seam rich in gold discovered in the 1850s) and this restaurant has chosen to take the gold mining theme and run with it – and I’m not talking a sprint! There is a model of the Yosemite Valley Railroad running all round the ceiling and the toilets are designed to look like mine shafts.
Mariposa Museum & History Center
After lunch, we walk down the road to Mariposa Museum & History Center; a quaint little place detailing the history (mainly mining) of the town.
Chamber of Commerce
Next, the Chamber of Commerce, which is home to the Visitor’s Center and sells a range of local produce, handicrafts and souvenirs.
Stockton Creek Preserve
We drive a couple of miles out of town to Stockton Creek Preserve, where you can walk along a trail past a creek to a reservoir. The kids go for a long walk. I lose interest after half a mile – I’m tired and just want to check into my bloody room. I return to the car, which is parked on the main road in/out of town, mainly frequented by trucks driving crazy fast. It’s obviously a great place for roadkill and I sit and watch vultures soaring overhead waiting for lunch to be served by a high speed hillbilly.
Shopping at Pioneer Market
Before heading for Yosemite, it is advisable to stock up on provisions. We visited Pioneer Market supermarket to purchase plenty of snacks and drinks for our time exploring the Park.
Dinner at the Happy Burger Diner
The Happy Burger Diner offers burgers, as the name implies, plus sandwiches, salads, baked potatoes and an extensive Mexican menu. I had a burrito with a side order of cheese and jalapeño poppers, which were very tasty.
Accommodation – Miner’s Inn
After our walk, we check in to our motel, the Miner’s Inn, which has large, clean and extremely comfortable rooms.
This is the nicest room we’ve stayed in so far this trip and the first hotel where the pool is open. So, we take a dip before dinner and an early night.
Day 8 – Yosemite National Park
Today, we are going somewhere which ranks very high on the bucket list; Yosemite National Park.
We will spend 3 nights at the Cosy Bear Lodge in Yosemite West. Having read some reviews of our accommodation, I have come to the conclusion that we’re going to either love it or hate it.
After a breakfast consisting mainly of waffles, we check out, stock up on supplies (our accommodation is 17 miles from the nearest shop) and set off for Yosemite along the Central Yosemite Highway, which follows the course of the Merced River, into the National Park.
Once we have paid our $35 entrance fee, we enter the park. A one way system is in operation; Southside Drive runs east along the south bank of the Merced, while Northside Drive runs west along the north bank.
We park up a couple of times as we drive along Southside Drive; first at Bridalveil Falls viewpoint. Then, we stop for lunch at Cathedral Beach picnic area, where we eat lunch in the shadow of El Capitan; a 914 metre high granite rock which towers above us. Three of us sit by the river, enjoying the view, while daughter No 2 can’t resist prospecting for gold in the Merced.
After lunch, we continue along Southside Drive to Yosemite Village and take a walk to see Yosemite Falls; one of the tallest waterfalls in the world. Water falls a total of 740 metres, in three sections. We take a trail to the bottom of the falls where the power of the water blows a huge amount of spray into the air.
We walk across bridge over the Merced to the 19th Century Yosemite Chapel, which sits beneath the enormous Half Dome which rises 1444 metres above the valley floor.
Then, back across another bridge, to rejoin the car. We drive along Northside Drive and head off to find our accommodation. We must ascend from the valley floor, along Wawona Road, up and up, until we are almost 2000 metres above sea level. The view is both spectacular and sad, as huge chunks of the forest have been destroyed by wildfires.
We reach our accommodation; Cosy Bear Cottages, in Yosemite West, some 17 miles from the valley floor. It’s a two bed cabin and the owners are very much guilty of taking a theme and running with it – literally everything is covered in bears. Bear bedding, lamps, tables, shower curtain… If you can buy it with bears on, it’s here.
Pre warned by reading reviews on trip advisor about the remoteness of the location, we have come stocked up on food (and wine) and have dinner on the patio before all the travel/fresh air/wine gets the better of me and I’m in bed by 7 pm!
Day 9 – Yosemite National Park
Today, I have been cruelly manipulated. The kids want to do a 12 mile hike. I do not. I say I’m happy to do my own thing, but they will not let me off that easily and announce that we will go to Mirror Lake instead for a ‘nice and easy’ 2 mile walk.
We drive as near to the car park as we are able (it’s already very busy) and walk to a junction which gives the option of a nice, smooth, flat 1.4 mile walk or a 2 mile trail through the rocks. We take the trail option for some reason that no one is satisfactorily able to explain.
