Northern California Road Trip

Published 2021

This trip can only be classified as an adventure and not a vacation. We saw a lot of country in a couple of weeks and put on a lot of miles. Not sure if I am up for anything like that anytime soon but grateful for all the amazing things we got to see on this trip.

The adventure began in Minnesota... the Yukon was loaded up with the fam and all the gear for camping and kayaking. First destination was Idaho Falls, Idaho. We had a hotel booked for just a quick stop and stay before our first real destination in Reno, Nevada. As we drove through the desert the skies were nice and blue and sunny, but as we got closer to Reno with the fires burning just North of there, the visibility got worse and worse. By the time we were in Reno the reality of the fires burning nearby was apparent.

RENO

We found where we would be staying for the night at the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino. It was huge and the kids were fully impressed. It was very similar to the big resort hotels you find in Las Vegas. The pool was a nice way to kick things off, but the smoke was so thick it was all you could see beyond the pool.

I couldn't even imagine at this point that there were big beautiful mountains just beyond my view. We limited our time at the pool since the air quality was very poor. My kids all love the non-alcoholic Pina Coladas so we got a round of them while we were out there anyways.

Our short time there proved colorful though with an adult pool overtop throwing around an "inflatable doll" and Johnathan finding a pin for a bachelor party that read "Send Nudes" with a phone number and a guys face on it. We got some good laughs from all that.

We soaked up the amenities of a big casino resort including the arcade, some VR games and axe throwing. A little bit of luxury before our many nights in the tent would begin. Looking back....ending with some luxury would have been the way to go as accommodations were a rollercoaster of emotions after that.

Another highlight for the kids was the buffet. They could not believe that you could just keep going and getting any of the amazing food and that you were to get a new plate each time you went up. The bottomless mimosas were truly bottomless as the waitstaff never let them get more than half an inch below the top! LOL

LAKE TAHOE

Next stop was Lake Tahoe. Our campground was in South Lake Tahoe so we decided to drive to the Incline Village on the North end and make our way around the lake. We were not impressed with how busy it was in that area. There were cars parked on both sides of the road along most of the main roads through there. It was a nice warm day and everyone was making their way to the lake. We had hoped to check that area out more but with how congested it was, and not knowing where we were going, we drove straight through and made our way along the east side of the lake down to our campground at Fallen Leaf Lake.

Once we had camp set up we checked out Fallen Leaf Lake on the south side of the campground. Even with the smoke it was a beautiful peaceful spot. The mountain lake was very cold but the kids still went for a swim. It is a pretty big campground and it took awhile to walk from our campsite to find the lake. It would have been another great spot to use the kayaks if we had been there longer.

The next day was our big adventure onto Lake Tahoe itself. We transported 3 inflatable kayaks from Minnesota just for this day, and I was excited. With covid all the rental places were shut down. I was thankful I did my research before we went so that we were not stranded on shore wishing we could venture out on the water. From what we could see there would normally be a couple of different options just from where we went in and then also at Vikingsholm.

After we made it around the bend there was a resting spot where we stopped for lunch. I had dry sacks packed with snacks and stuff for sandwiches. A very enjoyable little stop to refuel.

The water was so clear and blue.... it looked like the water was shallow and we would keep checking with our oars and it was way deeper than we could reach every time. Just looking down in the water was an amazing enough experience for this venture out.

We ended up going 7 miles roundtrip making it into Emerald Bay, exploring Vikingsholm and climbing to the top of the rock formation in the bay to where the "Queen of the Lake" used to bring her guests to have tea. I could have spent many more days out on the lake.

Emerald Bay was a fantastic spot to check out. They have a large dock where people were sitting on and enjoying the views which was also deep enough to run and jump or dive off of. We did not do the tour of the Vikingsholm building but explored the grounds around it including the gift shop where we got a few things and some ice cream.

Highly recommend stopping on the little island in the bay. There are a few spots you can pull your kayak up on and climb on to shore. The entire island shoreline is rocks but I did just fine barefoot. The hike up to the top was well worth it to see the stone structure and for the views of the lake from up there.

What a truly unique place to see.

But I have to note that its a good thing that the lake was so amazing and we had such a good time kayaking because I will NEVER stay in a campground around Lake Tahoe again in my life! We have stayed in many campgrounds in the Western United States where there are bear boxes for your food at night, but this was different. The park ranger gave me a talking to about a cooler that was sitting out during daylight and I thought he was over reacting....NOPE. He actually wrote me a ticket that we kept "asking for trouble" was on the bottom which we chucked about. But.....

THE BEARS DO ACTUALLY WANDER IN AND OUT OF THE CAMPGROUND AT ALL TIMES OF THE DAY!!!!

We got back with some ice and I pulled the cooler out of the bear box and I hear someone yell BEAR... I look over the big brown metal box and across the road from me is a bear. At this time we have the girls with us and the boys are at the other site with cousins. We get the girls in the vehicle and the bear is making its way around the sites heading towards the rest of our crew. People are honking horns, throwing rocks at them, sending their dogs after them. I was in shock as to what was happening.

