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| Trip Length: |
9 Days |
| Pickup Date:
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August 4th |
| Drop-off Date:
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August 12th |
| Rough Distance Traveled:
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950 Miles |
| Pickup Location: |
Friend's house in Brentwood (Los Angeles) |
| Drop-off Location: |
Palace Hotel, San Francisco |
| Overnights: |
Pismo Beach, Big Sur, Monterey, Fish Camp
(Yosemite), Calaveras Big Trees State Park |
| Group Size: |
2 adults, 4 children |
| Vehicle: |
Passenger Van |
| Guide: |
Bob Cunningham |
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| Los Angeles |
Several days before
we joined them |
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We picked the Weisz family up in Brentwood
mid-morning on a Friday. I still remember
my first introduction to the family as
being a quick round of drive-way soccer
with 2 of the boys, while waiting for
Andrew to return from a trip to the shop.
We set off shortly thereafter for what
was to be a truly enjoyable expedition,
not only for the Weiszes, but for myself.
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| Pismo/San Simeon Coast
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2 nights |
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You can't stay on the Central Coast,
on a summer weekend, for less than 2 nights,
unless you want to sleep on a rock. So,
we chose Pismo as a centrally located
spot from which to base our exploration.
Arriving on the evening of the Weisz's
first day of travel, we spent one full
day exploring Hearst Castle, Piedras Blancas
and Montaña de Oro State Park, before
departing for Big Sur after our second
night.
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| San Simeon Coast Highlights
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Took an extended stop
at a secluded beach in Montaña de
Oro State Park to play in the surf,
and do a bit of scampering on the
big rock that stood at one end of
the beach. |
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Had fantastic Italian
meal at Giuseppe's in Pismo. |
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Hearst Castle |
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Molting elephant seals
at Piedras Blancas |
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| Big Sur |
1 night |
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After visiting Hearst Castle, we headed
up the coast into Big Sur. The Weiszes,
despite being firmly a big-city family,
were really looking forward to getting
out in the tranquil outdoors of Big Sur.
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| Big Sur Highlights
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Took two excellent hikes
through streamside redwood groves,
oak-lined hillsides and out to a waterfall
that lands on a secluded sand beach. |
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Stopped for a wonderful
dinner, perched high above the Pacific
Ocean. |
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Enjoyed an evening sitting
around a wood-burning fireblace in
a rustic cottage set in the redwoods.
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| Monterey Peninsula |
1 night |
| Departing Big Sur, the group
headed north, looking for more scenic beauty,
nature walks and wildlife. |
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| Monterey Highlights |
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Taking
a ranger-guided nature hike with views
of sea otters and harbor seals in
Point Lobos State Park |
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Visited the Monterey
Bay Aquarium |
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Drove 17-mile Drive
and browsed art galleries in Carmel
by the Sea |
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| Yosemite |
2 nights |
| After Monterey, it was time
to head for the Sierras. We left late in
the afternoon, in order to allow 2 full
days in Monterey, while staying only 1 night.
The van was now full of sleeping bags and
camping gear, in anticipation of our "wilderness
experience" that would come after Yosemite.
The sleeping bags came in handy, as the
kids ran out of steam about half way across
the valley, and slept their way into the
mountains. |
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| Yosemite Highlights
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When the crew got hungry,
en route, we sought food in the town
of Los Banos. Burnt out on pasta and
Subway, the Weiszes settled on a very
authentic hole-in-the-wall taqueria,
where we all sat down and enjoyed
nachos and quesadillas. |
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The view from Glacier
Point |
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Hiked to the top of
Sentinel Dome. I had the pleasure
of joining the family on this hike,
carrying one of the kids on my back
for the steeper parts of the trail. |
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Went rafting on the
Merced, through the heart of Yosemite
Valley. |
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Got ambushed by waterballoon
throwers while rafting. |
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Took a walk through
an apple orchard, where a mother bear
and her cub had recently been seen.