We walk the trail to the lake. It has to be said that Mirror Lake (so called because it is still enough to reflect the grandeur of the rocks it sits beneath) is worth the walk.
At this point, I would happily walk back to the car, but no – we must walk around the lake. This is, theoretically, another 2 miles until you reach Tenaya Bridge and cross the River Merced to return along the other side of the lake.
Somehow, we manage to lose the trail and end up walking into thicker and thicker woods until finally we reach two enormous fallen trees and cannot go on. We try to cut through the undergrowth to the trail. I’m not convinced – I’ve read the warnings about bears starting to come out of hibernation!
I am cajoled into this cross country climb to reach the trail, which frankly isn’t much better. By the time we have reached to bridge, we have walked 4.6 miles, including some climbing over rocks and tree trunks and quite a considerable amount of wading, as the trail becomes more stream than path.
When I finally glimpse the bridge, it is a source of great excitement. We cross and start walking back round the lake. Miles away from any form of civilisation, we bump into two Americans who ask us if we know where the bus stop is?!
By the time we reach the car, my nice short walk totals over 8 miles and has taken us almost 4 hours.
We stop off at the Yosemite Village Store for lunch and extra provisions, then drive to Tunnel View for a picnic. Here, near the entrance to Yosemite Valley a tunnel has been blown through the rock, so you enter into darkness, then exit to the view of Yosemite in all its splendour. Not a bad place for a picnic.
The others decide to take another hike, to Inspiration Point; the place where the road used to pass before the tunnel was constructed. I am all hiked out and sit and admire the view statically. Then it’s back to the cabin for fajitas and wine on the deck.
Day 10 – Yosemite National Park
It’s our final day in Yosemite and there’s been a difference of opinion about the severity of today’s trail: daughter No 2 wants to go hard core with a scaling of El Capitan, while daughter No 1 prefers the gentler Valley Floor Loop. Son-in-law is somewhere in between and I just want to relax in the cabin with a good book! A compromise is reached and we head into the valley to hike the 7 mile Mist Trail. Facts they have omitted; (1) it’s a mile from the car park to the trail head, so the 7 mile walk is in fact 9 miles (2) this includes 880 metres of elevation (3) including 600 stone steps (4) which are wet with spray from the waterfall.
After a breakfast of bacon sandwiches, during which we manage to set the fire alarm off (twice), we drive once more from our cabin down into Yosemite Valley, park up and set off for the trail, which threads up and up alongside the Merced River. The first 2 miles are hard work but manageable.
Then, as we approach Vernal Falls, we must contend with the steps. And the spray. I take off my jumper to keep it dry and daughter No 2 puts it her rucksack, together with my water. She then saunters up the steps, never to be seen again.
Not only are the steps wet and slippery, but after the first 100 or so, the handrail stops. I manage maybe 400 steps before it dawns on me what a mission it’s going to be for an old lady with a bad knee to get back down again. The others are way ahead of me. I try to gesture that I’m going back down. Then begin the treacherous descent, which is thoroughly terrifying.
Once I reach the bottom, it occurs to me that I am wet and only wearing a t shirt and it could be some time before I’m reunited with my clothes. So, in order to keep warm, I continue walking until I am out of the forest (ie back at the car, which is in a clearing).
An hour later, the kids reappear and there is a difference of opinion about what proportion of the steps I actually managed. We drive on to El Capitan picnic area, where daughter No 1 and son-in-law can’t resist having a bash at climbing the huge monolith.
Then it’s back to the cabin for our final night in Yosemite. We have been here 3 days and walked a total of 24 miles and I am shattered.
Day 11 – Yosemite to Palo Alto
Today is a heady mix of driving and laundry. Check out is at 10am, then we have a 220 mile drive back to Palo Alto to drop off daughter No 2. Checking out is a complicated affair – we’re staying in one of those places where the owners feel the need to pepper the place with multiple lists of instructions. We must take our trash out, run the dishwasher (despite not having any dishwasher tablets), reset the heating etc.
Just when I thought my poor tired legs would get a break as they sat in the car for 5 hours, the kids have managed to squeeze in a 5 mile hike en route! We plan to stop at Mariposa Grove to see the giant sequoias. The road is closed to private vehicles, but the shuttle bus has been cancelled. Hence we must walk to and from the car park 2 miles away. The wonders of off season US tourism; tourist attractions are all open and heaving with people, but facilities are all closed.
