California Official Visitor's Guide 2009 - UK - (Page 34) california road trip discover the magical north Coast Ride cable cars downtown, cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge and then head north to volcanos, supersized trees and Wine Country after California’s premier naturalist, the Scottish-born John Muir. ranger-led educational programmes include spellbinding evening walks. www.nps.gov/muwo Avenue of the Giants Old Hwy 99 Trinity Heritage Scenic Byway Yreka Weed 3 8. shasta lake (49mi/79km: 48min). Tour the crystalfilled chambers of Shasta Lake Caverns (the tour includes a boat ride across the lake). Do as the locals do and rent a fully equipped, easy-to-drive houseboat for a fun and unique lodging option. www.shastacascade.com Mount Shasta 14,162’ San Francisco GATEWAY AIRPORT: SFO, 14mi/23km: 24min south of downtown San Francisco 1. san Francisco rent a bike to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. Visit Alcatraz Island and its famous prison. In Golden Gate Park, tour the new California Academy of Sciences (an ultra-green building, with eye-catching exhibits), then walk to the glorious de Young Museum. Visit colourful Fisherman’s Wharf. At Pier 39, get more sightseeing ideas at the California Welcome Center. www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com 2. Muir Woods national Monument (16mi/26km: 35min). See the aweinspiring, sky-scraping Coast redwoods in this peaceful nature reserve, named 34 www.visitcalifornia.co.uk Mendocino. Watch the sunset along a dramatic and wild coastline dotted with naturally eroded rock formations. Welcome Center SM TAI POWEr SEEFF (2) Pacific an Oce 1 3 7 Mount Shasta Shasta 8 Lake 299 299 Arcata Trinity Lake 3. Bodega Bay (61mi/99km: 1hr 30min). Explore the seaside town where Alfred Hitchcock filmed his 1963 classic, The Birds. Luxuriate at the Bodega Bay Lodge & Spa; try their ultra-relaxing hot stone massage. www.bodegabay.com Weaverville 6 36 9 Redding Anderson 36 9. redding (15mi/25km: 18min). Tour Native American exhibits, learn about local wildlife and stroll across the elegant Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay Exploration Park. Take a guided tour on an electric motorised Segway scooter, along the wide and pretty Sacramento river. www.visitredding.org 5 AVENUE OF THE GIANTS 99 101 5 4. Mendocino (97mi/156km: 2hr 19min). Stroll through this seaside town overlooking the Pacific Ocean, sampling its boutiques, galleries, romantic inns and restaurants. www.mendocinocoast.com ver S a cr am en t o R i Mendocino 4 N 20 128 20 1 29 0 0 25 mi 50 km 10. napa valley/Calistoga (178mi/287km: 3hr 10min). Look for unique gifts in this charming town, also known for gourmet dining and, of course, its great wine shops. Visit local spas, many of which boast soaking pools fed by the region’s natural geothermal springs. www.calistogavisitors.com TOTAL LENGTH OF DRIVE TOUR: Santa Rosa Bodega Bay 3 10 Calistoga 128 12 Napa 80 5. avenue of the giants (97mi/157km: 2hr 10min). Drive along Avenue of the Giants, the spectacular route through towering groves of coast redwoods (some over 350ft/ 107m tall). Hiking trails abound; try the majestic rockefeller Forest, in Humboldt redwoods State Park. www.avenueofthegiants.net, www.parks. ca.gov/?page_id=425 Na pa Va MUIR WOODS NATIONAL MONUMENT 12 2 Oakland San Francisco 1 880 580 SFO San Francisco 1 Bay 101 680 280 101 lle y Los Angeles 773mi/1,248km sPotlight 6. Weaverville (139mi/224km: 2hr 45min). Visit an authentic Chinese Joss House, a Taoist temple that has been in continuous use since the 1850s Gold rush, when thousands of Chinese immigrants first arrived in this remote region. rafting companies run trips (from easy to challenging) on the nearby Trinity river. www.shastacascade.com 7. Mount shasta (107mi/172km: 2hr 14min). Lace up your hiking boots or walking shoes and take a hike on trails around this pictureperfect, snow-capped extinct volcano. Afterwards, enjoy delicious local foods at the Trinity Café in Mount Shasta City. www.shastacascade.com http://www.nps.gov/muwo http://www.shastacascade.com http://www.bodegabay.com http://www.visitredding.org http://www.mendocinocoast.com http://www.calistogavisitors.com http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=425 http://www.avenueofthegiants.net http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=425 http://www.shastacascade.com http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com http://www.shastacascade.com http://www.visitcalifornia.co.uk
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