In search of sunshine and wide open spaces, Jo Bell discovers there's no better place for enjoying the great outdoors than sunny California.
Landing relatively well rested in San Francisco after an overnight flight, an easy tram ride through the airport deposits us at the rental car hub and we're off. Destination: the Sierra Nevada, a vast mountainous area in western California incorporating three national parks and millions of acres of untouched forest and wilderness.
Our first stop is Lake Tahoe and we are instantly enamoured with the Coachman Hotel. Once a tired 60s motel, this hip ski lodge now features warm wood, blankets, furs and low lighting throughout adding to the cosy lodge feel. Frette linen and towels, Apple TV, a curated mini bar and Malin + Goetz bath products in every room add to the feeling of luxury.
A central common room and lounge area acts as a social hub where guests can enjoy Stumptown espresso over breakfast and local craft beer and wine at night. Doors open to a sunny outdoor area with a pool, hot tub and fire pit, around which we gather in the evenings to toast complimentary s'mores.
The next day sees us at Emerald Bay State Park. An inlet along the southwest shore of the lake, the park is a must-see to experience Lake Tahoe's natural beauty. Emerald Bay lookout offers panoramic views of the lake and surrounding cliffs, granite carved millions of years ago by passing glaciers.
We park further on and a 1.6km-long path leads us down to the lake edge and Vikingsholm, a 38-room Scandinavian-inspired home built in the 1920s. Taking one of the park's many hiking tracks, we meander along the lakefront through a campground and towering trees, before paddling out on to the lake in a kayak. Pulling in at nearby Fannette Island, the only island on Lake Tahoe, we climb to the "tea house", a small stone structure complete with table and chairs, to which the owner of Vikingsholm is said to have taken guests for afternoon tea.
Back on land, we stop off at The Landing for a sunset drink, but it is the Coachman's cosy appeal that draws us back after dark for another enjoyable evening around the fire pit.
Heading towards Mammoth the next morning, we break up the drive with a detour to Bodie, an old gold mining town that's now uninhabited. The town's population peaked at about 8000 between 1877 and 1881, drawing speculators from all over the world. At its peak, 65 saloons lined Main St where murders and shootouts were regular occurrences, and Bodie even had its own Chinatown in which opium dens were plentiful.
About 5 per cent of buildings remain - a good 170 or so - and we wander Bodie's streets, peering through windows and doors at what were once people's homes, peeling wallpaper, kitchen utensils, unmade beds and reading material offering glimpses of a bygone era.
We ride the scenic gondola to the top of Mammoth Mountain, the 3370m summit providing 360-degree views of the Sierra Nevada. We descend Dragon's Back Trail gently at first, winding along the windswept ridgeline to a lookout point, before dropping steeply towards the Bottomless Pit and Twin Lakes and the valley floor.
An early start the next morning takes us to the Devil's Postpile, set within 325ha of protected wilderness. Formed by basalt lava some 80,000 years ago and then exposed by glacial flow many thousands of years later, a sheer wall of thousands of symmetrical hexagonal columns rises 18m above us.
On the road again, we pass through rolling hillside and charming little mountain towns. Opting for the scenic route, we head towards June Lake, looping through a horseshoe-shaped canyon, past a series of postcard-perfect lakes. June, then Grant, then Gull and on to Silver Lake, with its charming old general store and cabins. The colours of autumn alive against the bluest of lakes and dramatic Sierra peaks, it's a dazzling sight.
We arrive at Mono Lake. Where June Lake is freshwater and alpine, Mono is Mars-like. A body of saltwater covering 155sq km, the ancient lake is two and a half times saltier than seawater. While no fish live here, the biosphere supports tiny shrimp and alkali flies that provide food for migrating birds. On the lake edge, we taste the briny water, the tufa towers even eerier up close, an odd, abandoned city.
Taking the turnoff to Yosemite, we wind our way up Tioga Pass to nearly 3000m. A scenic 60km stretch, Tioga Road takes us through forests and past meadows, lakes and granite domes.
Encompassing vast wilderness, deep valleys, meadows, giant sequoias, huge peaks and domes, ranges and more, there are five main areas within Yosemite National Park - Yosemite Valley, Tioga Road and Tuolumne Meadows, Glacier Point, Wawona and Hetch Hetchy.
After a picnic lunch at Lembert Dome, we wander through Tuolumne Meadows, a large open space alive with bubbling soda springs, deer and the Tuolumne River. We stop briefly at sparkling Tenaya Lake, its sandy beaches busy with people picnicking and swimming, before pulling into Olmsted Point. A short walk down an un-signposted track deposits us on the point, the sweeping views made all the more magnificent by the serenity and soft end-of-day light.
Sitting on the western edge of the park, we arrive at Rush Creek Lodge in time for sunset. The first new opening in the area in 25 years, the lodge combines modern design with rustic ranch. Facing west, our stylishly appointed hillside villa has a generous deck from which we watch the sun go down through the woods. Opting for the more casual of several restaurant options, we nestle into comfy booth seating for a good meal. With a large heated saltwater pool, hot tubs and an innovative games area, there's plenty to entertain the kids - and adults for that matter, with a pool bar and band playing one of the nights we are there.
Day two in the park and we head to Yosemite Valley. Criss-crossed with trails, we wander the valley floor through meadows rich with colour. Spotting deer, we gaze up at the massive granite monolith El Capitan and the monstrous Half Dome, minute hikers climbing their way to the top.
Waterfalls drape the walls of the valley, but with Yosemite Falls not much more than a trickle at this time of year, we take the valley's signature hike, the Mist Trail, in search of bigger things. Incorporating two waterfalls, the Vernal and Nevada Falls, which together fall more than 270m, the trail ends with one of the finest views in all of Yosemite. It's busy and the last few hundred metres are up steps cut into the cliff side, but the view from the top is worth it.
Our final day takes us to Glacier Point in search of views. First stop, Glacier Point lookout, offering a commanding (some might say unnerving) view of Half Dome, the Yosemite high country and Yosemite Valley below.
Continuing along Glacier Point Rd, we park and take a loop trail through the woods to Taft Point. Like Glacier Point but without the crowds or guardrails, the views are dramatic. A small crowd gathers around a group of young men who are fixing a tightrope from one section of the overhanging cliff edge to another; the drop off is spine tingling. We step carefully, giant vertical gashes in the rock called the Fissures falling away into the abyss below.
Continuing on the loop trail, we arrive at Sentinel Dome. Otherwise an easy hike, the final stretch to the dome is steep but so worth it. Looking north, a bird's-eye view of Yosemite Valley, El Capitan and Yosemite Falls. To the east, Nevada Falls, Half Dome and Cloud's Rest, and to the west, Yosemite Valley and beyond to Merced Canyon.
On the way back, we round a corner and meet a bride and groom coming down the trail. Just married at Taft Point, they say. Their energy infectious, we chat and take a photo. Heading back to San Fran, we too leave in love with all that is Yosemite.
GETTING THERE
Air New Zealand and United Airlines fly direct from Auckland to San Francisco. Yosemite National Park is less than four hours' drive from San Francisco.
DETAILS
