So Much to See and Do in the Golden State (part 1)
We stayed at the Zephyr Hotel which is right opposite Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 where there are a plethora of shops and restaurants and great views of the local sea lions who gather together on pontoons sunning themselves and fighting for the best space. The Zephyr is a funky hotel with interesting décor - some of the walls are made from metal lorry containers. They have a caravan in the garden area selling beers, snacks and ice cream and there are nice seating areas with firepits for the cooler weather.
Speaking of weather, San Francisco has its own micro climate and can be quite chilly. We were there in June and the winds were very cold so make sure you take warm clothing as well as your t shirts and shorts!
Other ways to get around the city include bike rental and the go cars which are small vehicles which take you on a self-drive tour. There are lots of boat trips round the bay and plenty of museums, gardens and galleries to enjoy.
From San Francisco we drove to Yosemite Valley (around 4 hours) where we were staying at the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal. This is one of the closest hotels to the park entrance (around 15 min drive) and has spectacular views of the Merced River (we had a river view room) and the valley. We regularly saw humming birds from our balcony.
The Yosemite View Lodge is very comfortable but is quite dated décor wise. It has a small pool and some spas dotted around. There is a shop where you can get basic groceries and souvenirs. If you don't want to use the cooking facilities in your room, there is a restaurant (some people complained it was expensive but no more so than the restaurants in San Francisco) and a pizzeria. There are no other shops in the vicinity and the nearest town is over an hour away. Parking is free.
Yosemite itself is spectacular. We were glad we chose to go on an organised tour our first day as we got to see all the major attractions - El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls etc. Our guide Ira was extremely informative and brought along his telescope, so we could see the climbers on El Capitan and the people that had hiked to the top of Half Dome. My only disappointment with Yosemite was the public conveniences which were very poorly maintained which was most surprising.
There are lots of camps in Yosemite if you prefer that option or there is the luxury of places like Tenaya Lodge which is located at Fish Camp. We drove up to Tenaya Lake on our second day which was beautiful and very peaceful. They do recommend that you set out early to get into the park as any time after 10 there are long queues with tour buses etc arriving.
Our next stop was Monterey and the place I was most looking forward to visiting. We stayed at the Portola Hotel and Spa which was in a great location close to Fisherman's Wharf and only a 20-minute walk to Cannery Row. There was also a free shuttle bus right outside if you didn't want to walk which goes from downtown to the aquarium. The hotel is quite large and has a couple of nice restaurants and also a microbrewery selling a host of different lagers and ales. They have both self and valet parking here.
Our main reason for being here was whale watching and our first trip did not disappoint. We went out with Monterey Bay Whale Watch on the Black Fin, a 65ft Catamaran. They have marine biologists on board who tell you all about the whales you are likely to see. In this instance we sailed around an hour north of Monterey Bay to Moss Landing where there were so many humpback whales feeding on anchovies that we did not know where to look! This is literally just off the coast and if you stood on the shore you could see whales from there. Again, the weather here was not as warm as we expected. Apparently, they call it "June Gloom" as it can be very misty and murky, especially out at sea.
Monterey is a nice town and again you can rent bikes here to get around if you don't want to drive. You can also rent kayaks and go out into the bay and get close to the sea otters which abound here. You are only allowed to get within two metres so as not to disturb them though.
One drive I do suggest is the 17-mile scenic drive through pebble beach to Carmel. It has stunning scenery and a couple of golf courses if you are that way inclined. There is a small fee to enter as it is a gated community, but it is well worth it as the views are amazing and there are lots of stop off points, so you can get out of the car and take it all in. We loved Carmel. It has a long sandy beach, some quirky houses and charming shops and cafes. I could live here!
On our last day in Monterey we had our second Whale Watching trip with Fast Raft. This is a small Rib which only takes six passengers along with the two crew. This went from Moss Landing, so we were soon in the thick of a host of humpbacks still here feeding. Apparently, there is a two-mile-deep canyon here which makes it an ideal place for the whales to find plenty of food.
We saw some spectacular breaches and pectoral flapping and the two kayakers out at the same time had the experience of a lifetime! Some days are better than others for seeing the wildlife - we were lucky and saw plenty of whales but I would suggest if you are serious about seeing them book more than one trip.