Then.... what do I see but all the boys come running chasing the bear.....chasing...the...bear. The camp rangers are cruising around in their golf cart chasing them out of the campground. So that all happened on the first day we were there and we had scheduled to spend TWO NIGHTS SLEEPING IN TENTS AT THIS CAMPGROUND. So we lock everything up at night before bed and just pray the bears are just looking for donuts and not people for a snack. The first night included lots of horns honking and people screaming. Second night was better but still.... We were ready to leave that campground. While we were out kayaking the guy next to us informed us that A MOMMY BEAR AND TWO CUBS WERE SNIFFING AROUND OUR CAMPSITE. No thank you. It has been fun Tahoe but bye bye.

We left first thing the next morning ready to make a fresh start at our new campsite. As we left the Tahoe area and the skies began to clear you could really see how bad the smoke looked that was looming over that area. Looked like the end of days. The pictures cannot capture how creepy it looked.

Then there was blue skies once again. It felt so great to get some relief from the smoke.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

5 hours south got us to the entrance of Yosemite.

Everything about our experience at Yosemite was awesome. We hit the jackpot and got to spend two nights within the park at North Pines. With covid limiting the sites available, and them booking up within the first few minutes of being available online, we knew what we had was special. Our campsite was situated on the fork of a river and stream and had wonderful views of the park as well as the Half Dome. No electric or showers but this campground was still by far our favorite from the entire trip.

We did the hike to views of the Half Dome and to the Lower Falls. We had big plans to do the Upper Falls, but due to it being a dry year (hence the fires) they were dry. From what we read its an 8 mile roundtrip hike...which I was not prepared to do anyways. What we saw was amazing and I quickly found out why Yosemite is one of the most popular National Parks. Endless beauty all around.

After another day of enjoying the river by our campsite, we took the kids on a hike to Mirror Lake.

But to our surprise.... Mirror Lake was all dried up! We were confused at first as to where the lake was, but after a short investigation we realized we were standing in the lakebed itself. I would love to return when the lake is full and the river is flowing.

The rock bed in this picture is where the river usually runs. I saw pictures posted after we got back of what the river normally looks like, and what a difference it makes to the area when its not all dried up.

If I were to return to Yosemite I would plan for more time to soak in the sites and explore more of the trails. Two days was just enough to get a taste of what it has to offer. But it was time to head west to the coast. First stop was our campsite at the Saddle Mountain Ranch in Carmel. Once we had the tent setup we made our way to Big Sur along Hwy 1. It was as scenic and beautiful as they make it out to be.

BIG SUR

We made our way down to the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. I saw the amazing posts on Pinterest with views of the waterfall going into the ocean. Upon arrival it was not what we were expecting. It was hard to find where to park and then you took a tunnel under the road to get to a short path that led to where I took this picture. You can see the waterfall against the rocks. It was cool to see but nothing like what I expected. Come to find out it is illegal now to climb down to the beach, and the other paths below where we parked were closed off due to erosion. So if that was high on your list of places to visit, like it was mine, just know this will be as close as you get to the waterfall.

It was getting later in the day so we headed up to Nepenthe in Big Sur where we planned to have dinner for my birthday! The food and atmosphere did not disappoint. The restaurant is built on the cliffside with fantastic views of the coast. A popular place so there was a little bit of a wait, but they have a gift shop with all kinds of unique gifts to keep you occupied. I would definitely recommend making a stop there if you are traveling to Big Sur.

CARMEL

We found the cold beach the next day as we made our way up to Monterey and around the 17 Mile Drive. The weather was not very warm so it was really nice to be able to stay in the vehicle and enjoy the views and get out for a few pics. We checked out most of the stops in their brochure and I would say it was worth the admission.

The water was so cold but that didn't stop the kids from jumping in!

One of the stops was the Lone Cypress Tree which has became the symbol in the area.

We checked out the Pebble Beach Visitor Center at the end of the loop which mainly talked about golf before heading down to Carmel. The cute little storybook town is a place you just have to see. Adorable little shops lining both streets just up from the beach. We parked at the bottom and made our way up one side and back down the other. I found a few touristy shops that had reasonably priced goods and got some souvenirs. If you have money to burn, there are lots of great options here. After our shopping adventure we went to the beach briefly as it was kinda windy and still not very warm. We began to realize our idea of warm sunny beaches was not a thing in Northern California.

Back at the Saddle Mountain Ranch we were 10 miles off the coast and blocked by a small mountain keeping the cold and mist from reaching us. A wonderful spot to camp located on a hillside. Great amenities including hot showers and a swimming pool. We ordered pizza one night and enjoyed the great views of the hillsides. Here is a view of our campsite at night.

Making our way up the coast we stopped to enjoy some views of the coast including Shark Fin Cove which was really cool. Kinda steep to get down to the beach but worth it as long as you are careful and take your time. But the path is steep and kinda slippery. The waves hitting the shore were fantastic, but again it was cold, so we saw the sites and got our pics and didn't stick around too long.