So, an hour into our drive home, we park up and walk 2 miles (uphill) to the Welcome Plaza (which is closed – so more of an Unwelcome Plaza) to the grove containing the giant trees. There is a trail which runs around the grove (also closed). So we admire the trees from afar, then wall back to the car and continue our drive to the Bay Area.
Two hours later, we stop in Los Baños for lunch at The Black Bear Diner. We thought the owners of the Cozy Bear Cottage had gone overboard on the bear theme before we set foot inside the Black Bear Diner, but this is a whole new level! However, the main thing is – the food is really good, which is a relief after 3 hours of driving and 2 hours of hiking. The kids round the meal off with a chocolate cream pie and we set off for the final 2 hour drive to Palo Alto.
We finally get back around 5 pm. We have been travelling for 11 days now, so a laundry session is long overdue.
Daughter No 1 and son-in-law decide that after a long and tiring day, the perfect way to unwind is a trip to the pool/hot tub. I do not get off so easily; having moaned about losing my running mojo recently, daughter No 2 drags me to the track for a training session. I must cycle to to track, run the session, cycle to Gotts to collect dinner and cycle back again.
Much as I moan about being dragged off, it is my first track session of the year following an injury and it’s good to finally manage to run again (albeit slowly) after months sidelined with injury. And of course, being Stanford, it’s a very nice track – certainly a step up (or a hundred steps up) from the dismal facilities at Bournemouth.
After track, we purchase dinner (the kids buy burgers and I opt for a salad, as I had a burger for lunch) and return to meet the others at the pool, where they eat their burgers. I don’t have any cutlery, so just pick the felafal out of my salad, then stare at it for a while.
Back at the flat, we sort through the mountain of laundry (4 x 11 lots of clothes – plus the contents of daughter No 2’s laundry basket, which looks like it’s been untouched for a while!) and I finally get to eat my salad, before finally climbing into bed exhausted. Phase 1 our our trip is complete. Tomorrow (sans daughter No 2) we set off (with clean underwear), driving south along Route 1.
Day 12 – Palo Alto to San Simeon
Today will mostly be remembered for being the day we nearly crashed and died when we inadvertently got between an American and a restaurant. One minute we were driving down the highway, the next, a car coming the other way pulled straight across in front of us with no warning. Daughter No 1 managed to simultaneously scream, slam on the brakes and swerve off the highway and we survived unscathed! We were in the process of driving 180 miles of Route 1, from Palo Alto to San Simeon. On my previous Californian road trip, Route 1 was closed just south of Monterey due to a landslide, so we hade to continue inland. This was a great disappointment as I really wanted to drive across Bixby Bride, so, today I get to visit another bucket list destination.
Monterey
After a leftover breakfast of French toast with salted caramel sauce, we set off on our mini Route 1 road trip, heading to Monterey for lunch.
We park up and take a wander along the sea front and the piers. Daughter No 1 is determined to spot a sea otter. At the touristy Fisherman’s Wharf, we are out of luck; we spot sea lions and some super aggressive seagulls, but no otters. So we try the Municipal Wharf instead. Here we spot an enormous school of thousands up thousands of fish (possibly sardines – I’m not a fish expert).
On the edge of this school, happily floating on its back having had a tasty lunch is an otter. Mission accomplished! Unfortunately, I am not so lucky on the tasty lunch front. We go to Subway and I order the ‘Veggie Deluxe’, thinking that this will be a deluxe sandwich suitable for vegetarians. It turns out, it’s just bread and salad. How this can claim to be ‘deluxe’ in any way is beyond me…
Bixby Bridge
After a wander round Monterey, we continue along Route 1 to Bixby Bridge. This was one of the highlights of my trip and it doesn’t disappoint. The main parking area is closed due to road works, but we find a spot on the other side of the road. So we get to see this iconic 1930s bridge, which connects the rugged Californian coastline with its Art Deco concrete grace (not sure Art Deco concrete is actually a thing) with an ocean backdrop.
Big Sur State Park
Our next destination is Big Sur State Park. However, we’ve stopped so much en route that time is becoming an issue, so we opt to stop only briefly. In fact, as the only parking available is limited to 15 minutes, time is even more of an issue – just sufficient to pop to the toilet and take a quick walk along the redwood trail.
