Redwood National and State Parks

The Redwoods were wet, foggy, cold, and absolutely beautiful.  The first night I camped on Clam Beach.  The fog on the beach was thick, leading to a pretty eerie feeling.  It did let up for a few minutes when the sun set, and the sky lit up with some brilliant pinks before the sun disappeared again below the horizon.  Of course, I didn't have my camera. 

Wednesday morning I arrived at the ranger station early to obtain a permit to walk into Tall Trees Grove.  It was definitely worth it, and since I was one of the first people in the grove, I had it all to myself for the first couple of hours.  To me, hearing nature is almost as important as seeing it.  I was able to sit still and just listen to the rain dripping through the canopy above, the frogs croaking, etc.

Okay, get ready for three days worth of photos of trees.

It amazes me that the trees which are hollowed by wildfires remain standing (and living).  The photo below is from inside one of those burned trees.

I really like the mossy trees.

Redwoods.  They're really big.

After walking through Tall Trees and Lady Bird Johnson Groves, I wandered north to find a camping spot.  I first stopped at Elk Grove (aptly named-- see below), but they were full.

I ended up finding a lovely area further north to put my tent, and then spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the trails near there.

I love how there's a tiny tree sprouting out of that big stump.

Tired of the dampness, I was heading back to camp when I paused to take a photo of nearby tree.  I saw something move near me, and look over to see a deer munching on ferns not ten feet away from me.  I stood perfectly still, kind of in awe of how close I was to him.  He then proceeded to come up onto the trail to check me out!  I still had the camera in hand, so I snapped this photo of him.  I hate that it's a bit blurry because by then he was nearly in arm's length of me.  I could actually hear him sniffing me.

Guess he didn't like what he smelled because he then ran off.  But for about 15 seconds, it was the coolest thing ever.  I continue to not understand hunters.

San Francisco

After arriving in San Francisco on Monday to a thick cloud of fog, I hoped for better weather on Tuesday.  It was not meant to be, and instead began what has felt like weeks of rain and soggy clothes.  Despite the rain, I didn't want to waste the little time I had planned for San Francisco, so I threw on a rain jacket and checked out of the hostel I had stayed in.  Instead, I caught a cable car down to Fisherman's Wharf.

The view from the cable car

After the cable car ride (which really was quite fun), I walked to Ghirardelli Square.  Where there used to be a chocolate factory, it's now home to some little shops and cafes, a pretty fountain, and, of course, several Ghirardelli stores.

 

Yum.  After my delicious breakfast, I went back to Fisherman's Wharf, where I first explored the Hyde Street Pier.  The National Parks Service has restored some old boats and, for a fee, you can go on and look around them.  I opted to just take photos from the pier.

The shipwright shop, where they restore small boats (I think my dad would like this)

Hoping for some last minute tickets to Alcatraz, I made the long walk to Pier 33, but unfortunately they were sold out a week in advance!  Here are some offerings of other piers (I skipped a couple that looked like tourist traps)...

 

You can see my tasty lunch of clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl in the foreground of the photo.

By this time I was sufficiently waterlogged, so I jumped back on the cable car and rode down to Union Square.  There's a nice little park wedged between a lot of upscale shopping.

On my way out of town, I drove back over the Golden Gate Bridge.  It was still foggy and rainy, but I could see the bridge a little better this time (as compared to Monday)!

Pacific Coast Highway: LA to SF

I spent yesterday morning in Santa Monica before I left Los Angeles.  It was a beautiful day, so I walked around the Third Street Promenade shops for a bit, enjoying the live music and a cup of coffee, and then walked down to the beach.  Here are my toes at the Pacific Ocean (as compared to a month ago, when I was on the Atlantic.).  They are well traveled toes, yes?

I then started my trip up the Pacific Coast Highway.  I knew I wouldn't make it all the way to San Francisco in one day, so I had reserved a room at a cheap motel along the way.  I stopped in Morro Bay (known for its 576 feet high volcanic plug--see below) for dinner and to watch the sunset.  I was too busy enjoying the live music and delicious clam chowder, though, and forgot to take any pictures of sunset until it was a little too late...

This morning I continued north on CA-1.  It was a long day's drive, but enjoyable and scenic.  I took over 100 photos as I drove today, but here's a small sampling:

Elephant Seals

I know they look dead in the photos, but apparently when they're on the beach during molting season they don't move around much because they're conserving energy.

Big Creek Bridge in Monterey County

McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Somewhere in the Big Sur...

It was a gorgeous day.  And then I arrived in San Francisco.  Apparently they are having unseasonably cool and wet weather, which means FOG.  Before checking into my hostel for the night, I headed to the Golden Gate Bridge, hoping to get a photo of it, but this is what I saw from the "Vista Point"...

I couldn't even really see it when I was driving over it.

Here's hoping for a better view tomorrow!

Los Angeles

Since I left Yosemite on Thursday afternoon, I've been hanging out in LA with my friend Lara.  She was one of my suitemates at UNCW, and we've been pretty good about staying in touch since then.

Friday I tagged along as Lara and her sister (who also happened to be in town) got their first tattoos in Hollywood.  I did a little shopping along Melrose, and then we ate dinner at a local pub.

Saturday morning I had breakfast with my step-counsin Paul at a little cafe.  I hadn't seen him since the last time I was in LA (January 2010), and it was great to catch up.  Once again, I forgot to take a photo of the two of us.

In the afternoon the girls and I went to Griffith Park to ride horses.  It was a gorgeous day and a fun ride.

Later, we had dinner at a delicious Indian restaurant.  Here's Lara's sister, Julia, and me.

Then we headed to the beach for a bit.  Here's Lara and I enjoying each other's company.  :)

She's a pretty great gal.  We then took a series of photos jumping on the beach, which were all terrible/hilarious.  Here's an example of me:

Jazz hands?  It makes me giggle.  We had a good time looking back through them all while enjoying a bottle of wine later that night.

It has been a nice, relaxing weekend.  This morning I'll go to the Santa Monica beach for a little bit, and then head up the Pacific Coastal Highway toward San Francisco!

Yosemite

Mostly this post will be an array of photos of the impressive waterfalls that I visited/was soaked by during my visit to Yosemite.

Upper Yosemite Falls

Lower Yosemite Falls 

Half Dome (no waterfall here)

Vernal Falls

Vernal Falls, a closer view

Why I was soaked to the skin at Vernal Falls (twice)

At the end of the Vernal Falls/Nevada Falls hike

Part of a rock cairn garden I found 

Mirror Lake

Yosemite Valley as seen from Tunnel View

If you missed it, don't forget to read the Driving Through Sierra Nevada post below!