Kit Sierra West
Visiting California on Your Next Road Trip
Much of the American West prides itself on its diversity – from forbidding deserts to breathtaking coastlines, from towering redwood forests to snow-capped mountains. But no state in the West has as much of it as California. The Golden State is a virtual cornucopia of natural wonders. From top to bottom, explore its amazingly beautiful coast to the deep woodlands and deserts found here as well. Stay at hundreds of fantastic California RV Camping Resorts along the way and you'll enjoy the best California has to offer in California Camping.
Sure, California’s fantastic coastlines and towering redwoods of the northern part of the state get all the attention, but in southern California, deserts dominate the landscape. Northeast of Los Angeles, the Mojave Desert encompasses more than 15,000 square miles. Although not every part of the Mojave is ideal for a leisurely picnic lunch (think hot), this "high" desert contains several mountain ranges and is located well above sea level. These two factors are what give the Mojave its unique ecosystem, allowing for a variety of wild inhabitants. Native birds such as the roadrunner and cactus wren often share space with exotic migratory birds like vireos and flycatchers. Coyotes and kit foxes prowl the desert hills, as do more docile creatures like bighorn sheep and wild boars. Like most deserts, the Mojave is susceptible to extreme weather. Bone-chilling during winter nights and sizzling during the hot summer months, the Mojave can also offer up a very enjoyable trip during the spring and fall months.
In the southern end of the region, right before the Mojave Desert becomes the Sonoran Desert, lies Joshua Tree National Park. This 734,000-acre desert sanctuary is home to some of the country's most unusual and photogenic plants. The Joshua tree is the largest of the yucca plants and has flourished in this region of the country. Some two dozen types of bird regularly make the Joshua tree home and the tree plays an intricate part in the ecology of this desert wildlife. The park itself offers a 40-mile driving tour where one can meander through the gentle desert landscape and find plenty of photo opportunities.
North, back across the Mojave Desert, lies Death Valley National Park. But don't let the name scare you off – the place isn’t out to get you. In fact, Death Valley is the most visited desert park in the nation. Although this 2.3 million-acre park certainly delivers its share of forbidding landscape and uninviting weather, these extreme conditions also create some of the most beautiful and dramatic scenery in the entire American West. The valley's floor, which lies nearly 300 feet below sea level, eventually gives way to dazzling painted hills and 10,000-foot snow-capped peaks. Because of the enormity of the park, driving is essential and many of the park's attraction are spread out. But once a destination is picked and the rig is parked, Death Valley offers hundreds of miles of hiking trails for you to soak up the dramatic scenery. Be sure to visit Telescope Peak in the park's Emigrant Canyon. This peak is the park's highest, reaching more than 11,000 feet and offering some fantastic views.
As you head north and out of California's southern desert region, the Sierra Nevadas beckon visitors with its wide variety of activities and natural beauty. This 430-mile stretch of granite cliffs and snowy peaks delight visitors with numerous parks and attractions, including eight national forests, three national parks, and 14 wilderness areas. Any trip to the Sierra's would not be complete without visiting one or more of the region's other national parks: the Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and of course, Yosemite. These national parks are surrounded by California RV Camping Resorts and California Campgrounds.
The 402,000-acre Sequoia National Park is the nation's second oldest park after Yellowstone. The park's most popular attraction (and namesake) is the towering sequoia trees, the tallest growing trees on the planet. Driving through Sequoia National Park is an experience in itself. Follow Mineral King Road as it follows the Kaweah River for 25 miles before reaching the scenic Mineral King portion. General Highway is another twisting drive that will bring you to a stand of trees where four of the five world's tallest can be found. Just north of Sequoia sits Kings Canyon National Park, home of General Grant, the nation's largest tree. Offer up a salute to the lofty hardwood. Another must-see is the Zumwalt Meadow, the six-mile valley floor offers excellent opportunities for day hikes along a peaceful valley surrounded by towering granite cliffs. North of Kings Canyon lies California's most famous national park, Yosemite. Crowds can be, well, annoying, so choose your season well (spring and fall are best). Yosemite's vastness and many isolated areas make this an extremely pleasant visit and a must for the RVer cruising through California.
For even more dramatic scenery head east of Yosemite just a few miles until you reach Mono Lake. One of the oldest lakes in America, Mono Lake attracts all types of wildlife to the area, including unusual sea birds who come seeking food sources that inhabit the lake's salty water. But the truly significant aspect of Mono Lake is the calcium-carbonate rock formations found on the lake's shoreline, porous spires rising out of the salty water, standing like eerie sentinels protecting the shoreline. Creepy, but cool.
From here, choose one of several routes north, all of which are quite scenic, until you reach the Sierra foothills and the Lake Tahoe region. Set along the California-Nevada border, Lake Tahoe has become an immensely popular vacation area, especially for skiers. Lake Tahoe rewards its visitors with fantastic scenery, relaxing hikes, and plenty of other outdoor activities year-round. It's easy to escape the developed shores of Lake Tahoe. The western side of the lake offers two state parks, Emerald Bay and D.L. Bliss, each with miles of connecting hiking trails and memorable surroundings. The lake is a wonder as well. At over 6,000 feet in elevation, this mountain lake is one of the highest in the world. And its crystal-clear, frigid water beckons the hardiest of souls to take a dip.
