Yosemite Valley Nearly all books (and many websites) on Yosemite contain an apocryphal story, which has been around since at least the mid 1960s. A visitor walks into the valley information center and asks the ranger what they should do with only one day to visit Yosemite. The ranger responds “Weep”. The first part of my second day in the park covers Yosemite Valley. As noted yesterday, the valley has a huge traffic problem. Since my campground sits at the eastern end, I have no choice but to add to it. In a convertible, the views partly make up for the traffic. They are not as good as people may think, because the road passes through big areas of pine forests with views of nothing but trees. The rest, though, is spectacular. One major thing makes ... read more

Today, I’m heading south. Since I enjoyed the drive through gold country, I’m now doing it in reverse. The hills are still golden and glorious. My goal is a place that everyone in the world has seen pictures of, but even the best can’t begin to match real life. Gold Bug Mine Tour Along the way, I have a very special stop to make. California gold country used to have number of old mines open for tours. Gradually, nearly every one closed due to inability to get liability insurance. It seems that the old tunnels just have too many hazards. I finally managed to track down one that is still open, the Gold Bug Mine near Placerville. The Gold Bug Mine is what was called a gypsy mine. It was a very small vein of gold ... read more

Today, I’m rafting another river. Unlike the tricky rivers earlier in this trip (see ) I chose an easier one this time. I want to relax. I booked a trip on the South Fork of the American, the most popular raft trip in California. The river contains only class II and III rapids, so it’s safe for people with no previous experience. It’s also easily accessible, a mere hour and a half from San Francisco. An astonishing twenty three companies have commercial permits for this river, and every one sells out their trips on summer weekends. Battle for the Upper Stanislaus Any rafter on the American River (all forks) needs to take a few minutes to honor the upper Stanislaus, the river I mentioned at the New Melones Reservoir yesterday. Even t... read more

Today, I have a choice to make. Sequoia National Park borders another national park called Kings Canyon. This park protects the namesake canyon, a dramatic glacial gorge. Measured from the canyon floor to the top of the surrounding peaks, it’s the deepest in the world! Kings Canyon is an unusual park in that very little of it can be seen from a road. The trails are long. If I try to see much of it, I won’t have time for anything else. Reading my guidebook, Sequoia National Park also has trails into the backcountry, and they are shorter. I decided to hike where I am instead; this should leave time for more trees and a taste of Kings Canyon afterward. Tokopah Falls Trail Lodgepole Campground marks the trailhead for a hike up t... read more

This morning, I continue south in Big Sur. The road has changed completely from yesterday. Fog rolled in overnight, converting the dramatic landscape into an incredibly atmospheric one, with the road and cliffs disappearing into the haze. Thankfully, visibility nearby is still good, or this road would be rather dangerous to drive. Lime Kiln State Park My first major site is another state park, Lime Kiln. This park is my chance to explore one of those ravines the road has to cross. The entrance to the park is rather absurd. Just after the bridge over the ravine, a side road drops straight down the side of the ravine and swings under the bridge. Unlike Bixby, this bridge isn’t interesting from underneath. The side road is very steep. It quickly ends at a parking ... read more