Geo: 37.8772, -119.727After what can only be described as a horrendous night's sleep, we woke to the nose of the camp beginning to stir at around 6am. Why the bad sleep? Well, at 1am I was awake, convinced that I could hear one of the dreaded and feared bears snuffling around the outside of the tent. Lying completely still and frozen to the spot, I listened to the rhythmic sound for a good five minutes before realising that it was simply one of our neighbours snoring. However, by this point it became apparent that the heat of the day had given way to much cooler temperatures at night and so spent time searching for my sleeping bag to combat the chill. Added to this, the excitement and trepidation about the next day's hike and the temptation ... read more

Geo: 37.7792, -122.42We awoke to another dull, misty San Francisco summer morning. However, having been informed by the concierge that the weather forecast in wine country was set to be more like the California sunshine we had come to expect, we hopped out of bed and readied ourselves for an exciting and fun day ahead! Leftover pizza made a delightfully healthy breakfast and we were soon picked up by our driver and off on our way.After meeting our travel companions, (a group of former high school cheerleaders in their sixties and a family from New York), we were soon hurtling over the Golden Gate Bridge, as red in the flesh as it appears in the movies. There was no time to stop, and even if we had, the view if San Francisco was shrouded in low ... read more

Geo: 37.7792, -122.42Well we made it! After a ten-hour turbulent flight, which had us rocking and rolling in our seats (in preparation for Graceland, I am led to believe!) we touched down to the glorious California sunshine of San Francisco! As soon as we landed and passed through passport control, we were treated to the wonderful American hospitality. I have already said,"I love America!" about fifteen times, all relating to the experiences of service staff who have been wonderful, (and the charming "ma'am" doesn't hurt either!) The public transit system, the Dart, was really easy to navigate, especially after asking the friendly patrol guard, (there's that "ma'am again!) and we were soon hurtling on our way through the 'burbs of San Fran. We glimpsed some of the famous steeply inclining streets as the views raced past ... read more

Geo: 28.6137, 77.1834... read more

Geo: 26.9847, 78.1019... read more