Northern California remains one of America's most popular and beautiful regions. Yes, there’s much more here than San Francisco, although that’s a wonderful place to start things off. While having only a fraction of the population of southern California, the northern regions offer the most diverse and impressive landscape in the American West.
The Lava Beds National Monument is 47,000 acres of hardened molten lava, which makes for interesting landscape. To visit the Lava Beds National Monument is truly a unique adventure. The region was once a hotbed (literally!) of underground flowing lava tubes. Today, the flows have subsided, but in their wake, a blessing of nearly 200 caves and grottoes, many of which are open for exploration. Whether you're an experienced spelunker, just starting out, or simply curious about this underground world, Lava Beds National Monument is entertaining, nonetheless.
For birders, a must-stop is the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge and the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. While these two adjacent parks, located just north of the Lava Beds, play host to a wide array of permanent and migratory birds, the area is best known for its migratory bald eagle population, generally regarded as the nation's largest. Don’t forget the binoculars.
Directly west of these wildlife refuges, along the California coast, clustered together are several redwood areas that make for wonderful stops. While Redwood National Park anchors the area, the coastal drive is also lined with several areas featuring northern California’s star attraction, the mighty redwood.
Much of the American West prides itself on its diversity – from forbidding deserts
to breathtaking coastlines.
Continuing along the California coast, about an hour north of San Francisco, lies the Point Reyes National Seashore, a majestic peninsula that juts out into the Pacific Ocean. Scientists believe the delicate sediment found here may one day disconnect itself from the California mainland. Here’s a hint: Try not to be there when it does. But until that day, the area is easily accessible and offers fantastic rewards for wildlife enthusiasts. Nearly 500 types of birds call Point Reyes home, or at least during their migratory travels. Dozens of mammals, including several marine types, can easily be found here as well.
If you do nothing else, make sure you travel Highway 1, one of the most scenic drives in the entire world. Here, the journey is as good as the destination, although Big Sur won’t disappoint. This region has inspired generations with its tantalizing views and dazzling sunsets. Because of the numerous RV parks and campgrounds that make up the region, Big Sur easily affords days of leisurely outdoor activities.
Just in case you want to get out of the RV for a day trip, leave your rig behind in Ventura (wave to the Woodall’s office) or Santa Barbara and take a chartered boat to explore the Channel Islands. Sea lions frolic along the islands' beaches. Whales cruise for food just offshore. A myriad of shorebirds roost about the islands' high ground. Santa Cruz Island is the largest and ecologically diverse of all the Channel Islands. Managed by the Nature Conservancy, the island dazzles with its steep, craggy cliffs, hidden caves, sandy beaches, and much more.
About the Author
Article Courtesy of Woodall's Campground Directory. Search for California Campgrounds.
Woodall's Campground Directory is the largest and most detailed North American Campground Directory available, with nearly 15,000 campgrounds included. Woodall's rates and inspects privately owned campgrounds with its trusted 5W-5W rating system. Find out more about Woodall's at Woodalls.com. Woodall's... We're everywhere RVers go.
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Unique Ca Getaways are Trips to Remember
With hard-earned vacation time often in short supply, travelers want to make the most of every weekend or vacation they get. Sometimes that means trying something completely different - a getaway so unique that it will become Topic A around the Monday morning water cooler.
California is blessed with many such unique vacation adventures, and here are three of our favorites:
Luxury tent camping
If your memories of tent camping are crawling into a pup tent, zipping yourself into a sleeping bag, and then writhing all night on a hard piece of ground, we have good news: You can now get the back-to-nature tent camping experience but with a twist that is sure to appeal to all those who swore off tents back in their early 20's.
About 17 miles west of Santa Barbara a place called El Capitan Canyon offers safari-style tents that have been outfitted with real beds, electricity and other conveniences you would expect in a hotel room. The tents are real tents, all right, and zip up just like the ones from your younger years, but they're set up on a permanent wood deck that makes them feel more cabin-like, except that this still is a canvas tent.
There are 26 such tents at El Capitan Canyon - along with dozens of small cabins and yurts - and each one measures 12 feet by 14 feet and is furnished with either one queen bed or two double beds. You'll get bed linens and towels, a small desk, chairs, a bedside table, heating, lights - in other words, considerably more amenities than you probably remember taking with you on that backpacking trip into the Sierra Nevada.
The setting at El Capitan is quite woodsy with groves of sycamore and oak trees, although there are large open areas of grass where the kids can play as well as barbecue pits and picnic tables for each of the tents, cabins or yurts. Just a mile or so down the road is the gorgeous Pacific Ocean and El Capitan State Beach where you can picnic and swim. There are also scenic hiking trails nearby including the Bill Wallace Trail.
