The final leg of our adventure was California. 10 days to travel between San Fran and LA. Our California experience started with 3 nights in San Fran, the afternoon we arrived was wet and miserable, the perfect excuse for an afternoon of rest. The following two days were the first days (since last summer in Australia almost) that we could say we were hot. The sun shone and we were able to get out and about without our big heavy coats. A very nice feeling.
San Francisco is such a beautiful city, not unlike Melbourne CBD in it’s own business district. We all loved the gorgeous decorative architecture and the variation of pretty pastel colours of the houses. During our stay we explored Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 35, Union Street, The Golden Gate Bridge, The Painted Ladies (the houses used in Full House), Mrs Doubtfire’s house, rode a Cable Car and enjoyed being out in the sun.
I think one of the highlights for the girls was Alcatraz. Andrew and I have been to San Fran before (it was actually my 3rdvisit) and had done the tour of Alcatraz and we weren’t sure we’d do it again. But the girls were insistent on going – so go we did. We spent an entire afternoon out there – and I think the girls would’ve stayed longer. When we arrived we were lucky enough to join up with a tour of the ‘Escapes from Alcatraz’ put on by the park rangers. It was an exciting and captivating tour – with deadly tales of attempts at escapes and stories of murder and mystery. It was then time for the audio tour – this was done individually and talked you through the entire cell block. It was so well done and all of the girls were enthralled – a definite must for any age person when in San Fran.
We’d picked up a car at the airport in San Fran, so when our time was up we hopped in and headed for Yosemite. Despite this being Andrew’s second visited and my third visit to the park we were no less excited about it. The US National Parks (although my experience is somewhat limited) are spectacular. I look forward to the day I return and tick off some other places like Yellowstone and the like. But for now Yosemite is our destination and it did not disappoint. We arrived and began exploring immediately – EL Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalviel Falls and The Tunnel for sunset and sunrise. One difference this time was the sprinkling of snow from the peaks right down to some parts of the valley floor. We saw deer and lots of bird life too.
I think one of the highlights for the girls was Alcatraz. Andrew and I have been to San Fran before (it was actually my 3rdvisit) and had done the tour of Alcatraz and we weren’t sure we’d do it again. But the girls were insistent on going – so go we did. We spent an entire afternoon out there – and I think the girls would’ve stayed longer. When we arrived we were lucky enough to join up with a tour of the ‘Escapes from Alcatraz’ put on by the park rangers. It was an exciting and captivating tour – with deadly tales of attempts at escapes and stories of murder and mystery. It was then time for the audio tour – this was done individually and talked you through the entire cell block. It was so well done and all of the girls were enthralled – a definite must for any age person when in San Fran.
We’d picked up a car at the airport in San Fran, so when our time was up we hopped in and headed for Yosemite. Despite this being Andrew’s second visited and my third visit to the park we were no less excited about it. The US National Parks (although my experience is somewhat limited) are spectacular. I look forward to the day I return and tick off some other places like Yellowstone and the like. But for now Yosemite is our destination and it did not disappoint. We arrived and began exploring immediately – EL Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalviel Falls and The Tunnel for sunset and sunrise. One difference this time was the sprinkling of snow from the peaks right down to some parts of the valley floor. We saw deer and lots of bird life too.
From Yosemite we headed further south to The Giant Sequoia’s – one place neither Andrew nor I had been before. I had been looking forward to this visit for years. The Sequoia trees only grow about 5000 feet – so you can imagine the drive to see them. I think the drive into this national park was one of the most spectacular drives I’ve ever been on. An unexpected bonus. As we climbed higher and higher – the view becoming more breathtaking with each turn, the snow on the ground became thicker and thicker. Once again the day was clear and sunny – creating a very pretty scene. The race was on – the first to spot a Giant Sequoia – we all knew instantly when we saw the first one. An amazing feat of nature that no pictures can do justice. We visited General Sherman – said to be one of the oldest standing trees in the world – thought to be around 2200 years old – it’s branches have a diameter of 7 feet. As we left the National Park we were treated to some lively deer displays too.
Our next stop was San Bernardino, a good base to explore Joshua Tree NP and Palm Springs. Joshua Tree had been on both Andrew and my list as a must see, so again we were all excited about this new discovery. WOW – what a truly unique place. The kids enjoyed scrabbling over rocks and climbing up high. After miles of winding through the, most flat, valley floor we took the road up to the lookout – we had picked a good day and could see all the way to Palm Springs.
We left the NP and the Joshua Trees behind and drove to Palm Springs. What a gorgeous place – such a nice vibe. We did a self drive tour and marvelled at the mid century architecture, meticulously maintained gardens and spotless wide streets. I’ll let the pictures tell the story…
From here we made our way into to our final destination – LA. We had four days ahead of us – jammed packed with fun – Disneyland, Universal etc… However that was all turned on it’s head when a couple of hours after arriving we found ourselves in a Hollywood ER. Isla’s head had collided with the glass coffee table and required 5 staples. She braved through and seemed almost unscathed by the event – except for being a little quiet. The Dr assured us Disneyland the following day would be fine – and it was! A 12 hour marathon of fun - it certainly was the happiest place in the world for us that day.
From here we made our way into to our final destination – LA. We had four days ahead of us – jammed packed with fun – Disneyland, Universal etc… However that was all turned on it’s head when a couple of hours after arriving we found ourselves in a Hollywood ER. Isla’s head had collided with the glass coffee table and required 5 staples. She braved through and seemed almost unscathed by the event – except for being a little quiet. The Dr assured us Disneyland the following day would be fine – and it was! A 12 hour marathon of fun - it certainly was the happiest place in the world for us that day.
We had already decided to have a quieter day the next day (instead of Universal Studios back to back with Disneyland) – which is good because I think the head knock and a new cold caught up with Isla. We spent our final couple of days doing things in, and a short walk from, the car. Beverley Hills houses, Hollywood walk of fame, Hollywood sign, Venice Beach, Santa Monica pier, Rodeo Drive and some more shopping. We missed out on Universal Studies – but we can leave that for next time!
And then suddenly it was leaving day and the trip that I thought would never come and then never finish, is finishing. Very mixed emotions within the camp – happy and excited to be going home, but sad to be finishing this epic adventure. The past (almost) 10 weeks have been a blast and the most amazingly special family time – perhaps time we won’t have again as these girls grow up quicker and quicker.
And just like that we were home.
