There had been a lot of uncertainty surrounding travel while living in the UAE. Regulations were changing constantly, so we opted to travel separately for two full years. In 2021, we took a couple of trips to the U.S. to visit family. We both ended up visiting California (Nick additionally visited Oregon) during two such trips. The US west coast has so much natural beauty. Between the stately redwood forests, sublime coastlines, and colossal granite walls, it's the adventurer's dream.
What We Did
Bay Area, CA
Urban hiking: There are a LOT of urban trails up into the mountains. My brother took me to one of them in Berkeley. It was really cool! It definitely beats the urban scapes of Houston and Abu Dhabi.
Muir Woods National Monument: Such a beautiful park so close to the Bay Area. It was the only place we saw banana slugs, and it was my first time seeing the redwoods. Make sure to book your parking in advance (it's required). If you forget, head down to Muir beach for service and a nice photo op while you book.
Alcatraz: I didn't expect to see kaleidoscopic gardens and learn so much history of the Bay Area indigenous people. Once used by the native Americans, Alcatraz Island was taken over by the US government initially as a fort in 1850 and later converted to the famed prison in 1934 (closed in 1963; https://www.bop.gov/about/history/alcatraz.jsp). In 1969, the Occupation of Alcatraz Island by Indians of All Tribes (IOAT) began. The protest served as symbolic reclamation of land by the indigenous people after the federal prison was closed (https://www.nps.gov/.../historyculture/we-hold-the-rock.htm).
I also learned of the famed escape by the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris in 1962. They used fake heads made of plaster, flesh-tone paint, and real human hair to goose the guards. It's still unknown if they successfully escaped (https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/alcatraz-escape).
Note that parking is REALLY challenged, so be sure to plan ahead or take an Uber.
Coit Tower: They were only accepting cash on the day I visited, so I wasn't able to go to the top. But, there are some really cool historically-inspired murals on the ground floor you can see for free.
USS Pampanito: I had some time to kill, so I decided to check out this submarine. I'm surprised every time how much I enjoy touring ships, submarines, planes, etc. I blame Nick :)
California Academy of Sciences:
Highway 1 Northbound, CA
Jenner Eclogite: My brother (who is also a geologist) knew of a place with world-class eclogite on the beach. The rocks were amazing, but the seal watching and sunset were phenomenal.
Glass Beach: Honestly, pretty underwhelming. There were only a few areas with decent glass coverage, and people were taking samples by the fistful. After I got my fill of glass, I walked the path a bit and enjoyed the beautiful coastal cliffs and flowers away from the crowds.
Weott, CA
Avenue of the Giants: If you have the time, you MUST take this route. It's such a sleepy drive completely surrounded by redwoods. And, not many cars seemed to take it, so take your time and enjoy!
Orick, CA
Humboldt Redwoods State Park: We happened upon the Founders Grove Nature Trail and really enjoyed this drowsy loop. We only ran into a few other people while on this path, so it was very peaceful.
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center: We went here to get hiking path guidance/advice. It's always worthwhile to get a map and talk with a ranger to get the latest park information.
Miners' Ridge to James Irvine Loop (Fern Canyon): ~13 mi
This path has it all: redwoods, ferns, flowers, elk, bugs, birds, ocean beach, and canyons. We HIGHLY recommend this one, especially if you only have time for one longer hike.
Eureka, CA
Carson and Pink Lady Mansions: You. Can't. Go. Inside. So bizarre. Anyway, worth it for a few pictures of these 19th Century abodes, as they are very unique.
Romano Gabriel Sculpture Garden: This was closed, but the front window was cool to look at!
Woodley Island Fisherman Statue: A tribute to those lost at sea in the area. You can also get some good views, and be sure to bring some cash if you want to buy some fresh fish!
CA-299 Eastbound, CA
Whiskeytown Lake: We only stopped/hiked down for a few pictures. The lake is so pretty!
Dunsmuir, CA
Mossbrae Falls: One of my favorite waterfalls so far. The trail to get there is private property and goes along an active railroad track, so go at your own risk! From town, take a right at the tracks (be sure to walk on the east side of the tracks where you can maximize your distance). You'll pass by amazing examples of basaltic dikes, and once you see the graffiti, you'll see a rock that points off to the right in the direction of the falls (very short hike down).
Heart Lake: Such a gorgeous hike with views of Mt. Shasta and a calm pond at the top. Having lunch by the water was so relaxing.
Redding, CA
Sundial Bridge: Only a photo stop, but was a nice way to break up the drive!