SAN FRANCISCO

We ended up driving straight through San Francisco to the Golden Gate Bridge. The Vaccine Mandate came out the day before we were to be arriving so we decided we would just get up to our next campsite. We did stop and enjoy views of the bridge for awhile and got some pictures. I was bummed we were not able to explore San Francisco at all since driving through doesn't capture any of the great things there, but it will have to be another time. I was there 17 years ago and really enjoyed it. But at least they got to see the Golden Gate Bridge!

DILLON BEACH

An hour north of San Francisco we arrived at Dillon Beach. I was super excited about this campsite as it was "right on the ocean." And it was, it just wasn't what I had envisioned. The campground is very large with lots of campers and quite a ways to get to the end of the point where I had us booked. There was no beach but rocks along the shore. There were portable restrooms as the only amenities. We got setup just before dark. We had a sea lion by the rocks that we had to explain to the kids that it could drag them out to sea...so that was fun.

The next morning it was cool to see the tide out and people out clamming. The boys had left early for a fishing adventure. We let the girls venture out onto the sea floor for treasures before we headed in to Napa Valley. We were so close we figured why not venture over there.

NAPA VALLEY

So we made our way 20 miles inland to Napa Valley. The sun was out and warm and so much nicer feeling than the cold and damp feeling at the campground.

Napa was full of all kinds of cute shops and great places to eat. We explored for awhile and found a few goods to bring back and had lunch. I would recommend having a tour of one of the fancy wineries and eating lunch on their outdoor accommodations overlooking the vineyards. From what we could see it looked amazing.

As we headed back to Dillon Beach it started to get colder as we approached the coast. There was a 20 degree difference. We left 80 and sunny and went back to 60, cold, and damp. If you are camping in a tent I cannot stress enough to stay at least 10 miles in off the coast. The locals say that area is always like that and is "where the people around the area come to cool off when its really hot everywhere else." Lessons learned....

The boys had a successful day out fishing. Two of their cousins didn't fare so well on the big waves but John did great and contributed to catching our dinner for the evening. Back at the campsite the fish were prepared and enjoyed by all.

And I mean all... LOL. We were awoke that night to a family of skunks opening totes and getting into things in our campsites including the garbage bag that had fish scraps in it. I figured whatever they are doing we can deal with in the morning and I went back to bed, I wasn't going out there to investigate...

My favorite part about Dillon Beach was the General Store and overall cute fishing town look. They were a high end little general store and had fresh breakfast items and hot cocoa.

Ready to leave that place we packed up all our soggy gear and got the vehicles packed up and we were outta there! We had planned to camp at two more stops along the coast, but after that we were just done and it had already been 8 days of sleeping in the tent. So we decided to see all of the Redwoods that day and make it as far as we could towards home before staying in a hotel for the night.

THE TENT WAS NOT BEING TAKEN OUT ON THIS TRIP AGAIN!

HUMBOLDT REDWOODS STATE PARK

REDWOODS NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS

PRAIRIE CREEK REDWOODS STATE PARK

JEDEDIAH SMITH REDWOODS STATE PARK

The magic of the Redwoods sure made everything better that day. They really are a wonder to see. There are so many trails you could go and venture on but we made time to go on a couple of them at least. The Founders Grove was an awesome place to stretch the legs and explore. It is hard to imagine how big the trees really are until you see them in person. We also did the Avenue of the Giants which was an awesome drive. It was sad when we were done driving through that area as we just couldn't get enough of it.

I cannot remember where we were but it was on the north end of California, I am pretty sure just before you cross the border, where they had a 2 hour road delay. We enjoyed the beach there and had something to eat, which we had just grabbed luckily up the road from there, and enjoyed our last moments of California. We saw some Elk as we got going again and soon we were in Oregon.

A good nights rest in a hotel was needed before we made our 3 day trek home....

We passed right by Crater Lake before heading home but we needed to get moving. The beach area and boat to take you around the lake was closed anyways. And I figured we had already packed enough into this trip. =)

In Conclusion: I call this one an adventure and not a vacation because we were always on the move and setting up the tent between each stop. I am grateful that I got to see so many different things in a short period of time and was the only way to accomplish that. My only regret is not getting to enjoy some of these beautiful places longer. If I were to drive out there again, just a trip to Reno and Lake Tahoe would have been enough. I still want to go back when there isn't fires taking over the area, but we lucked out because the entire Tahoe area was being evacuated just two weeks after we got back. I would never go back to Tahoe without having a house to rent either. And a boat rental to explore the lake would be the other thing to really complete that whole experience.

What do we eat while camping you ask? We pack stuff for sandwiches for the first few days getting out there. We did a stir fry one of the first nights. We did campfire nachos which were fantastic. Breakfasts were great with pancakes one day and sometimes cereal another as well as breakfast wraps we had pre-made. We pack all metal dishes and silverware so we don't have any waste or extra things to pack... but also means dishes after every meal and warming water on the stove. We also had burgers one night. So all in all we eat really well while we are camping. We only went out to eat that one time other than grabbing quick things to eat on the way home. We always pack way too much food.

Overall an awesome trip, but none of us are up for being in the car again that much anytime soon.

***Thanks love for going along with my crazy plans and driving me all over the country.