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Planning a roadtrip through california.
DRT-Maverick
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Well, this spring, around the end of March or the beginning of April (I hope), I'll be taking off from Reno and heading south on 395. I want to see the Desert, and then head over to the coast and drive up. I don't know exactly what I want to do when I hit the oregon border yet, I may turn around and head back down the 5 for a ways and branch off and visit the sierras and the cascades.
My big thing is I'm totally clueless about Southern California though. :scratch I've only been there a few times, and I was never driving. If anyone can help me with my roadtrip, that'd be awesome.
My big thing is I'm totally clueless about Southern California though. :scratch I've only been there a few times, and I was never driving. If anyone can help me with my roadtrip, that'd be awesome.
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At that time, the weather looks to be about what I had last week, highs 80 to 90, lows in the low 50s or 60s. More info on weather at http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/upload/Weather%20and%20Climate.pdf
Of course whether that fits in with your plans depends on how far south you want to venture before heading to the coast.
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Rte 5 in S California is boring beyond belief but fast.
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La Jolla Cove - tidepools, cliffs, harbor seal pupping beach, sea lions hanging out on the cliffs with big gorgeous waves crashing over them, huge flocks of pelicans and other sea birds, a really cool cave. If you're into architecture, the LDS temple there is absolutely incredible at night...I've been dying to get there to try photographing it after dark myself.
Coronado Island and the bridge, beautiful sky line view of San Diego, the architecture of the crown room at the Hotel del Coronado...
Re Mexico - the border wall is easily accessible at Borderfield State Park although it's not the most photogenic at that location, but it's really cool to see how the border along the beach is just a bunch of pilings. The little kids like to play games with the border guards and run through the posts, then dash back to the other side. There are still a lot of old border monuments in the area (I'm going down to photograph some next weekend before they're all gone), old WWII bunkers in the Otay Mountain area. The border guards WILL check you out, but it's okay and you are allowed to be there - it's a state park and the rest is BLM land, but it's also a very active border region.
If you're into street photography, Old Town San Diego is a cool spot. It's a bit touristy, but a lot of history and a cool old west/mexico vibe going on. Some good restaurants and bars. Just a fun place to be. The Gaslamp District is a great place for street photography also (and more upscale dining and drinking
When my nieces were visiting me they thought it was cool that one of the MTV Real World houses is in San Diego (yes, I had to take them to see it).
There's Balboa Park, the S. D. Zoo is first class, Cabrillo National Monument is one of the best places to watch for migrating whales (late November through April) although you couldn't photograph them from the beach - you could go out on a boat, Torrey Pines State Preserve...
Wow, I could name so many things! It really depends on what you like to shoot.
East of San Diego will put you back in the desert, and Anza-Borrego is a favorite spot of mine. Again, a lot of things to see and much depends on your mode of transportation. I'm always on the lookout for the endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep (only caught them once so far, but
From there you could circle around to Palm Springs, Joshua Tree...
Back to your trip along 395 - the Trona Pinnacles are a must! They are tufa towers in a dry lake bed and were the scene of many sci-fi movies (Lost in Space, Planet of the Apes, StarTrekV). I was there about three/four weeks ago and caught the most gorgeous light just as a storm was coming in (but I haven't found the time to process the photos yet :uhoh - only two quickies and they're in my OffRoad Adventures gallery - Death Valley)
Since you seem to like hiking, you might want to visit Little Petroglyph Canyon near Ridgecrest; it is on military property and you will need to apply for clearance well before your trip but it has the largest concentration of petroglyphs in the western hemispere and most people won't go through the troubles to see them, so you'd be one of a very few. Here's a link that provide some information http://www.desertusa.com/magdec97/cosos/dec_cosos.html
Closer to the state borders are the very cool tufa towers at Mono Lake, but spending the night in Lee Vining is only for hardy souls; the accomodations are very basic and you're better off camping if you do sunset at Mono Lake!
Bodie Ghost Town is not far from Lee Vining; it is 13 miles off the 395 and part of the road is unpaved. Bodie is a photographer's favorite and definitely worth taking a detour, especially if you go early and catch some good light.
As Denise pointed out, Death Valley is a great choice. I keep going back over and over again because the park is huge and there is so much to see. There is a lot to see on the valley floor; you'd have to at least stop at Badwater, 282 feet below sea level, and catch the sand dunes at sunset.
But there is also a lot to see in the Mojave National Preserve (I'll be back out there in two weeks) including lava tubes, cinder cones, the singing Kelso sand dunes, lots of old abandoned mine structures and military outposts.
+1 on Yukio's recommendation that you drive the coast from north to south. You'll definitely want to do PCH at least the portion around Monterrey Peninsula (17-mile Drive is worth the exhorbitant toll, trust me) and down through Big Sur. You might not ever want to leave Big Sur. If you're breaking up the trip around that time, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is a great place to spend some time - that's where the waterfall that drops down onto the beach is. The Bixby Bridge is a architectural marvel and a lot of fun to shoot. Big Sur is some of the most gorgeous coastline you will ever see.
