Things to do in Northern California?

[plowhog]

I drove from Reno to Vegas back in '87. Not much along the way.

I drive it frequently. It is one of my favorite drives. Hwy 95 is good condition smooth pavement almost the entire way. Light traffic and typical speed is 75-80. Beautiful mountain range views all around.

I fuel in Tonopah, an approximate half way point. Lots of small towns on the trip.

 

[ericm979]

Gas (and food) are super expensive in Death Valley. It has to be trucked in a long ways. Probably also expensive in Yosemite but there are stations closer outside the park. By expensive I mean for California, where gas is already more expensive than most other states. There's little in the way of civilization around Death Valley for a long ways in any direction. Which makes it great to explore if you're prepared.

I've tent camped in DV in May when the low was 85. I didn't get much sleep and did a 120 mile bike race the next day. Another bike race in a different part of the park and it was 115 degrees during the day in May and that wasn't even in the valley where it gets hotter. It does get reasonably cold at night in the winter. I've seen snow in some of the outer reaches of the park that are low but aren't the valley. The passes can get significant snow.

Flash floods from thunderstorms can be a problem in the summer. Not only have they washed cars away but they can make roads impassible on short notice.

The high country of Yosemite is really awesome but I don't know how much is accessible by car, beyond driving the Tioga pass road (which is worth doing). The good thing is that pretty much all of the east side of the sierras (which is the shortest way to the Yosemite high country) is awesome and there's a lot that is car accessible, at least to the trailheads.

 

[lman]

In most western locations, refilling with a half tank will usually get you to the next fuel location. But there are long stretches across Nevada where I wouldn’t go without a full tank.

Might bring a generator to charge your ev as a backup.

 

[California]

Death Valley, Easter week 2003. A friend recommend the north entrance to DV from Lone Pine via Teakettle Junction and Ubehebe Crater. 100? miles of jeep trail, a real adventure. The Subaru is well suited to this light offroading. We saw few others. First night at Mesquite Springs Primitive Campground, second night near the valley floor where it was unpleasantly hot, even for this dawn photo. I've read that those back country routes are now closed with flood damage.

An earlier Easter Week trip, we were to meet friends who got there a day earlier, at Texas Springs campground. They were so miserable with the heat that we all departed that day for the higher country west of there closer to US 395.

And about 1980 we made a day trip from Yosemite in our non-AC '64 Volvo 544. We couldn't get back up the grade out of the Valley due to overheating. This Scandinavian design didn't have the cooling for running many miles up a long grade in 100+ weather. Using the heater for additional cooling didn't help. We were passed by fast new BMW's with mfr plates that were obviously being stress-tested on that grade. Finally long after dark and several cooldown stops, we made it over the ridge and out of well-named Death Valley.

 

[California]

Might bring a generator to charge your ev as a backup.

Only a dunce would try that.

 

[California]

A photo from our campsite in Yosemite Valley, 2004. That's a vertical mile to the top of Half Dome.

 

[plowhog]

Might be July before tioga pass opens ...

See crews take on a wall of snow blocking Tioga Pass across Sierra. ‘It’s gonna be a while’

Clearing the roadway that functions as the eastern entrance to Yosemite is slow after record snow fall.

www.yahoo.com

 

[California]

Might be July before tioga pass opens ...

See crews take on a wall of snow blocking Tioga Pass across Sierra. ‘It’s gonna be a while’

Clearing the roadway that functions as the eastern entrance to Yosemite is slow after record snow fall.

www.yahoo.com

I love the photo in that article!

 

[MossRoad]

I love the photo in that article!

Notice the machine on top pushing snow down to the blower as mentioned in the article. That's deep.

 

[California]

Looking around for photos I saw comments that an entry permit will be needed sometimes (after the road is open) to drive up Tioga pass from Mono Lake and enter the Park, when it is overcrowded. Sigarms, be sure to check on this.

And that's a 4k ft climb in 20 road miles. I remember racing my cousin up that grade, my '53 flathead Ford vs her (boyfriend's) Jaguar 120. At that altitude, 10k ft at the top, 'there's no substitute for cubic inches'. I could outpull her on the grades, she could out-corner me on the curves. Evenly matched. Great fun!

