Gnomadic » California

Marin County Civic Center

Willard — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:30:54 +0000

I next found myself in the city of San Rafael, just north of San Francisco Bay. Apparently my traveling companion has an interest in the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, and one of his more distinctive designs was the Marin County Civic Center.

Constructed over the period from 1957 to 1970, it was one of the last buildings designed by the architect.

Golden Gate Bridge

Willard — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:13:24 +0000

We didn’t spend as much time in San Francisco as I’d hoped to, though we certainly could not leave without visiting the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge.

The views from the bridge were quite amazing, though it was extremely windy. There were a few times where I almost blew away!

San Francisco

Willard — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:48:52 +0000

Next we journeyed up to San Francisco for a walk around the waterfront. The docks were very crowded and touristy, but still provided some interesting views.

We thought about taking a ride on the cable cars, but the line was extremely long.

So instead, we opted for a short cruise around the harbor. It was great to get off the crowded docks and feel the wind in our faces!

Infinite Loop

Willard — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:52:06 +0000

What trip through California could possibly be complete without visiting Apple HQ?

I tried to sneak in through the side door, but even small gnomes like me can’t make it past their security. Oh, well. I’ll just have to wait like everyone else to find out what’s coming next.

Yosemite National Park (Hetch Hetchy and Glacier Point)

Willard — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:23:24 +0000

After spending the night in a wonderful little bed & breakfast, we journeyed back to view more of the park. First on today’s agenda: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

Hetch Hetchy was described in the past to be as equally stunning as Yosemite Valley. I’d love to have seen what it looked like before the dam was constructed.

After visiting the reservoir, we continued on up to Glacier Point, which provides a stunning view of Yosemite Valley from above.

Here you can see some of the major waterfalls in Yosemite Valley:

Yosemite Falls (Upper and Lower)

Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls

Finally, we drove back to Tunnel View to see the entrance to Yosemite Valley, flanked by El Capitan and the Bridalveil Falls. Here we were extraordinarily fortunate to catch a rainbow over the valley entrance!

Yosemite National Park (Tioga Road)

Willard — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:59:58 +0000

The next stop along our journey was the famous Yosemite National Park. We chose to enter from the east, driving over the 9945 ft (3031 m) high Tioga Pass.

Next we stopped at Tuolumne Meadows, where we refueled and observed the local wildlife.

Several scenic lakes lie along Tioga Road, including the scenic Tenaya Lake.

Further on, Olmsted Point offers a magnificent view of the northern side of Half Dome.

Tioga Road is only open during the summer, and I highly recommend visiting then to experience this wonderful drive.

Mono Lake

Willard — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:58:36 +0000

We spent the night in the beautiful town of Lone Pine, then proceeded north to Mono Lake.

This lake contains very unusual formations called Tufa, which almost make it seem like you’re on another planet.

Death Valley

Willard — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:14:45 +0000

After recovering from my experiences in Las Vegas, we proceeded west to Death Valley, the lowest and (occasionally) hottest place in the United States.

First, we visited the lowest spot in the park, Badwater Basin. The floor of this basin is 282 feet (85.5 meters) below sea level.

Proceeding northwest through the park, I was intrigued by the different varieties of terrain found throughout the park.

However, we couldn’t stay too long. After all, it was the middle of summer, and quite a bit warm out there!