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Published: October 26th 2010
Twenty-eight of us were on a seven-day adventure to three National Parks in Central California October 3 to 9, 2010. On Sunday, our Alaska Airlines flight took us from Seattle to Los Angeles where summer weather greeted us and promised a pleasant trip. We spent the night in the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel in the heart of the city. Completely refurbished, bright and clean, the hotel is now managed by Millennium Corporation. We admired the tasteful art deco design, especially in the Tea Room where we relaxed during High Tea.
After a peaceful night's sleep, we boarded a special 1920's car in the Amtrak train going north to Monterey/Salinas. Our group of seniors was given the antique Silver Lariat car with a private dome and dining room. What a luxurious way to enjoy breakfast as we passed through San Fernando and Simi Valley, Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands where Blue Whales and dolphins migrated by. On our east side we viewed Vandenberg Air Force Base where the space shuttle launch pad stretched before us. On the west side, endless rows of strawberries and raspberries were covered with plastic so the birds wouldn't eat them.
We were treated like
royalty and served beverages and hors d'oeuvres around 2 p.m. Before we arrived in Salinas at 7 p.m., we enjoyed a First Class dinner with white linen tables and silverware, fresh spinach and asparagus salad, beef tenderloin, roasted potatoes, and carrot cake topped with cream cheese from the area called the Salad Bowl of the World.
Today we explored Monterey, going first to the aquarium where a million-gallon tank is housed in a large warehouse. Monterey sets on a 10,000-foot trench that runs from San Francisco to San Simeon. All the sealife passes by the aquarium's glass windows offering a view of everything from seahorses and jellies to otters, seals and sharks. Outside, we visited Cannery Row, made famous by the novels of John Steinbeck in the 1930's and 40's. Women worked long hours for pennies until the sardine catch of the day was processed.
In the afternoon, we relaxed on a 17-Mile Drive from Pacific Grove passed Pebble Beach to Carmel. The only tree in the world that is a trademark appears in Pacific Grove which originally was a Methodist campground. The Lonely Pine is world-renown for its perseverance and stamina in withstanding decades of storms from
the Pacific Ocean. Today it's getting a little help from cables that hold it in place.
Pebble Beach, famous for a number of exclusive golf courses, was founded by Sam Morse, a relative of the inventor of Morse Code. Our stop at Pebble Beach Lodge showed us it was still an enclave for the rich and famous. We priced earrings in the gift shop marked down from $46,000 to $23,000. What a bargain!
Carmel started as a colony for successful Bohemian artists from San Francisco. Some of their off-beat rules still apply today, such as no house numbers (houses have names like "Tinker Bell" or "Doll House") and fences can only be four feet high. The day was topped off with dinner at Abalonetti's Italian Restaurant at Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf. What a treat to see a family of six racoons looking for hand-outs on the rocks nearby!
The next day took us to the John Steinbeck Museum in Salinas, California. Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 for his account of migrant workers' lives during the depression years. You will remember some of his 18 novels: "The Grapes of Wrath," "Of Mice and Men," "East
of Eden" and "Travels with Charley." Steinbeck traveled cross-country in his pickup with a camper on top and his large black poodle. The treat of the day was spent at Steinbeck's Boyhood Home where we were served a delicious lunch by volunteers in lovely Victorian dresses. Fresh-picked mixed greens and cucumbers came straight from the San Juaquin Valley. Green beans and roasted carrots topped the catalone. The creme broulee dessert with burnt carmel top was the talk of the ride home!
Wednesday, October 6th, was a full day's drive from Salinas across Central California to Coarsegold, the southern gateway to Yosemite National Park. Coarsegold is the site where four Texas miners found a half-million dollars' worth of gold on the surface of the earth in 1863 that ignited the California Gold Rush. Today gold is in the hands of Chukchansi Casino and Hotel where we stayed for two nights.
