The Waterfalls in Yosemite Were Over Flowing!
This was just a one day – over night trip. You take advantage of get aways when you can, and we decided on a whim to go for the day and take our chances on finding lodging. The worst case meant we would drive a bit longer until we found something.
We left the Bay area on Friday morning a few weeks ago, and headed out on 580 East over the Altamont Pass. For those of you who are interested in alternative energy sources, this pass has windmills ALL OVER. It’s almost eerie when riding through it when they’re all in operation.
Route taken – we headed over on interstate 205 and switched to Highway 120 towards Manteca/Sonora. This takes you through some smaller towns that have terrific fruit and vegie stands (if you have room for the produce – which we didn’t on the bike) You will see plenty of signs for Yosemite as you get closer, making a right (still on 120) but heading toward Chinese Camp, and the infamous Priest grade. (This is very steep and winding).
After you get to the top of this you’ll head towards Groveland which is about 70 miles from the Yosemite Valley floor. (In total it took us about 3.5 hours to get there from home).
We have stayed at the historic Groveland Hotel in the past, but this time we tried the Yosemite Westgate Lodge. I wouldn’t hesitate recommending either. (The Lodge has a pool, but the Hotel is closer to quaint shops).
Once we arrived in the park (there is a $20 fee), we headed over to the Bridalveil Falls, (you can see pictures here.) After getting completely soaked, we went to the Ahwahnee Hotel for a drink and lunch. The weather was perfect so we sat on the patio, and yes, you pay big time to eat there! We were in the bar area, not the dining room and a roast beef sandwich was $18.50, drinks $9.50 – so bring your wallet! (The dining room was even more expensive).
Yosemite Falls
The Ahwanhee Lodge in Yosemite
Yosemite Valley (Falls & River)
Ready for more walking around we went to the Yosemite Lower Falls – again the amount of water was just incredible. This year we had a lot of much needed snow pack, and our reservoirs are full at last.
Nothing better than a day with nature, in the mountains and the rivers to get re-energized. As a nation we are so fortunate that land was set aside for all to visit and enjoy.
I hope you are able to see this park and others first hand to experience it yourself!
Riding the Concrete Path from Northern California to Southern California
This is NOT one of our usual bike trips! We normally take a couple of weeks and meander through the mountains and coastal areas very rarely being on the freeways. Most of our routes are considered the “scenic roads” and can be planned either from AAA – Road Trip Planning or from Pashnit.com. We chose the route below because of limited time this trip, and that we wanted to visit with friends in the various cities. Although traveling the busy and crowded concrete paths are not our favorite way to ride, there were still many “golden nuggets” along the way.
- We left the San Francisco Bay area and arrived in Visalia, Ca to stay with friends for a couple of days
- Route taken – Hwy 580 South to Hwy 33 (Los Banos), then to Hwy 152 (Chowchilla), and over to Hwy 99 (Visalia)
- Along with a few friends we left Visalia for a long and traffic congested ride to San Diego, Ca. Now, if you are one who likes to be surrounded by 6 lanes each direction with people driving like maniacs trying to see who will be first, you might have loved this stretch of rode! Getting through Los Angeles in a car can be an adventure, let alone on a bike in 100 degree weather. This was not one of my favorite days, but the end result was fantastic since we stayed with dear friends who happen have an incredible view of San Diego and the Coronado Bridge. Another bonus, we had dinner at The Wine Vault, where one of our sons is a chef.
Route taken – Hwy 99 to Bakersfield, then Hwy 5 to Los Angeles, and on to Hwy 215 to San Diego
- We wanted to stay in the San Diego area for another day so we all took a day ride up through Julian and Pala, then back to our friends place. Julian is an old mining town which is now known for its apple and pear orchards, in addition to being quite a hub for organic vegetables and heirloom tomatoes. There is also a famous pie shop that people come from miles away to treat their taste buds. At first glance the area around Pala seemed pretty desolate with one big gaming casino pooping up out of nowhere! However, there were a number of orange groves, avocado groves, and palm tree nurseries in the area. One just needs to take time to look sometimes…..
- Route taken – From San Diego to Julian ~ Hwy 8 to Hwy 67, then to Hwy 78, and over to Hwy 79
- Route taken – From Julian to Pala area ~ Hwy 79 to Hwy 76 and then back on Hwy 15 to San Diego
- Working our way back up north we thought traffic wouldn’t be as bad since it was a weekend. We thought we’d miss commute traffic around L.A……what were we thinking?! It was worse on the weekend because everyone was out trying to enjoy the weather, making traffic come to a complete stand still at times. Those of you who ride know that sitting in traffic isn’t necessary when a state allows you to “split lanes”…. so we did that for miles ~ admittedly my stomach was a bunch of nerves ~ I hate to travel like that! We did see a bunch of those “gems” I talked about earlier though.
- Oceanside, Ca
- Think about the Beach Boys and surfers when you think about this town. Truly a kicked back, and relaxing place.
- Laguna Beach, Ca
- This is an artist enclave (think lots of money!), and it would take a person a full week to explore all of the galleries. It is also home to the infamous Sawdust Art Festival, and the Pageant of the Masters
- Newport Beach, Ca
- We had a fun lunch with hilarious wait staff at Joes Crab Shack, which really broke up the days ride for us. Beautiful beaches (as all of these places were!)
- Santa Monica and Malibu, Ca
- Pack your patience when you come here on a weekend. The two lane roads were a parking lot while everyone jockeyed for a slice of street to park on. The beaches were so full umbrellas touched each other. However, the homes overlooking the sweeping views were amazing pieces of art themselves.
- Oxnard / Channel Islands, Ca
- The main thing Oxnard boasts is the harbor to the Channel Islands. This is where our friends are moored for a while, so we visited them. Although we had the pleasure of going out to the Islands on their boat to watch the dolphins play, there are tours you can take as well.
- Route taken – We bounced back and forth between Hwy 5 and Hwy 1, depending on traffic and patience levels
The rest of our trip was fairly non-eventful, as we headed back home ~ safe and sound!
Where do you like to ride and what types of roads are your favorites?
