California Travel Blogs on RealTravel

Mammoth Lakes journal: Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here

2006-12-15T20:33:06Z

a entry by TeamEdwards from a trip to Mammoth Lakes, California.

This morning we left Vegas and headed back into California towards Death Valley.

As we neared the national park, we kept an eye on our interior car thermometer.

When we neared the entrance sign, it had reached 109. We drove through an environment in which nothing could live for about an hour and a half, getting deeper and deeper into the Mojave. Promises of “radiator water” were popping up on signs across the deserted roads. As we neared what the map called “Badwater Basin”, the temperature was 113. We reached the lowest point in North America around two in the afternoon. At that ...

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Los Angeles journal: Hollywoodland

2006-11-06T21:39:06Z

a entry by TeamEdwards from a trip to Los Angeles, California.

We woke up early and cruised down to Manhattan Beach, just north of Redondo Beach. While it’s not very crowded and is great for surfing, the water was freezing. We threw on our swimsuits and jumped in anyway. We also had the opportunity to toss the shell we picked up in Virginia Beach onto the sand in California. We stayed about two hours and then headed back for a quick shower and we were on our way to Hollywood.

We found the Walk of Fame and followed it to Graumans Chinese Theatre at Hollywood and Vine. We had fun finding our favorite stars’ handprints and getting some great pictures. ...

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Los Angeles journal: California down, five states to go

2006-11-06T21:12:08Z

a entry by TeamEdwards from a trip to Los Angeles, California.

Today was our day to check out Southern California. San Diego is a great city with many fun things to see. We started our day by visiting the Sunset Cliffs at Point Loma and taking in the stunning views of the ocean and San Diego Harbor. We toured the lighthouse and tried to catch sight of a whale but only ended up seeing the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan. Our next stop across the Coronado Bridge was the famous Hotel Del Coronado, which was featured in the book Bid Time Return and the movie Some Like it Hot. On our way out of town, we stopped by Aiberto’s restaurant to get a giant burrito. We headed ...

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San Diego journal: Going to California

2006-10-05T22:19:53Z

a entry by TeamEdwards from a trip to San Diego, California.

First on our list of things to see was the World’s Largest Fountain in Fountain Hills, a suburb of Phoenix. It is located in the middle of a large pond and shoots a large stream of water over 600 feet into the air. While driving to find it, we got a little lost… how can you not find a 600’ fountain in the flat desert landscape of Phoenix? Then we saw it. Ahead in the distance, well above the rooftops of the surrounding neighborhoods, was a giant stream of water. It was by far the oddest thing we’ve seen this whole trip. Apparently the fountain is on a schedule -- on for 10 minutes, off for 10 ...

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Santa Barbara journal: Back on the beach..

2007-07-06T17:30:00Z

"Ciara expected it to be full of rich old people with big 80’s hair & shoulder pads"

a entry by Mark & Ciara from a trip to Santa Barbara, California.

Santa Barbara - we realised quickly that we really should have come here for independence day. Oh well. Thats the thing about America - you keep finding lovely litle towns, and sometimes cities, which turn out to be far far better than the dodgy 1980's daytime soap opera of the same name suggested they could be. Ciara expected it to be full of rich old people with big 80’s hair & shoulder pads. Like the rich man’s Florida or something! Thankfully she was mis-informed!

The town is situated perfectly on a lovely sandy beach, with a long wooden pier, which isn't all that exciting to be ...

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Santa Cruz journal: Santa Cruz..not that far.

2007-06-30T16:53:12Z

"a place where the laws of physics, gravity, nature etc. don't work, balls roll up hill. Really!"

a entry by Mark & Ciara from a trip to Santa Cruz, California.

We loved Santa Cruz - it was really laid back and had a really good atmosphere. It was the stereotypical Calafornian beach town you'd imagine, with the waves crashing to the sandy beach which had volley ball competitions on it - complete with commentator. Skateboarders, skaters, millions of aged hippies, good looking tanned people in swimsuits and tourists all wandering about. Our first night there (we stayed two nights cause we liked it so much) we took a stroll up the boardwalk & got to see pelicans diving for dinner & some seals playing in the water. The main strip is called Pacific Avenue ...

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San Diego journal: Isla Guadalupe Great White Sharks

2008-04-09T01:37:46Z

a review of Shark Diving, a thing to do in San Diego, California.