We should note the word "luxury" here is a relative term - compared with your every-day garden-variety campground, El Capitan is definitely a couple of notches better and the tents are much more comfortable than any tent you would set up on your own. The cabins and yurts looked cozy as well. But remember, you're going to be camping with no indoor plumbing and modern, clean bathrooms are a couple minutes walk from your tent. A heated swimming pool also is available.
Besides the comfortable accommodations, a big plus for El Capitan Canyon is the on-site Canyon Market that includes an excellent sandwich shop, light groceries and other provisions for your stay. The market has "barbecue kits" available for purchase that include all the meat and fixings for hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, fish or even tri-tip. If you do decide to do your own cooking, you'll need to pack kitchen supplies from home.
We found El Capitan Canyon to be quite enjoyable and quite different from many of the hotels and resorts we often visit. It was a way to return to our roots - that is, enjoy an outdoors experience but do it in a more civilized way with no sore backs in the morning and shower facilities close at hand to freshen up after a night in the "wilderness."
For more information, go to www.elcapitancanyon.com or phone 866-352-2729.
Fire lookout
If you're the type of traveler who truly likes to get away from people - who puts a high premium on quiet, uninterrupted peace, and who will not go into withdrawal if you have to go a night without television - then have we got the place. The Morton Peak Fire Lookout books overnight stays for people just like you.
The U.S. Forest Service views the lookout rental program as a way to generate a little good PR at a time when they have to keep telling people that services may be more limited or more expensive due to tight budgets.
We reserved our night by calling the Big Bear Lake Resort Association, which handles bookings for the Morton Peak Lookout, the only such facility in Southern California that is available for rentals. The lookout actually is just at the edge of the San Bernardino Forest and, if you're coming from the Los Angeles area, it will save you about 45 minutes off the normal two-hour drive to Big Bear.
We noted that the last three miles are on a steep, rutted road but it wasn't long before we came to a small clearing on a mountain top with, as advertised, a 30-foot tower and a 14X14 "cabin" on the top. Maybe a more apt description would be an aircraft control tower on stilts, as the cabin had windows running the length of every wall, offering views in every direction.
This particular tower, elevation 4624 feet, was built in the 1930's, then burned down and rebuilt in 1960. It eventually went out of service and into disrepair as the Forest Service cut back on its paid lookout program, but was rebuilt in 2001 with a $5,000 government grant and a volunteer work force.
Soon we were ready for our night at the edge of the world. As the sun dipped slowly, the nearby mountains darkened while, at the same time, the city lights below us came alive. The juxtaposition seemed unusual - here we were perched on a mountainside all by ourselves, yet below us were the lights of nearly the entire Los Angeles basin.
The lookout is small, but comfortable for a couple or perhaps a couple with one or two small children. You'll find just a couple of small beds but space for a child if you want to roll some blankets out out on the floor. There's no running water in the cabin, no refrigeration, no power. Cooking is restricted to the picnic table outside and you must haul in your own gas stove because fires and charcoal briquettes are not allowed.
For more information on reservations at Morton Peak Lookout, call the Big Bear Resort Association at 1-800-4-BIG-BEAR or visit www.bigbear.com.
Historic paddle-wheeler
Who can resist the charm of an early 20th-century riverboat - a true paddle-wheeler that once offered prohibition-era drinking, jazz bands and gambling for its fun-loving passengers? Fortunately there's no need to travel to the Mississippi - and no, we're not talking Disneyland. The Delta King awaits your exploration dockside in Old Sacramento.
Just like passengers back in the 1920s, today's guests enjoy enchanting river views, great food and drink and a cozy stateroom unlike any other accommodation you may have experienced. But unlike those early passengers, you will have to be content with scenery that remains pretty constant. The Delta King isn't going anyplace anytime soon.
But then it doesn't need to. This historic 285-foot boat is docked along the Old Sacramento riverfront which, today, has been turned into a hip collection of good restaurants, eclectic shops and trendy night spots that draw millions of tourists and local residents alike.
The Delta King and her identical twin, the Delta Queen, were christened in 1927, the same year that the vessels began voyages between San Francisco and Sacramento. The elegance and craftsmanship are apparent the moment one enters the lobby area where the rich red oak paneling and fixtures create an impression of opulence. The dining room, too, has that feeling of classic comfort, and a wide stairway and oak banisters bring to mind those images of the grand stairway in the Titanic.
We found the rooms to be small, but no smaller than expected for a stateroom on board an authentic riverboat. Our room had a queen bed on one side, a single bed on the other, and a tiny bathroom - with an unusual six-foot high toilet tank -- in the middle. Color TV with cable was available on the queen bed side.
For history buffs, Old Sacramento also has a number of museums including the California State Railroad Museum, the California Military Museum, Discovery Museum History Center, the Old Sacramento Interpretive Center, the Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum and the Wells Fargo History Museum.
For more information on the Delta King, phone 1-800-825-5464 or go to www.deltaking.com.
About the Author
Cary Ordway is a syndicated travel writer and president of Getaway Media Corp, which publishes websites focused on regional getaway travel. Among the sites currently offered by GMC are http://www.californiaweekend.com , covering California family vacations and other Golden State destinations, and http://www.northwesttraveladvisor.com , covering Northwest vacation ideas.