Barbara's Road Trip to Yosemite
Jul 3rd, 2006, 10:55 AM
#1
Barbara's Road Trip to Yosemite
My mother, daughter and I left San Diego just before 10am on an overcast Friday morning in late June. We drove north on I-5, the Toll Road and I-405 to the Santa Monica exit. There, we headed for Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway. We cruised along with no traffic problems at all until Point Mugu where there are road works and a detour. This was a mystery detour for many people. We would stop at a stop light and the other drivers around us were all asking each other where we were. Talk about the blind leading the blind!
We finally got to Santa Barbara about 1:30pm and stopped for lunch. We drove down to the beach and decided that this is where I’ll buy a house when I win the Lottery. This was also when I realized that I’d forgotten to bring a sweater for those chilly central coast evenings. We continued north on Highway 1 where possible, US 101 otherwise, towards San Simeon, stopping in Cambria to shop before getting to our hotel for the first night.
The Best Western Cavalier in San Simeon was great. We had two oceanfront rooms, with fireplaces, mini bars, real hairdryers, ironing boards, irons and comfy beds. The restaurant on the property serves good food, not gourmet, but good. After dinner, we walked on the bluffs and watched the waves and a couple of surfers who were out there until dark. It seems like a pretty rocky area to surf, but there were even more the next morning. The hotel lights three bonfires every night on the bluffs. To my thin, San Diego blood, the temperature felt close to freezing now, so the fires were a very good thing! My daughter swam in one of the pools for a while, then we went back to our rooms and my mum and I decided we’d actually use the mini bars and had a lovely time sitting on our balcony, listening to the waves crash on the shore, drinking Bailey’s!
Day two. Off to Hearst Castle which is all of three minutes from the hotel (maybe five in heavy traffic!). I had reserved tickets for Tour 1, as none of us had been before. Also, it has the least number of steps to climb. We all loved the Castle. The bus ride from the visitor center to the Castle took us out of chilly fog into very warm sunshine. The view wasn’t great because of the fog lower down, but still pretty magnificent. Now I’ll have to go back and go on the other tours. The outdoor pool had been drained to repair a leak, so we didn’t see it in all its glory, but everything else was quite impressive. The location is fantastic, but I can’t imagine living there. It’s just short on comfort to my way of thinking. Maybe I’ll change my opinion after doing the other tours, though.
After the tour, we drove north to Ragged Point Inn for lunch. We sat outside (because inside was like a greenhouse!) and watched the preparations for a wedding, then the actual ceremony. What a perfect place for a wedding! Unfortunately, the fog was still obscuring the view somewhat, but it was still marvelous. The food was good, too. We had delicious, huge sandwiches and “Highway 1” fries. After lunch we continued up the road towards Carmel and Monterey, our final destination for the day. Despite the fog, the views were terrific and my mum, who gets dizzy with heights, was fine on the right side of the road, away from the steep drop!
We stopped in Carmel to shop (and maybe I should buy a house here too!), then made our way to the Monterey Bay Lodge in Monterey for two nights. We were all in the same room here, which was unfortunate because the rooms are not very big and the shower is small. The pool is quite small too. I think their web site makes everything look a bit bigger than it really is. On the plus side, it’s all very clean and comfortable. There is a restaurant right next door which was good for breakfasts. Our first night, we ate dinner at Café Fina on the Wharf. We were seated a t a horrible table far from the window, but the place was full so there was not much we could do about it. Our server was excellent, but the food was not very good and I really would not recommend it.
We visited the Aquarium, of course, the following morning, thinking we’d spend a couple of hours there. We were there for almost five hours, including a great lunch in the restaurant at a window table. Talk about good luck. Then, my mum wanted to look at the shops on Cannery Row, I wanted to drive 17 Mile Drive, so we looked at the shops. What a waste of time. That night, we ate at Monterey’s Fish House. This is a very small place, but as soon as we walked in we knew it would be a good meal. And it was, great service, great food, do make reservations.
I'll add more later.