The red rocks of Isla Guadalupe blazed in the morning sun, a clear sky welcoming us after a stomach-churning 14-hour crossing. Lapping waves and the cries of fur seals on the nearby shore were the only sounds to be heard one hundred fifty miles from the mainland. The water roiled as foot-high fins sliced the surface like a knife through cerulean silk. It was a perfect day for a dive. "We've got a 16-footer," announced Patric Douglas, CEO of Shark Diver at www.sharkdiver.com, the outfit leading our expedition. From beneath his shades, Douglas beamed like a proud papa as he pointed out ...

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San Diego journal: Great White Sharks-A Divers Adventure-USA

2008-04-09T01:30:59Z

a review of Great White Shark Diving, a thing to do in San Diego, California.

Living the Great White Dream

From the time I was a starry-eyed elementary school student with grandiose dreams and an optimistic outlook on life, I have dreamed of one day seeing a Great White Shark in person. Like the majority of people however, the life I had mapped out for myself as a child and the reality I found myself living were somehow vastly different.

That realization hit me hard last year. I had somehow found myself trapped inside an office all day working with computers instead of gallivanting around the world as a famous marine biologist and swimming with every ...

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Joshua Tree National Park journal: 2nd Full Day: another hard push!

2008-03-21T06:37:36Z

a entry by localkineguy from a trip to Joshua Tree National Park, California.

We woke up at 8:30 AM again and it was soooooo hot! I was baking in the tent and it was a really nice change! The night was really cold actually but as soon as the sun came up, we were boiling! Bertrand gave us bad news, he has blisters and can't go on. He decided that he would quit and try to get out of the park and into a motel. His plan was to hitch hike out and so we gave him enough food and gear to do so. Part of it was to lessen our load, but the main reason was so that he could still camp on his own if he had to (later found out that he was picked up by a ranger and got into a ...

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Joshua Tree National Park journal: Set Up and Beginning

2008-03-21T05:24:58Z

"It was a terrible uneasy sleep and we all had second thoughts about trudging through the desert....."

a entry by localkineguy from a trip to Joshua Tree National Park, California.

The seven of us (Donna, Steven, Scott, Tracy, Jackie, Bertrand, and myself) set out from HMC at 8:00 AM. We stopped off at the McDonald's for breakfast before hitting the long road to Joshua Tree (~2 hrs away) in Donna's Camry and Ryan's Tacoma (thanks cuz!).

The set-up for the hike was somewhat complicated because it is a point A -to- point B type of trip. Another difficulty about the trek is that it is in the desert and therefore we had to carry water. Not coincidentally, the trail intersects a road four times and so we were able to drive through drop off life-packages of water. We ...

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Yosemite National Park journal: Half Dome or not here I come!

2006-10-24T06:06:22Z

a entry by Paulh from a trip to Yosemite National Park, California.

Kristin and I thought it would be fun to hike Half Dome. It eneded up being about 18.5 miles and it was very fun. It was crazy to see so many people climbing the cables to get to the top. We got impatient with waiting so we decided to go on the outside of the rails so we could get to the top quicker. It was a very impressive sight to look down off of half dome and see Yosemite Valley.

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Geyserville journal: Lake Sonoma and Wine Country Running

2008-03-09T20:58:47Z

a entry by Jenica from a trip to Geyserville, California.

A scene right out of the show, Wine Country Living: stunning vineyards dotting the landscape, big green hills and the cutest little market you've ever seen, sun bright in the sky, and limos driving past. This is what we encountered after getting off the 101 on the Dry Creek Road exit to Lake Sonoma. Sarah found a great trail that was on the way to our next destination, Orr Hot Springs. Yes, every trail run should be followed by hot springs, well at least once.

We hadn't seen this area of Wine Country before, and we felt like we found the most hidden gems of all the hidden gems. It was ...

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San Francisco Bay Area journal: It's Winter, Let's Go to California

2008-02-16T15:01:38Z

""It's 80 degrees, I'm just coming back from surfing.""

a entry by terry from a trip to San Francisco Bay Area, California.

While snow flies in Canada, flowers bloom in California, and snowbound Canadians can talk to friends down south who mention, casually, "It's 80 degrees, I'm just coming back from surfing, I have the window down in the truck."

We had no illusions though, in December even in California it's winter. It was an little chilly when we arrived at San Francisco International Airport but the Sun was out, the tougher kinds of flowers were in bloom, and we didn't have to wear heavy winter coats, high boots and thick wooly scarves. A fall jacket worked just fine.

