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Guess i should update my travels. So far went up the Calif coast (Hwy 1) to Santa Cruz/Monterey area. Spent much of that time in the beautiful redwod groves of Big Basin and Henry Cowell near Santa Cruz. Then went to Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings canyon Nat Parks. Have a Calif State park pass and a Nat Parks pass so visit as many of those as I can. Then a trip home to leave The Barkinator (my yappy little dog) home with my sister because she won't stop barking and because most state and National parks do not allow dogs on any trails at all - just in the campgrounds and on opaved roads. Then on to Utah, Wyoming and Montana Nat Parks next. May take my motorcycle but not sure yet as it's still cold in many places and "I Am Wimp! Hear Me Whine."
Ah, the redwoods are my favorite trees. I always hug them. For real. :) Love Big Basin and Henry Cowell. Enjoy UT and WY and safe travels!
Kara
Spartana: so the Barkinator keeps your sister from barking? Cool!
Love the Redwoods, too --- DH worked for Redwood National Park (Crescent City) and we loved the area. Too much rain, tho, but ... one gets used to it ... and Sept-Oct are absolutely beautiful!! But my absolutely favorite trees are California live oaks and digger (gray) pines / coulter pines. Actually, I love their cones; the trees are pretty ugly. And they can't help being ugly, so I love them even more because of that. :D
Spartana: so the Barkinator keeps your sister from barking? Cool!
Love the Redwoods, too --- DH worked for Redwood National Park (Crescent City) and we loved the area. Too much rain, tho, but ... one gets used to it ... and Sept-Oct are absolutely beautiful!! But my absolutely favorite trees are California live oaks and digger (gray) pines / coulter pines. Actually, I love their cones; the trees are pretty ugly. And they can't help being ugly, so I love them even more because of that. :D Ha Ha!! Well at least the Barkinator doesn't bite. Can't say the same for my sister :-)!
I also love the Redwood Nat Park near Cresent City. My brother lived in Eureka for years so I spent lots of time up there when I lived in NorCal (Marin County). Love all of Norcal but it IS rainy up there - at least on the coast. The Calif Live Oaks are great and of course there are so many of them close to Yosemite, etc... Too hot and dry for me there but love it in winter. Hmmm.... I guess the best place in Calif is the coast in summer and inland in winter. But then the housing costs to live there...UGH!
I love vicariously enjoying all your travels. :)
iris lilies
6-6-13, 10:14pm
I am sad that the Barkinator will not be able to enjoy a lovely vacation. She could be seeing lots of beautiful things including big old trees, she could enjoy pretty mountains and cool weather. But instead, she had to bark and bark! And bark. Yes I believe that there should be consequences for poor behavior, and having mom stop in the middle of your vacation and take you back home is one of those consequences. While our parents threatened to turn the car around if we didn't behave, the OP DID turn the car around, haha.
That sounds like a wonderful trip!
happystuff
6-21-13, 7:23pm
<whine warning>
I wanna see a Redwood!
<end of whine>
Sounds like a wonderful trip! Enjoy and stay safe!!!
Spartana, in all of your Calif. travels, have you ever visited the Hearst castle? I'm wanting to see it but not sure it would be worth a special trip from Phx.
treehugger
6-22-13, 2:36pm
I don't know that I would say that a tour of Hearst castle, on its own, is worth a trip from Phoenix, but a vacation to California's beautiful central coast is worth it, and Hearst Castle would be a fun part of that trip. So many things to do in the San Luis Obisbo/San Simeon/Pismo Beach area.
Kara
I don't know that I would say that a tour of Hearst castle, on its own, is worth a trip from Phoenix, but a vacation to California's beautiful central coast is worth it, and Hearst Castle would be a fun part of that trip. So many things to do in the San Luis Obisbo/San Simeon/Pismo Beach area.
Kara
Thanks, Kara - that might be next summer's vacation.
Spartana, in all of your Calif. travels, have you ever visited the Hearst castle? I'm wanting to see it but not sure it would be worth a special trip from Phx.What Treehugger said!
I have only been to Hearst Castle once long ago and it was very cool. Definetly worth seeing once. However I spend A LOT of time on the central coast of Calif (like weeks at a time several times a year each and every year) and love it there. It's not as beautiful as the Northern Calif coast but it's a nice get-a-way from the LA metro area. There are some great Calif beach towns like quaint Cambria (and a walk along the wooden boardwalk on Moonstone beach), Cayucos, Morro Bay (where I usually stay as they have a great state park campground on the bay as does Los Osos), San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Solvang (reproduction Danish town), Santa Ynez, etc... If I was you, I'd look into flying from PHX to LA, pick up a rental car and just cruise up the coast with some stops in Ventura< Santa Barbara, Solvang and Lompoc, and all the way to San Simeon (a tiny town with a great state beach and camping by Hearst Castle). many of those places have historic Missions that are worth a visit in and of themselves. Come in Spring (green with wildflowers everywhere but foggy) or fall (dry and hot but fog free and cool at night) rather than summer because those places are mega-crowded.
Trip got shortened up a bit because my sister's job transferred her further away so she won't be around to watch my dog. So will resume the trip soon, taking the barkinator with me.
try2bfrugal
6-28-13, 1:44am
I don't know that I would say that a tour of Hearst castle, on its own, is worth a trip from Phoenix, but a vacation to California's beautiful central coast is worth it, and Hearst Castle would be a fun part of that trip. So many things to do in the San Luis Obisbo/San Simeon/Pismo Beach area.
Kara
I agree. Hearst Castle is worth a visit but not on its own. There is a ton of other stuff to do in California along with it.
I agree. Hearst Castle is worth a visit but not on its own. There is a ton of other stuff to do in California along with it. And don't forget the beautiful central Calif wine country!! I'm headed up the coast again on the 5th (heading to Washington with the Barkinator in tow...sigh...) and plan to hit a few of those wineries myself. Something to make Iris Lily jealous :-)!
Where in WA are you headed? (sorry...admittedly late on this thread, you may have said already)
Where in WA are you headed? (sorry...admittedly late on this thread, you may have said already)
No where in particular - just cruising slowly up the coast from SoCal to get out of this heat that seems to be everywhere in the country except along the west coast areas. No time limit or end destination except to visit a friend in Bremerton, WA. Where I plan to stay for a bit. Leaving here today. Maybe when I get to Washington I'll see if any of those Washingtonians here are up for a get together. That would be fun!
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