California Official Visitor's Guide 2009 - UK - (Page 20) california road trip Mule ride in Yosemite la north to mountain & desert magic Start with LA dazzle, then head north to glorious Yosemite National Park, Mono Lake and fascinating Death Valley spotlight Visit the less-frequented but equally stunning high country of Yosemite, a designated uNeSCo World heritage Site. rent a comfortable tent cabin and enjoy a delicious breakfast at the riverfront tuolumne Meadows lodge. www.nps.gov/yose 4. lee vining (88mi/142km: 2hr 10min). For a breathtaking drive out of Yosemite, head east via tioga Pass. relax at the Whoa Nellie deli just off the i-395 highway intersection at lee Vining; try the juicy buffalo meatloaf or the lobster taquitos. www.mono county.org at the world’s lowest-elevation course, or stay at the luxurious Furnace Creek inn (open from mid-october till mid-May). www.nps.gov/deva 9. fontana (259mi/417km: 4hr 42min). Feel the thunder of stock cars, drag racing cars and more at Southern California’s Auto Club Speedway. race around the track alongside a professional instructor at the richard Petty driving experience. www.auto clubspeedway.com TOTAL LENGTH OF DRIVE TOUR: Mono lake. Mono lake. Amazing tufa towers, naturally occurring rock formations, rise from the edge of this remnant of an ancient inland sea. lAX, 21mi/34km: 32min southwest of downtown los Angeles GATEWAY AIRPORT: 5. Mono lake (2mi/3km: 6min). Gaze in amazement at the eerily white, rocky tufa towers that rise from this unusual lake. the lake is also home to thousands of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds (guided walks available). www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=514 916mi/1,477km 1. los angeles Visit world-class museums, such as the new and dazzling Broad Contemporary Art Museum, at the los Angeles County Museum of Modern Art complex where you can view over 15,000 works. tour the soaring, stainless-steel Walt disney Concert hall (home of the los Angeles Philharmonic). For great fashion finds, explore the l.A. Fashion district. www.discoverlosangeles.com 6. independence & Mount Whitney (110mi/177km: 1hr 59min). Visit the Manzanar National historic Site, where more than 10,000 Japanese-Americans were detained during World War ii. then drive 15mi/25km west to Whitney Portal to see Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain on the uS continent, at 14,494ft/4,418m. www.nps.gov/manz; www.nps.gov/seki/ planyourvisit/whitney.html 120 Yosemite Village 3 YOSEMITE 120 NATIONAL 395 PARK 41 Lee Vining Francisco 4 5 Mono Lake 6 San Los Angeles KINGS Fresno CANYON NATIONAL 180 PARK 6 Independence 198 Mount 7 Lone Pine Whitney 14,494’ 136 99 190 2. valencia (37mi/60km: 40min). Splash and swim in the water park, test your courage on the fast-spinning new X2 ride, or just enjoy the kids’ happy faces at the funfilled Six Flags Magic Mountain. www.discoverlosangeles.com 7. lone pine (6mi/10km: 12min). explore the Alabama hills, the setting for dozens of old-time Western movies and, as well as more recent films, including Star Trek and Tremors. www.lonepinechamber.org 5 178 Bakersfield Furnace Creek 8 190 DEATH VALLEY 127 178 NATIONAL 178 PARK 395 127 CA DA VA NIA NE FOR LI 8. Death valley 3. yosemite national park (257mi/414km: 4hr 15min). With spectacular granite formations, such as the soaring half dome and el Capitan, this park’s famous main valley justifiably draws crowds. 20 www.visitcalifornia.co.uk LAX Pa 2 Valencia Los 1 Angeles 405 Barstow 15 40 (121mi/195km: 2hr 32min). explore this national park, which protects one of the harshest deserts on earth, where you can see sand dunes, rock formations and outstanding spring wildflowers. Play golf ce 1 15 5 215 10 0 0 25 mi 50 km an 15 Welcome Center SM AleX FArNuM (2) Fontana 9 N San Bernardino Photo Credit tK 5 ci fi c O http://www.nps.gov/yose http://www.nps.gov/deva http://www.monocounty.org http://www.autoclubspeedway.com http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=514 http://www.nps.gov/manz http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/whitney.html http://www.discoverlosangeles.com http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/whitney.html http://www.lonepinechamber.org http://www.discoverlosangeles.com http://www.visitcalifornia.co.uk
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.