California and Las Vegas
We flew into San Fransisco, which I loved, trips included hiring bikes and cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge, catching the ferry back from Sausilito, stopping along the way wherever looked interesting and for a bite to eat. The trolley hop on hop off tour took in iconic sites like Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square and China Town, to name a few. You really cannot visit San Fransisco without taking a trip out to Alcatraz Island. The weather that day decided to add to the atmosphere and it was misty and raining - very spooky but not to be missed!
We then collected a hire car and drove down to Los Angeles. We walked down the Hollywood Boulevard spotting our favourite actors stars, The Chinese Theatre, Rodeo Drive and of course the iconic Hollywood sign. Santa Monica was next with a walk on the lovely beach and pier and an ice cream! We based our stay in Anaheim and took in Disneyland but there are plenty of accommodation options available. Dropping the car at the airport we then flew to Las Vegas, seeing the "strip" for the first time, Las Vegas is a really fun place to be with amazing themed hotels (we stayed in the New York New York), great shops, shows and non-stop action!
We had pre booked a trip out to the Grand Canyon so were picked up from our hotel early one morning and taken to the airfield. An amazing flight over the Hoover Dam, landing at the rim of the Grand Canyon before transferring to a helicopter, flying over the Grand Canyon before landing at the bottom, moving on to a boat down the river and then back to the helicopter to do the return trip. A truly amazing experience we will never forget.
The second time we went to California we flew into Las Vegas (Arizona), collecting a car at the airport we stayed a few days at the Monte Carlo Hotel. We then drove through Death Valley. To be honest I was a little nervous, wondering if my husband was trying to get rid of me! With temperatures of 100+, you have to keep turning off your air conditioning so the car does not overheat. The scenery is amazing with vast desert. Some people stay overnight but we decided to drive through in a day and head for our overnight stay in Mammoth Lakes.
We were pretty tired but thought it was funny when we looked out of our bedroom window to see a couple of real cowboys tether their horses to a post in the car park, go in the trading post, buy some beers and get back on their horses and ride off. A lovely mountain resort with stunning scenery.
After our overnight stay we continued on to Yosemite. Unfortunately our visit coincided with the Forest Fires so the route we were going to take was closed, after a long detour we arrived at our hotel. We had pre-booked a valley floor tour learning about the area and seeing El Capitan and The Half Dome, a truly stunning area.
Next stop was the coast and Monterey, with an overnight stop and to do a spot of outlet shopping (I love a bargain). Monterey is a lovely town with Cannery Row area (old sardine packing) buildings converted into shops and restaurants. We had pre-booked a whale watching trip from here and were not disappointed!
Apparently the bay area is one of the best places to see whales quite close to shore.
Carmel is just down the road and has a really pretty village atmosphere with unique shops and tree lined avenues, with pretty Inns and an amazing white sand beach. We wished we had longer here so will have to go back!
The a drove down the "Big Sur" all the way to San Diego with an overnight stop to rest. Really lovely coastline and we spotted something in a field on the side of the road we had not expected to see on the way (ask me if you want to know!)
San Diego is another great place to visit with lots to see and do, on and off the water. This was a chance for us to have a rest but we still managed to hire some bikes and cycle around the Mission Bay area, Sea World and The Old Town. There is much more on offer so we will have to add it to the list to go back one day!
If I am honest on the second trip we tried to cram too much in, the distances are vast so it was a bit too much driving. I would recommend working out what your highlights are and then I can work out and itinerary for you, spending enough time in each place to see it fully. You will just have to keep going again and again!