Hmmm...guess that's enough to get you thinking!
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if you're passing through Northern California... try to get to the Nevada City/Grass Valley area... nothing is prettier in Cali IMHO (of course I have family there so I've explored it a bit)... Bridgeport has a wonderful old time bridge that I wish I'd spent more time photographing in 06 when I was there... there's also the Empire Mine in GrassValley that has such a classic feel and GREAT landscapes, flowers, and the mansion is just so impressive. The history alone is worth it to me!
Nevada City and GrassValley are just so old time Cali even now it's great.
Have fun on your road trip, my best friend and I made a similar to your trip in August of 06 and I'm still reliving it!
Well, if you are going to be in the Southern Cali area in March there could be lots of desert wildflowers. I live in the Palmdale/Lancaster area and if there is enough rain during the winter the Poppies are usually pretty good.
Check this website for more info... http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=627
Death Valley would have flowers as well if they get enough rain. Last year was very dry and there was hardly anything, so you'll just have to wait and see. The websites provide up to date info as that time if year gets closer.
395 South. I vote for Bodie Ghost town early morning, so much of the eastern slope of the sierra around Bishop and the white mountians and ancient bristlecone forest. Of course Death Valley. Farther south Palm springs area there is the Indian Canyons palm oasis and petroglyphs, Thousand Palms Oasis. Joshua Tree National Park. Good shooting
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- Lone Pine
- Manzanar
- Mono Lake
- Up 108 towards Kennedy Meadows
- The backside of Yosemite (Tuolomne Meadows and the backcountry)
- The June Lake Loop
- Devil's Postpile
- Bishop (you've gotta have a bowl of Split Green Pea soup and sourdough at Schott's Bakery. It's sublime).
- King's Canyon backcountry
- The stretch from Independence to Lone Pine is just incredible, especially if you hit it right at sunrise
- Mt Whitney (there's a few days there, especially if you hike it and can get some shots of the surrounding range and valley)
- Red Hill (between Olancha and Little Lake) is a beautifully symmetrical cinder cone, clearly visible from the highway.
- Ridgecrest-Trona-Death Valley
As far as SoCal, OffTopic had a nice rundown. Also, the desert around Joshua Tree is amazing. Really, there isn't an area you can't go wrong. All of the suggestions above are great.
For the trip you're planning, I'd break it up into several different trips and just focus on an area for a while. Seriously. You'll miss so much by trying to make the whole loop in one shot. My parents, based out of Reno, spent about 8 years working the PCH alone, spending a week or two at a time along a small stretch. They still don't think they covered everything. But then again, they had an RV and could pull off on the side of the road and call it a night if they wanted to (within reason, of course).
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Yup, that's some good advice. I made my first trip to Death Valley in 06, went back last year and spent five days there, and now I have to go back in 08 just to catch a glimse of the southern part of the park! Death Valley alone is worth several weeks, IMHO. I mean, after all, there's only one sunrise and one sunset a day!
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I love roadtrips
I've spent a week exploring the area around the 395, and there's so much to see and photograph. Like some others have mentioned, Mono Lake is a must-see but driving to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite might not be possible in the spring due to the snows. Tioga Pass, the road to Yosemite from the 395 is usually closed until June, but it is an awesome drive.
If you do have a chance, go to Yosemite, my favorite place in the world to photograph. My Yosemite photos are posted on my homepage. That will give you an idea of what Yosemite looks like during the spring. In fact, spring is one of the best times to visit the park since the waterfalls are magnificent at that time of year and it's also much less crowded than in the summertime.
If you're going to spend time in the Monterey area, make sure you go to Point Lobos State Reserve, just south of Carmel.
Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks are also a great place to see. I haven't been there since I was a kid, but John Muir once said that Kings Canyon rivaled Yosemite in its beauty.
There is so much to see and do in California and I'm sure you'll have a great trip. Have fun!
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The California Channel Islands are part of the National Parks system. There is limited "boat only" access and no landing without a permit. Search the web on the National Parks service.
Island Packers runs day trips and I've heard some special group camp trips, but you have to get aboard their boat at the National Parks building in Ventura Harbor.
Truth Aquatics runs some kayak day trips from Santa Barbara.
Catalina is not part of the Nat. Park, but a tourist area, mostly. There are hotels there and there was a Boy Scout camp, but I don't know if it's open to the public, unless you're a scout.
Other than that, there is no landing/access/camping to any of the park islands. Santa Barbara Island is included in the Nat. Parks, has no real landing and is so small, rocky and steep I don't think anyone can get on it without a helo.
Of coures there's also San Nicolas Island and San Clemente to the south, but they are restricted Military operations area for the Seals and bombing. They do allow limited, boat fishing/diving, but no landing. If you get out there and it looks like a bomb... it is!
There are a bunch of dive boats that run out there for day and multi-day trips. I've been diving the Channel Islands on the Peace Dive Boat live aboard for 20 years. You can contact me directly if you want more info.