 

[California]

2017, Tioga Pass didn't open until June 28. Could be later this year.

There are some great photos and a Caltrans video (see below) linked in this 2017 article.

Yosemite's Tioga Pass (Finally) Reopening After Epic Snows | KQED

Road reopens after 10 weeks of digging, plowing and blasting by road crews.

www.kqed.org

Note how steep and winding this route is.

 

[Racenut]

I suppose renting a motorcycle is out of the question? I've seen a lot of great suggestions, I've toured a whole lot of California on my bike, but at that point, the ride is more what it's about more than the destination. Stop and take a pic here and there, otherwise just enjoy the twisty roads and scenery.

Yosemite in August will be crowded. Really crowded. Death Valley won't be as crowded Death Valley is one of my favorite places, but not in August.

If you go over the Sierra through Yosemite on 120 to 395, there's Mono Lake, then south on 395 to Mammoth isn't too bad. Also going down 395 south, there are some spur roads that will take you up into the mountains and tend to end at a lake. South to Bishop and White Mountain. You can go to the Bristlecone forest. Some of the oldest living things in the world, thousands of years old, twisted and gnarly from the harsh winds.

If you go North on 395, you could see Virginia Lakes, Bodie ghost town and up to Bridgeport.

Or just do a loop over one of the passes. Hwy 4 is my favorite, 108 is nice too and has a lane each direction the whole way.

From Sacramento to Yosemite, don't take the main highways, make your way over to Hwy 49 and cruise down through there to Hwy120, much more interesting.

That's a couple suggestions I hadn't already seen. If you're cool with the sights to be seen, you can't really go wrong in any direction.

Bristlecone tree and Lake Sabrina (will have more water for sure this year).

 

[California]

From Sacramento to Yosemite, don't take the main highways, make your way over to Hwy 49 and cruise down through there to Hwy120, much more interesting.

Yes! SR 49 runs north/south at the transition from foothills to mountains (Sierras) which is where the original gold mining discoveries were made. That drive will cover the historic mining towns left over from the 1849 Gold Rush. All are interesting.

If your vacation starts by flying into Sacramento, the shortest way to see this is go up SR 16 from Sacramento's eastern suburbs, to hit SR 49. Much more interesting than the direct route Sacramento/Yosemite which would be an hour down the boring I-5 freeway before heading east up into the foothills.

A little optimistic for day 1 but maybe a later day trip, US 50 from Sacramento up to Placerville then north a little ways on SR 49 will get you to Coloma, the gold discovery site where modern California history began at Sutter's Mill. (From a few hundred simple backwater Californianos to a state population of 100,000 and made a State of the Union. In one year!)

Or even go up I-80 to Auburn, then SR 49 north to Grass Valley, to see the massive gold mine there that is now a state park. SR 49 was built to connect all the mining towns back in the day.

There are all sorts of variations you could plan, to see the SR 49 mining region combined with other goals, visiting Lake Tahoe etc.

 

[plowhog]

If he is going through Nevada, don't forget to mention Virginia City. Somewhat of a tourist trap, but also a hidden treasure. Lots of history there.

A little known fact is that when the Virginia City silver mines were running, they were burning 100 cords of wood per day to run the smelters. 100 cords per day!! In an arid desert environment.

To obtain that wood meant mowing down distant forests and building flumes to transport logs. Some brave (death-defying) folks even rode logs down the flumes!!!

 

[California]

Another Thing To Do is Amtrac over the Sierras. Roseville to Truckee or beyond to the casinos in Reno. The scenery is gorgeous and if you love trains, the diesels pulling hard for miles and miles up maximum grade is awe inspiring.

I don't recognize where this photo is but it illustrates this - from the Central Valley floor, up the canyons, to cross 7k ft Donner Pass.

California Zephyr Train | Amtrak

Take the California Zephyr train between San Francisco and Chicago with stops in Denver, Salt Lake City & more. Book your trip today.

www.amtrak.com

 

[Menagerie-Manor]

I suppose renting a motorcycle is out of the question? I've seen a lot of great suggestions, I've toured a whole lot of California on my bike, but at that point, the ride is more what it's about more than the destination. Stop and take a pic here and there, otherwise just enjoy the twisty roads and scenery.

