Things to do in Northern California?

[Sigarms]

Tahoe and Carson city are next door neighbors... no reason not to see both.

Thanks for that info. I remember it was like 2.5 hrs to Tahoe from AC, but up in the mountains here, seems like 60 miles can be a 120 minute drive because you’re doing 30 most of the time.

Also screwed up, 2 nights in Monterey starting Sunday night, so we’re getting back to AC Tuesday.

For San Francisco, thinking of heading out early like 6 am tomorrow to miss any Sunday morning traffic.

There is a hill apparently you can hike to for better pics of the bridge. Then may try treasure island as well. Son would like a pic of the bridge. I will always be with the car and it won’t be left unattended. Then to Muir Woods.

At Half Moon Bay now, and on a Saturday, traffic was what I would consider worse than Charlotte or Raleigh on a morning work commute, this outside of Hayward.

Forgot to comment on this, but driving to Fresno and now half moon bay (from Angels Camp), the agriculture is unbelievable. One thing we noticed is how much better the produce tastes from the local grocery store in Angles Camp with the nuts and particularly the blueberries. The trees growing fruits on some of the drives down into the valley (I guess) is unbelievable in size.

 

[ultrarunner]

We are known for our Fruits and Nuts...

Half Moon from Hayward bottle necks on a nice weekend...

Don't think it was ever anticipated just how popular in nice weather...

One of my favorite and oldest Redwood Parks Big Basin burned badly in 2021... Skyline towards Santa Cruz instead of the coast Highway 1

Have not had the heart to check out the First Redwood Park post fire...

Big Basin Redwoods: One year after devastating fire, burned wreckage cleared, rebuilding planning just starting

The landscape is turning green, but visitors may be years away

www.mercurynews.com

The Golden Gate Vista point from the North side is a few steps from your car many places along the old Nike Missile base road... I think the silo is now open for tours too.

Some like to walk in Sausalito waterfront viewing the houseboats ..

 

[Sigarms]

Francis beach, Half Moon Bay

First time I think I ever saw what I think was either fog or a very low lying cloud on a shore line.

Surprised they allow overnight camping.

To make it from the mountains in Asheville to say Wilmington (beach) about 6 hours non stop, but by then you pretty much cover the entire state of NC from west to east which is the largest length of the state.

 

[ultrarunner]

I hear Ashville checks all the boxes and draws many transplants...?

Looking out the window at moms towards San Francisco I can see the marine layer is doing it's thing...

We call it natural air conditioning!

I think Mark Twain said the coldest summer he ever spent was in San Francisco...

Sunday morning should be VERY quiet in the city...

Hope you have unlimited miles on the rental and the almost $5 gallon gas isn't a budget breaker...

 

[Sigarms]

I hear Ashville checks all the boxes and draws many transplants...?

Looking out the window at moms towards San Francisco I can see the marine layer is doing it's thing...

We call it natural air conditioning!

I think Mark Twain said the coldest summer he ever spent was in San Francisco...

Sunday morning should be VERY quiet in the city...

Hope you have unlimited miles on the rental and the almost $5 gallon gas isn't a budget breaker...

Asheville is an interesting town, and we will leave it at that. That said it does average 12” a year in snow and is generally much colder than the rest of NC sitting at 2000 ft elevation (about 2.5 hours west of me). Boone is closer to me, but at 3000 ft it’s colder than my area as well, I’m about 90 minutes south east of Boone. I’m at about 1000 ft. I’m considered at the base of the “foothills”.

Western NC in general does get its fair share of relocated Yankees though IMO.

Anything from Raleigh and east is just to dang hot and humid IMO (one reason why Fresno surprised me pulling in at 9:30 pm at 85f with a very warm breeze lol

Assuming 0830 isn’t too late in SF to beat the crowds? Wife looked at me strange when I told here I’d like to be up at 0530 to be in SF by 0700

On this trip, gas is the least of my concerns. Had a $17 calamari appetizer the other night out for dinner, way overcooked for the price IMO.

That said, had a $18 hamburger in town tonight, and honestly one of the best Mushroom Swiss bacon burgers I ever had.

Interesting “pub”.

 

[California]

Francis beach, Half Moon Bay

First time I think I ever saw what I think was either fog or a very low lying cloud on a shore line.

Last week, daughter sent me a video of her 2 year old on that beach. Their home is just over the hill in Millbrae, by SF airport.

San Francisco can be miserably cold caused by the fog while inland California is hot. Lots of hoodies sold to the tourists in summer!

That morning fog is how we can dry-farm an apple orchard with no summer rain, 50 miles north of SF and 10 miles inland.

 

[California]

[Kid] had to get some pics for his friends with him in the picture and he had some good smiles

Post em!

 

[plowhog]

thanks to you and everyone else who mentioned both Ebbits (sp?) Pass along with Sonora pass.

Glad you found Calaveras County, Calaveras Big Trees, and Ebbetts Pass. I've owned a mountain cabin in the area for decades and it is wonderful country. And of all my many travels, Ebbetts Pass offers almost unrivaled scenery.

Glad you are enjoying your trip!

 

[Sigarms]

Glad you found Calaveras County, Calaveras Big Trees, and Ebbetts Pass. I've owned a mountain cabin in the area for decades and it is wonderful country. And of all my many travels, Ebbetts Pass offers almost unrivaled scenery.

Glad you are enjoying your trip!

Trip has been amazing so far. Honestly surpassed our expectations.

Part of that success goes to my wife however planning all the lodging beforehand though, and lining up the rental vehicle.

What is the drive like past Markleyville from Angels Camp? They had road construction right before Markleyville so we weren’t certain how much further we’d push on, so we turned around to play it safe time wise.

 

[ericm979]

What is the drive like past Markleyville from Angels Camp? They had road construction right before Markleyville so we weren’t certain how much further we’d push on, so we turned around to play it safe time wise

If you went down to 89 south of Markleeville (i.e. went over Ebbets pass) you saw the prettiest part. Not that the rest isn't nice, it's just not that nice. Monitor pass (89 east from the 4/89 junction) is nice. If you go to the top and then down a few miles there's some pull outs on the left side that get you a view of the Owens Valley. The Owens valley views are more spectacular from roads farther south like Onion Valley and Hoseshoe Meadows (both of them go west from the town of Independence) but that's a long drive for you.

Markleeville usually has a place or two to eat (its a tiny remote mountain town). They change over the years and it's been 7 years since I have been there.

A nice loop would be highway 4 east to 89 north and then back west on 88 and 49. Or the reverse direction.

There will probably be increased thunderstorm activity this week due to the tropical storm remnants going north along eastern California. Sierra thunderstorms can be pretty intense. It wouldn't keep me from going but I'd keep an eye on the weather especially in the afternoon.