Our last stop is at Elephant Seal Vista. We were hoping to see some elephant seals, and we are certainly not disappointed; there are hundreds of them all along the beach. The adult males have departed, leaving the females and juveniles to chill in the Californian sunshine.
Accommodation – The Morgan Hotel
Onwards to tonight’s destination; San Simeon. We arrive at 6 pm and check into The Morgan Hotel. We have reserved the cheapest rooms; standard roadside, but the receptionist explains that as one of the rooms is required by someone who can’t manage stairs, the booking will be upgraded to deluxe. He hands us the keys and daughter No 1 immediately goes for the upgraded room key. I say I would have given her it anyway and we head off for our rooms. Just as I’m opening the door to my standard roadside room, the receptionist appears and says he wishes to reward me for my kindness in relinquishing the better room. He has up-upgraded me to a deluxe room with ocean view!
Dinner at El Chorlito
After checking in, the others go for a walk along the beach. I decline to join them – I can see the ocean from my bed, so why move? At least until it’s time for dinner and we pop to the Mexican restaurant, El Chorlito, next door. Daughter No 1 is so embarrassed about the upgrade incident, that we have to leave and enter the hotel via the fire exit, rather than the front door, past the judgemental receptionist.
The restaurant has an ocean view, so we order dinner and a pitcher of margaritas and dine while watching the sun set over the Pacific.
When offering us an upgrade, the receptionist was keen to point out that the deluxe rooms have a fireplace. To be honest, with the temperature hitting 31 degrees, a fireplace wasn’t that high on my wish list. I go to bed, but the light from the fire makes sleeping difficult – it’s so bright and the flickering is reflecting off the ceiling. So I call reception to be told that the pilot light is supposed to stay on permanently, but if it bothers me, I can blow it out. Not convinced I won’t die of carbon monoxide poisoning or some such, I blow out the light and open the window.
A few hours later, I wake up, still alive but thirsty. The tap water from the bathroom is warm and tastes of chlorine, so I decide to go to the vending machine and purchase a cold drink. I put my credit card in the slot, then realise that the slot is for dollar bills and my card is wedged in. I go looking for the receptionist and find him asleep on a sofa in the foyer. He finds some tweezers and after some considerable effort, manages to retrieve my credit card.
Day 13 – Morro Bay to San Luis Obispo
Whale Watching Trip
This morning we have an early start as daughter No 1 has booked us onto a whale watching tour. I hate boats (it’s not natural bobbing around so far from solid ground), so have tried to get out of spending 3 hours on one. But she will not relent. After breakfast, we drive to Morro Bay to join our tour. It’s a lovely calm day. I’m not sure whether to be (a) relieved because it’s calm or (b) disappointed as there’s no way the tour is going to be cancelled.
We reach Morro Bay and board our boat; Freedom. The first 20 minutes of the journey are within the bay itself, so very pleasant. The captain goes through the safety briefing and points out that the coastguard are so close that if we get into trouble, it will only take 10 minutes for them to arrive and fish us out of the water. So far so good…
Then we leave the harbour for open ocean. Not only is it far choppier, but we stop by the harbour buoy which is covered in sea lions. The captain describes this as a ‘great white snack shack’. Suddenly, 10 minutes seems like a very long time!
We are only at sea another 18 minutes before we spot our first whale. It acts like it’s showing off just for us as it breaches again and again right in front of the boat. It’s such a spectacular sight I forget I hate boats for a while.
All is going well until a child suddenly projectile vomits all over himself and the man next to me. Everything stinks of sick despite the child’s mother spraying everything and everyone with water.
Our whale runs out of energy, so we sail further out to where a group of four whales are herding fish into a shoal for ease of eating while birds and sea lions waiting for lunch to be served. The captain makes sure to keep the whales on our port side (seeing as the starboard side is now covered with vomit).
We watch the whales a while longer. Two more people are sick. Then it’s time to return to harbour. It’s been an amazing experience, so I’m glad I was bullied into facing my fear of boats to watch these majestic creatures on their natural habitat.
Morro Bay
We spend a little time wandering round the quaint little town of Morro Bay with its quirky shops, then have lunch at a restaurant with a deck overlooking the bay.
Madonna Inn
Then it’s time to continue to tonight’s destination; San Luis Obispo. We stop on the outskirts of town to have a peek at the Madonna Inn. This quirky pink palace has all sorts of funky features to explore. After a trip to the pink padded bathroom it’s time to move on.