We had some time before ...

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Pismo Beach journal: Cycling nearly 40 miles just to see the beach

2008-02-05T01:14:29Z

"For once I feel like I have found a sport that will kick my butt. Why is cycling so tiring?"

a entry by backpacker from a trip to Pismo Beach, California.

I am determined to make it to either Avila Beach or Pismo Beach today for a hike. Since I am still in San Luis Obispo, I have several miles to the beach (about 8.5) and I plan on taking the bus. I attempt to make the 9:38 am bus, but I miss it by 2 minutes, so I hang out in the hostel for a half hour and walk back to the Amtrak station to catch the 10:38 am. The stupid bus driver doesn't notice me standing there, so he just cruises on by despite the fact I am madly waving my arms around. So, I go back to the hostel in the hopes of a getting a ride. The hostel rents me a mountain bike for ...

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San Simeon journal: Exploring the Hearst Castle

2008-02-04T00:56:48Z

"The tour includes the guest houses, main houses, and the pools. I ask "Can I just stay here and admire the pool?""

a entry by backpacker from a trip to San Simeon, California.

When I woke up this morning, it was to the sound of my hostel roommates complaining about the rain. I knew it was going to rain...the newspaper confirmed this last night. It is Sunday, Super Bowl Sunday. Buses are even less reliable on Sundays, so I don't bother taking my chances there (the bus schedule says I can make it to the coast on the #10 bus, which runs 3 times today, four hours apart). I decide to join my friends on a trip to San Simeon State Historical Monument Park to see the Hearst Castle. We start with our pancake breakfast (I add chocolate chips to mine) and I scramble two ...

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Santa Maria journal: Riding on buses with no apparent destination

2008-02-03T00:22:47Z

"I'm a master at wasting nice days. I always manage to be lost, trying not to drown, or a combination of both."

a entry by backpacker from a trip to Santa Maria, California.

I am better at walking. I know that. Somehow, I allowed myself to believe that staying twelve miles from the coast in a well-known hostel in San Luis Obispo would be a good idea. I love the hostel, but I hate trying to navigate the bus routes to find myself near water. I woke up at 9 am and made pancakes for breakfast (the hostel provides the batter). I rushed out the door in an attempt to find the Chamber of Commerce. Once there, a teenage girl pointed the bus map out to me (but she admitted, she had never once rode the bus). I tried to decipher the map, which is printed intentionally small ...

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Hollywood journal: Living it up in Hollywood & Beverly Hills

2008-01-26T01:09:20Z

"Had we known the man was a famous fashion designer, we would have left him alone. Or maybe we wouldn't have."

a entry by backpacker from a trip to Hollywood, California.

There is another woman sleeping in my hostel room when I wake. She is from Arizona and is here because her son is attending a winter formal in L.A. She heads down to breakfast before I do. When I get down to the breakfast area it is packed, no tables available. I sit with Till (a German guy) and Ben (a guy from Amsterdam). We discuss our plans for the day and the fact that the weather is horrendous. Last night there were tornado warnings in the area, the Hollywood Hills got snow, there was hail in our area, strong winds and insane rain. It is raining again and no one knows what to do in ...

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San Diego journal: The perfect condo

2007-02-20T14:19:59Z

a review of Joey's Condo, a place to stay in San Diego, California.

Nancy Parinello is the agent for a number of condo owners in her building at 3888 Riviera and also handles rentals for less expensive condos in the area as well as some locations in the Loire Valley in France. Her website is www.nanc ysvacationrentals.com. Joey's condo is the latest on her list of rentals in San Diego and if the others are as superb as this one, we highly recommend them all. The location was perfect, on Sail Bay, a ten minute walk from the ocean. The bay is protected from the waves of the Pacific Ocean by a long sand spit and is so calm that every morning scullers, including ...

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Sequoia National Park journal: Nosebleeding in the Sierra Nevada

2007-11-18T20:59:25Z

"Bad Bear, Bad Bear!"

a entry by Max Vending from a trip to Sequoia National Park, California.

11/17- We only made it 7 miles down the road before pulling over to sleep. Up at 4:30 am and out the western Panamint Springs entrance. Driving 190 in the dark from sea level to 6000' got us a little dizzy. Too much for Max. He dropped into a gnome coma so you won't see him in this update. We hope for the best. Reaching Lone Pine I discovered that I read the map wrong in the dark and there isn't a road that penetrates the Sierras in that area. I did note that Manzanar Internment Camp Historical Site was just north so I went there. To say it's a powerful and moving place doesn't do justice. ...