We finally got to Santa Barbara about 1:30pm and stopped for lunch. We drove down to the beach and decided that this is where I’ll buy a house when I win the Lottery. This was also when I realized that I’d forgotten to bring a sweater for those chilly central coast evenings. We continued north on Highway 1 where possible, US 101 otherwise, towards San Simeon, stopping in Cambria to shop before getting to our hotel for the first night.
The Best Western Cavalier in San Simeon was great. We had two oceanfront rooms, with fireplaces, mini bars, real hairdryers, ironing boards, irons and comfy beds. The restaurant on the property serves good food, not gourmet, but good. After dinner, we walked on the bluffs and watched the waves and a couple of surfers who were out there until dark. It seems like a pretty rocky area to surf, but there were even more the next morning. The hotel lights three bonfires every night on the bluffs. To my thin, San Diego blood, the temperature felt close to freezing now, so the fires were a very good thing! My daughter swam in one of the pools for a while, then we went back to our rooms and my mum and I decided we’d actually use the mini bars and had a lovely time sitting on our balcony, listening to the waves crash on the shore, drinking Bailey’s!
Day two. Off to Hearst Castle which is all of three minutes from the hotel (maybe five in heavy traffic!). I had reserved tickets for Tour 1, as none of us had been before. Also, it has the least number of steps to climb. We all loved the Castle. The bus ride from the visitor center to the Castle took us out of chilly fog into very warm sunshine. The view wasn’t great because of the fog lower down, but still pretty magnificent. Now I’ll have to go back and go on the other tours. The outdoor pool had been drained to repair a leak, so we didn’t see it in all its glory, but everything else was quite impressive. The location is fantastic, but I can’t imagine living there. It’s just short on comfort to my way of thinking. Maybe I’ll change my opinion after doing the other tours, though.
After the tour, we drove north to Ragged Point Inn for lunch. We sat outside (because inside was like a greenhouse!) and watched the preparations for a wedding, then the actual ceremony. What a perfect place for a wedding! Unfortunately, the fog was still obscuring the view somewhat, but it was still marvelous. The food was good, too. We had delicious, huge sandwiches and “Highway 1” fries. After lunch we continued up the road towards Carmel and Monterey, our final destination for the day. Despite the fog, the views were terrific and my mum, who gets dizzy with heights, was fine on the right side of the road, away from the steep drop!
We stopped in Carmel to shop (and maybe I should buy a house here too!), then made our way to the Monterey Bay Lodge in Monterey for two nights. We were all in the same room here, which was unfortunate because the rooms are not very big and the shower is small. The pool is quite small too. I think their web site makes everything look a bit bigger than it really is. On the plus side, it’s all very clean and comfortable. There is a restaurant right next door which was good for breakfasts. Our first night, we ate dinner at Café Fina on the Wharf. We were seated a t a horrible table far from the window, but the place was full so there was not much we could do about it. Our server was excellent, but the food was not very good and I really would not recommend it.
We visited the Aquarium, of course, the following morning, thinking we’d spend a couple of hours there. We were there for almost five hours, including a great lunch in the restaurant at a window table. Talk about good luck. Then, my mum wanted to look at the shops on Cannery Row, I wanted to drive 17 Mile Drive, so we looked at the shops. What a waste of time. That night, we ate at Monterey’s Fish House. This is a very small place, but as soon as we walked in we knew it would be a good meal. And it was, great service, great food, do make reservations.
I'll add more later.
Jul 3rd, 2006, 11:24 AM
#3
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A beautiful trip Barbara I can only imagine how special it was for your mother to share it with her daughter and grandaughter! I relate to your thinking about buying houses in the various beautiful locations when you win the lotto. I always think along those lines, lol!
Jul 3rd, 2006, 12:05 PM
#5
Thanks for your kind words! Here's the rest of it.
