 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Trip Length: |
12 Days |
| Pickup Date:
|
June 1st |
| Drop-off Date: |
June 12th |
| Rough Distance Traveled:
|
1404 Miles |
| Pickup Location: |
Radisson, San Francisco (Fisherman's Wharf)
|
| Drop-off Location: |
Best Western Raffles Hotel, Anaheim |
| Overnights: |
Trinity Alps (Coffee Creek), Mount Shasta
(McCloud), Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Monterey,
San Luis Obispo |
| Group Size: |
2 adults, 2 children |
| Vehicle: |
Minivan |
| Guide: |
Bob and Tess Cunningham |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| San Francisco |
2 days on their own
before pickup |
|
We picked the Ridgards up in San Francisco
in the early afternoon, after they'd had
a couple of days to get over jet lag,
and explore the sights of the City by
the Bay. We immediately got under way
for a long 6 hour drive to the Trinity
Alps, a remote and scenic region of Northern
California.
On this particular trip, Tess would join
Bob as co-guide. Her having been born
and raised in Ireland, not far from the
Ridgards' home town, turned out to be
a great plus.
|
|
|
|
|
| Trinity Alps |
2 nights |
|
Where San Francisco had been a supreme
hit with the girls, The Trinity Alps were
always going to be a highlight for Paul
and Simon. Paul couldn't wait to arrive,
and sink his teeth into what truly is
the great outdoors.
|
|
| Trinity Alps Highlights
|
|
•
|
Played card games in
the middle of a quiet mountain lake
(Lewiston) while eagles and osprey
battled for lunch in a spectacular
aerial display. |
|
•
|
Caught trout and smallmouth
bass on Trinity Lake. |
|
•
|
Hiked to the remote
alpine Stoddard Lake. |
|
•
|
Played with the horses
at Eagle Creek Ranch |
|
•
|
Paul demonstrated the
amazing Irish ability to eat spuds
in large quantities, impressing the
locals in Coffee Creek so much that
he got his picture in the paper. |
|
•
|
The same night as Paul's feat of
sput-eating bravado, Chloe impresses
a crowd of locals with an Irish step-dancing
demonstration. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mount Shasta |
1 night |
|
Continuing with the theme of remote California
beauty, we took the back roads through
Scott Valley, for an afternoon near California's
majestic volcanic Mount Shasta.
|
|
| Mount Shasta Highlights
|
|
•
|
Had a gourmet dinner
on the historic Shasta Dinner Train,
which skirts the base of the mountain.
|
|
•
|
Swam at McArthur-Burney
Falls, while looking for eagles (and
finding a pair) on shore. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mount Lassen |
Visited en route to
Lake Tahoe |
|
On what would be a scenic full day's
drive from Mount Shasta to Lake Tahoe,
the highlight stop was at Mount Lassen,
not so much for the volcanic interest
as for the fact that large quantities
of snow remained from the winter, and
the family had a grand time playing in
it.
|
|
|
|
|
| Lake Tahoe |
2 nights |
|
After a long drive from Mount Shasta
down California's scenic Highway 89, the
family was ready to slow the pace a bit,
and the girls were happy to be back in
civilization. Tahoe is one of those gems
of a place that appeals to both lovers
of the outdoors and of the more refined
pleasures in life. Two nights here turned
out to be maximum fun for everyone.
|
|
| Lake Tahoe Highlights
|
|
•
|
Took an early morning
hot air balloon ride over the lake
on an absolutely spectacular morning
in the Sierras. |
|
•
|
Sunbathed on a sand beach near crystal
clear water, and breathing the clean
mountain air. |
|
•
|
Enjoyed dinner at the top of the
Heavenly Valley Ski Resort gondola. |
|
•
|
Paul and Gina took a break from
the kids, and enjoyed a late night
at the casinos, just across the Nevada
state line. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Bodie Ghost Town |
Visited en route to
Yosemite |
|
Between Tahoe and Yosemite, down a dirt
road, is a hidden attraction to which
we love to bring clients. Bodie was one
of the most notorious of the Sierra Gold
Rush towns, complete with the requisite
brothels, casinos and shoot-outs. Kept
in a state of arrested decay by the State
Park Service, it's a real step back into
Wild West history.