According to a man we encountered
in the orchard, we missed seeing the
bears by about 30 seconds. |
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| Gold Country/Calaveras |
1 night |
| After 2 amazing days in Yosemite,
we headed up Highway 49 from Oakhurst, into
California's Gold Country. This was a moment
that the family had awaited with great anticipation,
as it would be where we would have our "wildernessy"
experience, camping in Calaveras Big Trees
State Park. The drive was beautiful, although
a little unsettling for youngest child,
Evie,who got a bit carsick. |
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| Gold Country Highlights
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Stopped for lunch at
an historic Gold Rush era hotel. |
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Visited Columbia State
Historic Park, which preserves 1850's
style streets and buildings. |
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Went wilderness camping in Calaveras
Big Trees State Park. Read more
about this below.
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Had a kosher meal for
the first time since leaving Los Angeles. |
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Found a last-minute
local outfitter to take the kids gold
panning. Unfortunately, the authenticity
of the gold panning guides was taken
a bit too far; they were a couple
of drunks. I was able to get a refund
from the business owner, and we had
a laugh about the experience over
lunch. |
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| San Francisco |
4 nights after we
dropped them off |
| Finally, after a beauty-filled
9 days together, it was time to head back
out to the coast, making a bit of a detour
to return the camping equipment and get
some ice cream en route. It was after dark
when I bid adieu to the family in a flurry
of hugs in front of the Palace Hotel just
south of Market Street in San Francisco. |
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One of the Weiszes trip goals was to try their hand
at camping. I went through the options with them,
explaining that they could "camp" while
they were in Yosemite, but that the only available
option at the time they booked was the tent village
of Curry Village. I explained that while they would
be sleeping under canvas, they would have dozens of
neighbors surrounding them on all sides, and that
it wouldn't be a true "wildernessy" camping
experience.
Despite being confirmed city-dwellers, Nicole was
gung ho for the family to have a more woodsy experience,
and asked about other options. I explained that, while
we do have campgrounds like the ones common in Europe,
which have modern conveniences, we also have what
I described as "wildernessy" campgrounds,
where you could achieve a much closer-to-nature experience.
I told her that I was not an experienced camping guide,
but that I had a lifetime of experience camping throughout
the Western US, and would be happy to be their guide,
as long as they understood that it would be a first
for me. She was sold! We selected a campgrount among
the Giant Sequoias in Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
While the Weiszes settled in for the evening in Monterey,
I drove to a Saratoga REI to pick up camping equipment.
The next day, I suggested to the Weiszes, who keep
kosher, that we could get kosher meat at the local
Trader Joe's Market, and take it to the Sierras with
us. This prospect thrilled them, as they'd had to
eat vegetarian since leaving L.A., due to a dearth
of kosher eateries outside of California's big cities.
We put the meat on ice, and set out for adventure.
3 nights later, we arrived in Sonora in the late
afternoon, and picked up some extra groceries to accompany
our kosher meat. Arriving at Big Trees just as the
evening was drawing in, we set to work on the campsite.
I wanted to make sure to get the tents pitched and
everything set up before dark, so I enlisted the aid
of 4 eager assistants; the Weisz kids. With almost
clocklike efficiency, we had the camp set up just
in time to start working on dinner.
Now, of course the pressure was on. I'm a pretty
decent barbecuer, but hadn't tried to do meat over
an open fire in a long time. I got the fire started,
and worked on getting the Coleman Stove operating,
so that I could get the side dishes started. When
the coals on the fire looked like they'd died to the
right shade of red, I put the steaks and chicken on
the grill, and said a small prayer.
10 minutes later, we were sitting down, eating some
of the most delicious barbecue I've ever had. The
kids were over-the-moon delighted to finally have
a bit of meat, and when the meal was over, I'm happy
to say there wasn't a leftover in sight.
Sleeping outdoors, for the first time, along with
the corresponding things going bump in the night and
such, had the predictable result that nobody could
say with any honesty the following morning that they'd
had the best night's sleep of their lives. In fact,
I'm pretty sure everyone was quite excited to have
a proper bed again when we got to San Francisco. Nevertheless,
it was clear, as we sat around the campfire after
dinner, and Andrew told stories to the kids, this
was a very satisfying moment in time for the family,
and I'm proud I was able to help pull it off.
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