What a day to explore Yosemite Valley! The sky was blue and sunny and the temperature was 61 degrees for us. We entered the Sierra Madre Range at Coarsegold where the mountains carved out by glaciers are pure granite. Yosemite is our second national park founded in 1890 after
Yellowstone. By 10 a.m., our ears were popping as we climbed from 2,000 to 5,000 feet at the entrance to the park. Just inside the boundary, we saw Wawona Lodge, the oldest lodge in the park, built in 1876. John Muir, known as the Father of our National Parks, walked from the coast to Yosemite in 1838, and publicized the value of the majestic mountains, trees, and waterfalls. President Teddy Roosevelt stayed in the Wawona and met Muir after passing legislation that created the national preserve.
At Yosemite Lodge, we joined a docent's tour of the Valley that would take us to the highlights of the area. Yosemite Valley is 7 square miles. The entire park is 7,000 square miles, 40-80 miles wide with the Merced River running through it. We had lunch in the beautiful Ahwahnee Lodge, built in the 1920's to bring in more affluent visitors. It's built of cement that looks like wood to protect it from fire. Next stop was El Capitan Peak, the largest exposed piece of granite in the area. At 3,000 feet high, climbers are drawn to it. Our guide pointed out three climbers clinging to the sheer granite. He said it
would take them five to seven days to reach the top.
Bridal Veil Fall (called a Fall because there's only one waterfall) is 620 feet high. It does run dry, but we were fortunate there had been a thunder storm recently, the stream was full, and the mist was blowing in the wind. Our guide shared a joke from an earlier tour. A tourist had asked him, "What time do they turn off the water?"
We had a special treat at the Tunnel View of Yosemite Valley. A rain shower passed through, then the clouds lifted and the sun poured down to illuminate the canyon. It was a Kodak moment everyone wanted to capture! Finally, we stopped to admire Glacier Peak where two opposing glaciers met and pushed the granite to its highest peak. On the way back to Yosemite Lodge, we passed Curry Village (where there are 700 tents for guests) and Housekeeping Camp (where guests can share dormitories and a cafeteria).
The next morning (Friday, October 8th), we took Route 41 south to Sequoia National Park to visit the two oldest trees in the world. The General Grant Sequoia is the second oldest tree. It
is 267 feet high, 107 feet around, and 2,000 years old. It has the weight of 700 cars. More than 500 homes could be built from its lumber. In the Giant Forest (so-named by John Muir), the General Sherman Sequoia at 275 feet high is the largest tree on earth. It is 174 feet around. Its biggest branch is almost 7 feet in diameter. It is 2,200 years old. Fortunately, Sequoia trees do not burn. Their resin protects them from fire.
When we stopped for a box lunch and picnic our tour manager, Janet Arnold, pointed out a black bear scratching in the soil near our motor coach. Almost everyone rushed to a window to take a picture. But that was not enough. As we clamored off the bus, most of the group wanted to get a better photo, and off they went in the bear's direction. This did not make the bear happy. He climbed about 10 feet up a tree, came down, and retreated into the woods. There are 300-400 bears here. We were lucky we had met a shy bear!
Route 41, General's Highway, would take us through part of King's Canyon National Park, the
most remote area in California where roads go north to south, but not east to west through the wilderness. The 462,000 acres belong to the hikers and back-packers. We drove to a viewpoint where we marveled at the awesome 6,000-foot deep granite canyon carved through the Sierra Nevada Range by King's River.
Now we were headed for LAX and our Alaska Air flight to Seattle. We drove through Bakersfield, passed Magic Mountain with its dozens of roller coasters, and arrived at the airport at 2 p.m. with plenty of time to board at 4 p.m. Our tour manager, Janet, had asked us to state our favorite part of our seven-day journey. Everyone named a different place--the ocean, train ride, aquarium, Steinbeck's home, Bridal Veil Fall, but, most of all, they loved the giant Sequoias the best!
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Sherri
non-member comment
Lovely Pictures!
Shirley, you had a grand adventure. I love your photographs and your vivid descriptions of the natural wonders, literary masterpieces (Steinbeck), and beautiful lodges you visited. Truly "California Dreamin'." I love those towering Sequoia trees. Thanks for sharing.