In a surprise announcement, when asked
at the end of their trip, what their favorite
stop was on the entire itinerary, Gina
-- who tends more towards a love of modern
conveniences and fashion shopping -- announced
that her favorite stop was Bodie.
|
|
|
|
|
| Yosemite National
Park |
2 nights |
|
One of the most spectacular spots in
the world, Yosemite is always a favorite
with our clients. 2 nights here allowed
for the Ridgards to experience it at a
modest pace.
|
|
| Yosemite Highlights
|
|
•
|
Skirted the edges of
the still snow-covered Tuolumne Meadows. |
|
•
|
Took advantage of the warm skies
at high elevation (despite the snow
still on the ground) for an afternoon
lunch on the shores of Tenaya Lake.
|
|
•
|
Played board games around their
wood-burning fireplace, while semi-camping
at high elevation, in the Tuolumne
Lodge tent cabins. |
|
•
|
Complemented the wilderness feel
of the Tuolumne Lodge with the 4 star
accommodations at the historic Ahwahnee
in Yosemite Valley. This was a real
splash out for the Ridgards, who generally
preferred less elaborate accommodations.
|
|
•
|
Hiked the Merced River Canyon (with
guides Bob and Tess) up the mist trail
to see two of Yosemite's most spectacular
falls, Vernal and Nevada. |
|
•
|
Spent an hour and a half checking
out a group of three climbers on El
Capitan. |
|
•
|
Stopped at the Mariposa Grove for
a stroll among the largest living
things on Earth; the Giant Sequoias. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Monterey
Peninsula |
2 nights |
| Another excellent mixture
of nature and civilization, the Monterey
Peninsula appealed to the whole group, with
Paul and Simon enjoying the otters, harbor
seals and aquarium the most, and Gina and
Chloe preferring downtown Carmel's window
shopping, and nearby Gilroy's serious outlet
shopping. |
|
| Monterey Peninsula
Highlights |
|
•
|
Shopped the Factory
Outlets for great deals on the family's
fall wardrobes. |
|
•
|
Went Sea Kayaking with
sea otters, harbor seals and other
wildlife in Elkhorn Slough. |
|
•
|
Visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium
and Cannery Row. |
|
•
|
Window-shopped the fine art galleries
in downtown Carmel. |
|
•
|
Had their first Mexican meal. |
|
•
|
Drove 17-mile Drive |
|
|
|
|
|
Photo
courtesy of Jeff Lowe
|
|
|
| Big Sur |
1/2 day, driving through
|
| We didn't stop for much more
than a few pictures here and there in Big
Sur, as we had to make time, but did make
time for a quick walk out to the McWay Waterfall
in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. |
|
|
|
|
| San Simeon Coast |
1 night |
| A last night on the road brought
us to the heart of the Central Coast, where
the family did some sightseeing in San Simeon,
before staying the night at Central Coast
Landmark, the Madonna Inn. |
|
| San Simeon Highlights
|
|
•
|
Hearst Castle was a
big hit, particularly with the kids. |
|
•
|
The elephant seals at Piedras Blancas,
with numerous males hauled out for
the summer molt, impressed everyone.
|
|
•
|
The Madonna Inn, though, may have
been the winner, with the family staying
in the Safari Room, and eating at
the famed pink tables of the Inn's
steakhouse. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Venice Beacha |
3 hours |
| The drive from S.L.O. went
pretty quick, as the family was anxious
to get to Disneyland, and not too keen on
a lot of stops. We did manage a stop in
Venice Beach, where the group shopped, ate
burgers and enjoyed the street performers
and other characters of this quintessentially
Angelino beach. |
|
|
|
|
| Anaheim |
3 nights on their
own after drop-off |
| Our time with the Ridgards
ended in Anaheim, where the group would
spend the next few days at the Magic Kingdom.
We developed a close bond with the Ridgards,
and are happy to say that we continue to
keep in touch, and have visited them on
our frequent trips back to Tess's home country
of Ireland. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We were having breakfast at a typical American
diner in McCloud, California, when Paul got an alarming
question from the waitress. "Would you like patty
or link sausage?" she asked. Paul looked both
confused and a bit defensive.
The issue was twofold: Firstly, "patty or
link" isn't generally a choice you make in Ireland.
There, it's either "sausage or no sausage,"
as the only kind of sausage is link. Secondly, the
waitress, as with most Americans, prounounced the
t's in patty like d's. In Ireland, there's a world
of difference between patty and paddy, which can be
a pegorative term for an Irishman when spoken by the
wrong person.
When Paul asked the waitress what she had said,
she repeated the question. Still not sure what she
her point was, Paul looked like he was getting a little
hot under the collar, when Tess and I both realized
what the issue was. I clarified the question, explaining
about our American sausage choices, and everyone had
a good laugh (except maybe the waitress, who remained
a bit perplexed).
|
|
|