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Death Valley National Park journal: How Low Can You Go In Death Valley?

2007-11-17T03:41:50Z

"Max Falls in Love"

a entry by Max Vending from a trip to Death Valley National Park, California.

11/13-Found a spot to bunk out and woke up with 6 young bulls looking at me looking at them. Very curious sorts who got REAL close as I put the truck together and headed to 3 Rivers Petroglyph site. 20,000 pecked-in-the-rocks images along a mile of ridgeline. Pretty cool. Headed south on 54 to Alamogordo and stopped at the space display. Aerospace and pistachio ranches are big time down here. Caught 70 to White Sands, arriving at 3pm to hear they close in 2 hours and also closed tomorrow for a missile test. I worked it hard for those two hours. It's kind of like walking on hard frozen powder ...

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Sequoia National Park journal: The home of General Sherman

2007-06-26T16:58:02Z

"Around each corner there was something new to see, sometimes this included a car on the wrong side of the road"

a entry by Mark & Ciara from a trip to Sequoia National Park, California.

Sequoia National Park, as we found out, is a LONG way from Grand Canyon. After a full days driving we wound up in the closest town / city to the park. Visalia is about 50 miles outside, and serves as a base for travellers heading to Sequoia, Yosemite and Kings Canyon.

We stayed in a Days hotel, just off the freeway which was the dump that you might expect. Sharing the bedroom and bathroom with various types of bug, spider and six legged things.

The next morning we made the short drive to Seqouia, and found ourselves driving in the shadow off 200ft tall trees either side of us. It ...

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San Francisco journal: Sunny CA

2007-10-05T11:04:14Z

a entry by C&K from a trip to San Francisco, California.

We had a blast in California. San Francisco was our entry/exit point to the state, and much of our travels here revolved around visiting friends and family. After a few days of exploring the hills and coastal walkways of San Francisco, we visited our friend Linda Spencer and her wonderful family in Oakland; we met Linda on our trip to Nicaragua last fall, and she and her family were lovely hosts to us for a couple of nights while we used their home as a staging point for day trips to the beautiful wine-making regions of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. We continued north from wine country to ...

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San Francisco journal: San Francisco Fun

2007-12-01T10:19:03Z

"After a quick briefing, we took some nervous "before" pictures and shot up to 10,000 feet."

a entry by Johnny G from a trip to San Francisco, California.

After watching a skydiving commercial on Friday evening and expressing how much she would like to participate in this, Jaclyn found out that reservations had already been made with Skydive San Francisco (www.skydivesf.com) for the following morning at 9am! This led to much anticipation, anxiety and exitement over the next 12 hours.

To meet our instructors and Rinky-dink plane, the next morning we drove to Cloverdale, CA about 40 miles north. "Jimmy and Mark" would be responsible for our lives for the day...After a quick briefing, we took some nervous "before" pictures and shot up to ...

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Sacramento journal: Viva Vallejo's!

2007-11-16T19:08:05Z

a review of Vallejo's, a place to eat in Sacramento, California.

For a rich, mouth-watering, high-calorie, unabashed taste of down-home Mexican food, Vallejo's can't be matched. Vallejo's is somewhat of a Sacramento institution, with several branches around the Capitol that have fed the likes of Jerry Brown and the Governator. But this Vallejo's is the one - they are all a little different, and this one serves the appetite-smashing cuisine that is built to destroy hunger with a sledgehammer. Thick corn chips are served right away with red-hot salsa. On the menu, all the standards are high and the prices low. The carnitas is tender and delicious, the carne ...

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Sacramento journal: Experience Culinary Enlightenment

2007-11-16T18:54:18Z

a review of Andy Nguyen's, a place to eat in Sacramento, California.

With names like "Patience Noodle Soup," "Enlightened Mind Rolls," and "Awakening of Faith Noodles," you know something interesting is going on as soon as you open the menu. Andy Nguyen's is a Buddhist restaurant - meaning no meat whatsoever - making it a great spot for vegetarians. But you don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy this food. The faux-meat substitutes are spiced with subtlety and the consistency makes it totally satisfying to me - an omnivore with a large appetite. The service is considerate and the atmosphere is almost... spiritual. And when the food arrives you'll ...

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