Here we are at the end of our Golden State adventure. You've
been good to us, California!
We left Lake Tahoe on Monday the 9th, headed to Santa Clara to
spend some time with our friends Tom Zitzer and Mary Karver.
Santa Clara is about an hour southeast of San Francisco and is
another sunny, lovely town.
Our first attempt at San Francisco and the Golden Gate bridge did
not end particularly well, as it was quite foggy. And cold.
After returning home Tom told us that San Francisco is usually
foggy. And cold. Whoops.
You can see it. Sort of.
We brought a picnic lunch to eat while Eric and this seagull had a
pretty intense staring contest.
We drove to the other side of the bridge, which provided a
slightly better view, as well as some amazing fog rolling over the
hills.
I was unfortunately quite sick over the weekend, which nixed a
bunch of prime sightseeing time. On Monday we took the jaunt to
Monterey to see the aquarium and Pebble Beach.
I got super excited about the jellies.
This is a Water Dragon, and not a plant. Crazy.
Stingray is biding its time, waiting to strike.
Penguins!
After the aquarium we did the 17-mile coastal drive through Pebble
Beach.
The moment when Eric really regretted climbing that rock.
The very wet consequences.
I made a friend with a seal! We're totally buds now.
This is the Lone Cypress, the official symbol of Pebble Beach.
Pretty.
On Tuesday we went back into San Francisco for a much more
pleasant trip. We hiked along the Lands End trail, which
provided some beautiful views.
The trail starts at the Sutro Baths, ruins of a large swimming
pool complex built in the 1800's.
Hey, there it is!
Mile Rock Beach, found on the Land's End trail.
Friday found us leaving the coastal area for Yosemite
National Park. We spent the night camping and the day hiking
and climbing around the falls.
El Capitan, a 3,000 face favored by crazy rock climbers.
Bridalveil Falls.
After Bridalveil Falls we went to Yosemite falls.
LAZY. I soon joined in.
Our lazy view of Yosemite Falls.
This is our second waterfall of the day, and as it is 97 degrees
outside, I am not looking forward to the climb to the top.
Eric, however, is ready to go.
Crazies jumping into the pool at the base of the falls.
Feet in the EXTREMELY cold water.
From Inspiration Point you can see El Capitan on the left,
Bridalveil Falls on the right and Half Dome in the distance.
Our last stop in Yosemite was Glacier Point, a
viewpoint where you can see Yosemite Valley, multiple waterfalls and
Half Dome, the most recognized Yosemite rock formation. You can
climb Half Dome, but it takes a few days, a special permit, and the
use of steel cable railings.
Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls.
Half Dome!
Our final day with Tom and Mary was spent touring a few
vineyards in the Russian River Valley.
Third tasting of the day, pretty excitable at this point.
I was in love with this outdoor oven.
On Monday we left Santa Clara, stopping in Sonoma to go
ziplining through the Redwoods. It was an amazing experience.
Woohoo! The longest zip is 800 ft long, 200 ft
above the ground, and you can go up to 30 mph.
Our ziplining crew.
We left Sonoma in the afternoon, starting our journey
north along California's coastal highway. As we were driving
there was a cow crossing sign, and I totally laughed and thought it
was kind of a joke.
So not a joke.
We drove along the coast until nightfall and slept in a
motel. We woke up ready to keep driving on Tuesday.
Destination: Portland. Along the way we drove through the
Chandelier Tree, one of the only drive-through trees in the world.
We also saw this amazing house, which I think looks
like a if Dr. Seuss designed a hobbit home.
Huzzah Oregon!
We are now in Portland, eating all the delicious vegan
food we can find and stuff in our faces. It's a hard knock
life.