Yosemite in August will be crowded. Really crowded. Death Valley won't be as crowded Death Valley is one of my favorite places, but not in August.

If you go over the Sierra through Yosemite on 120 to 395, there's Mono Lake, then south on 395 to Mammoth isn't too bad. Also going down 395 south, there are some spur roads that will take you up into the mountains and tend to end at a lake. South to Bishop and White Mountain. You can go to the Bristlecone forest. Some of the oldest living things in the world, thousands of years old, twisted and gnarly from the harsh winds.

If you go North on 395, you could see Virginia Lakes, Bodie ghost town and up to Bridgeport.

Or just do a loop over one of the passes. Hwy 4 is my favorite, 108 is nice too and has a lane each direction the whole way.

From Sacramento to Yosemite, don't take the main highways, make your way over to Hwy 49 and cruise down through there to Hwy120, much more interesting.

That's a couple suggestions I hadn't already seen. If you're cool with the sights to be seen, you can't really go wrong in any direction.

Bristlecone tree and Lake Sabrina (will have more water for sure this year).

View attachment 798927View attachment 798928

I've been meandering the region over several MC trips, the ride from Sacramento thru Nevada on 50 is spectacular but if given the opportunity try the ride from Susanville up to Klamath Falls thru Lassen forest and lava fields it's amazing.

 

[Racenut]

Lassen is an underrated National Park. Hardly ever busy but still spectacular. A couple wildfires have done some damage, but that can still be interesting as witness to the wrath of mother nature. It's a long way from Yosemite. But if you find yourself that far north, do not miss Burney Falls State Park.

Lassen/Burney Falls

 

[Hughman]

Major highway for Yosemite Park closed due to crack in road

One of the three major highways into Yosemite National Park could possibly be closed into the summer.

abc30.com

One more thing to consider for your trip this summer. This would be the route you would usually take from Angles Camp into the park. If it stays closed you will need to take 49 to Mariposa and then 140 east. Bummer because 120 offers a spectacular view into the valley as you drop down off the mountain.

 

[California]

See crews clear Sonora, Tioga passes: ‘Deep enough to stop snow blower in its tracks’

Caltrans has not been able to provide an estimated time for opening either of the southern Sierra Nevada passes.

news.yahoo.com

 

[Sigarms]

Thanks for all the input, it is much appreciated.

Slight change of plans. Staying in Fresno for one night as a tour is booked for Yosemite (pick up at 0530). Will hit the part Wednesday for the tour, so God willing weather will cooperate as well as a better chance of less crowds. After that, will do "most everything" everything from Angels Camp.

We are taking two days to make the drive down highway 1, first night will stay in Santa Barbara, second night in Monterey. Plan is to drive south to Santa Barbara from Angels Camp, take our time, then come back north to hit Monterey. I talked with a customer of mine last night who made the that trip, he said it was fantastic but for the one night around Big Sur where they picked a hotel "on the fly" and he just said it wasn't a pleasant experience as he remembers that hotel. Looked at hotels in Big Sur, and as I told my wife, we don't have Silicon Valley money Looks to be a five hour drive on 1 from San Fran to Santa Barbara so hopefully it should be a good two day excursion.

1- From Angles Camp, any suggestions on where to pick up route 1? (first thought is around San Fran).
2 - Any must see sights in Santa Barbara?
3 - Any suggestions on spots where to stop on route 1? Figure we can hit things going south then coming back north.
4 - Is 5 hours a realistic drive time from San Fran to Santa Barbara?

From Angels Camp, looking at perhaps Route 4 up to the Virginia City area in Nevada. May I ask what is a realistic drive time? Looking at perhaps one more night perhaps north of Lake Tahoe, any suggestions?

Mariposa Grove and the sequoias will be another full day.

I'll need to revisit this entire thread and look at suggested roads and spots and look on the Gazetteer with any follow up questions.

When my wife informed me we're doing two weeks, I was like crap, what the heck are we going to do for two weeks. Now, looking at everything, grateful we have the time. Think the last time we ever did two weeks away together was when she was my girlfriend and I took her and my dad to Utah.