Monterey, CA
Pinnacles National Park: I took the Pinnacles Visitor Center to Balconies Cave trail, which ended up being a bit over 9 miles roundtrip (my first solo hike). The rock formations are really intriguing, and I saw a bunch of signs indicating climbing spots (so, we HAVE to go back!). Make sure to bring lots of water, and have some kind of light for the cave (headlight is best, but a phone light was better than nothing).
Monterey Bay Aquarium: You have to book in advance, but they don't seem to care if you adhere to your time slot or not, which is pretty great. There are a lot of really nice exhibits, but the one I remember most is the kelp room. Also, these funny little guys:
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve: This place is an absolute gem. There were hardly any other people here, and it has some of the most colorful and dramatic landscapes at and away from the coast.
Big Sur, CA
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (McWay Falls): They weren't accepting credit card, so bring some with you just in case. I had to park at the side of the highway (along with others), then hike to the falls. The fog was really dense, so I could barely see the falls!
Pfeiffer Falls Trail: An easy out-and-back trail where they've actually installed some wooden stairs and bridges. Had I done some more pre-planning, I likely would have skipped this one. I wanted to do the Bluffs and Panorama Trail via Creamery Meadow trail but didn't have time.
Andrew Molera State Park: Another great park with ample parking and incredible coastal views.
Bixby Creek Bridge: Worth the photo! Just be patient with parking and be careful walking along the highway.
Dutch Flat, CA
Dutch Flat Hotel: We stayed here for one night while in the gold mining area of California. Originally, we planned to stay in Nevada City, but could not find reasonable accommodations. It turned out to be a pretty cool place. It was the original building built for the gold rush and reminiscent of many movies portraying that era. We were there offseason, so we were the only guests which made it pretty creepy, and a little like the Shining.
Nevada City, CA
Nevada City is one of the more famous towns built from all the wealth coming from surrounding gold and silver mines. Today this town is small, but it has a very friendly atmosphere. It has several points of interest dating back to the gold rush era, such as Ott's Assay Office and an experimental 36" diameter vertical shaft core.
It was Halloween while we visited, so the streets were full of people in costume and closed street markets.
North Bloomfield, CA
Malakoff Diggins State Park: This is a testament to the absolute destruction man is capable of doing to the Earth's surface. This place was made into a state park to show future generations on how destructive hydraulic mining is. While the hills are pretty to look at, the sediment run off back in the early 1900's was so bad it destroyed the entire river eco system. This location's destruction is why the EPA was created. Also, while we were here, we're pretty sure a black bear was nearby due to what appeared to be fresh prints and scat.
Grass Valley, CA
Empire Mine: One of the richest gold veins in California and most profitable mine until the late 1900's. This was a shaft system deep into the Earth where pulling out ore was as challenging as managing water influx. The mine entrance is still open to view, along with several other buildings on site, including the gold smelting/ingot pouring house.
Sacramento, CA
State Capitol: Made a quick visit on our way to San Fransisco. It was a weekend day, so it was closed.
Inverness, CA
Point Reyes National Seashore: An absolute gem just north of San Fransisco. This place was surprisingly very pretty with a lot of wild life! We hiked two of the costal trails, one of which was down to the lighthouse. There are a lot of steps down, which meant a lot of steps back up!!
Clearwater, OR
Toketee Falls Trail: This was our first inland stop on the Oregon leg of the trip on our way to Crater Lake. The parking location is along a massive wooden pipeline that is supplying water to a hydroelectric power plant, and quite hilariously leaky. The hike is short, but it has a very nice ending at a pretty waterfall. We were there in the morning, so the light was a little challenging as the sun lined up with the falls.
Medford/Crater Lake, OR
Crater Lake National Park: We stopped here in late October, which is right before they shut the park down for the winter season. As it was, the snow was already several feet deep in places not being plowed, and we only had access to the visitor center. It was nice to see this area with snow, but I am glad Ashley and I had previously been able to drive the rim several years ago in the summer.
Upper Rogue River Gorge: Heading to Medford on our way down from Crater Lake, we stopped along the Rogue River Gorge and saw really cool geology/hydrology interaction. In some places, ancient lava tubes direct the flow of water underground and back out again at a spot called "Natural Bridge."
Upper Table Rock: Near Medford there are two large plateaus called Upper and Lower Table Rock. We only had time for one and chose the Upper. It was a nice hike, moderately strenuous. Unfortunately, we got there near sunset, so we had to hike down in pretty dark conditions.
Food
Monte Rio, CA
Guerneville Taco Truck: SO GOOD.
Bay Area, CA
La Familia Taqueria: Amazing authentic burritos!
Monterey/Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA
Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch Restaurant: It's first-come-first-serve, and it was already PACKED when I got there right after it opened. I was there alone, so I was fine with eating at the bar. Strolling the grounds was definitely worth the visit. The grounds are really beautiful.
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