San Luis Obispo
After another brief stop at Target to stock up on gifts for family back home, it’s time to check in to our hotel. By now it’s a scorching 34 degrees and son-in-law is starting to flag. The receptionist gives us some advice about must-see attractions in SLO.
Bubblegum Alley
So, while son-in-law cools down, daughter No 1 and I walk to the main road (Higuera Street) to see Bubblegum Alley. Here, if you are so inclined (it’s rather disgusting but somehow compelling) you can see an alley way which has an estimated 2 million pieces of bubblegum stuck on the walls.
On Thursdays from 6-9 pm, Higuera Street is closed to traffic for several blocks for the weekly Farmers Market. This gathering of street stalls and entertainment has a real party atmosphere, particularly as it’s the night before Welcome Day at the local college (Cal Poly). It’s bit like a street party and freshers fair all rolled into one.
At the end of the market is San Luis Mission which dates back to the 18th Century.
It’s been a long, hot day, so we pick up some dinner and walk back to the hotel. Tomorrow we need to set off on our long journey home.
Day 14 – San Luis Obispo to Palo Alto
This morning we have a 200 mile drive back to Palo Alto. It’s another scorcher, so we decide to start earlyish and drive straight through. First, we walk to the bakery recommend by the hotel receptionist; Splash and I buy some really tasty croissants stuffed with cheese, spinach and mushrooms.
Then we start on the first leg of our journey home, this time by the less scenic but much faster US101. We manage the whole trip in 3 hours.
Once back, we walk to Stanford campus to meet daughter No 2 for lunch and a mini guided tour. Much as it’s nice to see where she works, it’s boiling hot, so after after a whistle stop tour of the Quad, Memorial Church, Hoover Tower and a new art installation; ‘Hello’ which is designed to be half column, half snake, we retire to the pool at daughter No 2’s apartment.
For our final evening in California, we decide to go healthy and buy salads from Trader Joes for dinner. Not so healthy, we also go to Gott’s Diner for milkshakes. Once again, there is a communication breakdown. The others order milkshakes, I ask for an ice cream. We are given a buzzer to inform us when the order is ready. I am told I can collect my ice cream straight away. So I do. When the remainder of the order is collected, it comes with another ice cream. So much ice cream! Back at the apartment, the salads go into the fridge, where they stay. We spend the remainder of the evening chatting with daughter No 2’s flatmate and drinking wine.
Day 15 – Palo Alto to London
Today is our last day in sunny California and it’s going to be a long one – or is it? Our boarding passes state ‘seats to be allocated at gate’. We shall have to wait until we reach the airport before we find out if we get to spend all night on a plane or are back in Palo Alto in time for tea.
First up, it’s parkrun day and because of the heat, it starts at 8 am here. Daughter No 2’s flatmate has kindly offered to give us a lift to Byxbee Park in her Tesla. I’ve never been in a Tesla before. It’s basically controlled by a computer screen the same size as my TV! We reach the park and once I’ve worked out how to open the car door, we walk to the start line.
Much as I love the exhilaration of participating in UK style mass events, there’s something special about the friendly, community nature of the smaller US races. It’s my third Byxbee parkrun and my second fastest time. With such a small field, I manage to come first in my age group. There’s actually only two runners in my age group, but who’s counting? On the final bend, I overtake a hare – so that officially makes me the tortoise! After the run, someone has provided bagels and strawberry cream cheese, which is a nice reward for our early morning exertion. After chatting to the other runners, we have arranged to meet daughter No 1 and son-in-law (neither of whom could be persuaded to get up at stupid o’clock and run 5 km).
We go past a house which daughter No 2 has become obsessed with. The residents are very big on decorating their front garden with seasonal displays. Last time she passed, it was St Patrick’s Day, but now they have gone full on Easter. The trees are filled with hundreds upon hundreds of decorative eggs. It must have taken them hours!
We go for brunch at Crepevine, where I order an omelette. It’s enormous; the portion size is bordering on obscene – who actually has a stomach that can contain so much food? However, what I manage to eat tastes really good.
We drive back via Stanford’s Rodin Sculpture Garden. We had planned to visit on yesterday’s tour of the campus but we ran out of steam before we reached it.
We have one final hour left to relax by the pool before we have to depart for the airport. Our two week California has come to an end. We arrive at the airport in plenty of time and son-in-law is worried about getting offloaded. All goes smoothly and once we have completed the formalities and are sitting at the gate, discussion turns to when we should visit again?
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
- Trip taken: March 2022
- Updated: December 2024
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