The next morning, we were off to Yosemite. The route that Microsoft Streets and Trips mapped out for me took us via Gilroy (I love Garlic!), Los Banos, Merced, and Mariposa. We stopped at the reservoir between Gilroy and Los Banos, partly for the bathroom and partly because it looked interesting. Nice bathrooms and it was quite interesting! At Mariposa, I had to make the Big Decision, go to Yosemite via Oakhurst or Groveland? The locals I talked to said Oakhurst, so that’s the way we went. Oakhurst is virtually a thriving metropolis. I was completely surprised. They have everything you might need, a Vons supermarket, a B of A branch all kinds of camping, hiking, skiing stuff, and gas stations. The price of gas was not too bad, not nearly as bad as I’d thought. I had filled up in Mariposa. Big mistake, wait for Oakhurst where it’s cheaper.
On to Yosemite! This is, IMO the best way to enter the Park, simply because when you come out of the tunnel, you see one of the best views in the world and a brilliant introduction to the Park. Do pull over into the conveniently located parking lot otherwise you’ll crash because you will not be able to stop looking at the view. We were staying for three nights at the Cedar Lodge in El Portal. I didn’t start planning this until Feb/March this year and Yosemite Lodge was booked, of course. The Ahwahnee is just a bit too expensive and the Yosemite View Lodge was also full. I will never stay at the Cedar Lodge again. It was not very clean, the beds were uncomfortable and the food is not great. The breakfast buffet is OK, but a rip off. They charge $8.95 for adults for the buffet, but that doesn’t include drinks, so your coffee and OJ or whatever is extra. You can’t get just toast or a bagel or a muffin, they’re part of the buffet. Anyway, I don’t recommend this place.
We drove to Glacier Point, a must-see. Absolutely the most fantastic view anywhere! We wandered round the Village and shopped. I was impressed that the food prices in the supermarket were no more than at home. Everywhere you go there is Yosemite stuff to buy. It’s not the same selection everywhere, so if you see something you like buy it. We went to the Ahwahnee for drinks – it was HOT, so we needed shade, and martinis. They do half-size martinis in the afternoon. So thoughtful! We walked there from the day parking in the Village. It’s about a 10-15 minute stroll and is mostly shady (so there are some mosquitoes). On our last night, we had dinner at Yosemite Lodge. Great food, great service and fabulous view. Highly recommend it, even if, like us, you don’t stay there. I made reservations, but half the seating is not reserved.
On the following morning, we left the Cedar Lodge (thank goodness) and started over the recently-opened Tioga Pass. This has to be one of the most beautiful drives anywhere. (Am I using too many superlatives about this place?) As it had opened so recently, I was kind of expecting to find snow piled up at the side of the road. Wrong! At the highest part, there was quite a bit of snow, but hardly piled by the side of the road! There are many, many places to pull of the road to look at the views. Use them all. When you get to Tenaya Lake, find a picnic table and sit awhile. The Visitor Center at Tuolumne Meadows, and all the other services on the road, didn’t open until a couple of days after we were there, unfortunately, which surely prevented me from buying more stuff. It also meant there were no bathrooms, though.
Finally, and reluctantly, we left the Park and descended to US 395. We stopped for the night in Bishop to break the drive back to San Diego. We stayed at the Best Western Creekside in Bishop. What a lovely hotel and how unexpected. They have extremely comfortable beds, nicely decorated rooms, and super-clean bathrooms for a reasonable cost. We had two rooms here and I highly recommend it. We had dinner at Whisky Creek and it was very good.
Now the long drive back home, which was fine until I- 215S. It became more and more backed up until it was at a virtual standstill. We discovered from the radio that there was a brush fire at Rainbow, on the San Diego/Riverside County line and the freeway was completely closed in both directions. Well, this didn’t sound very good and I was pouring over maps trying to figure out what to do. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t much I could do, so we sat in traffic for over three hours, in 100F temperatures, inching forward, sitting still, and then finally actually moving. I heard the traffic was backed up over ten miles in each direction. We didn’t want to drink too much water because, of course, there was nowhere to go to the bathroom! When we got close to the fire area, we saw the helicopters and firefighters and several truckloads of prisoners who can volunteer to do firefighting. We also saw that the fire had burned right along the side of the freeway before going up the hill, so that is why the freeway had been closed. This may have been started by someone throwing a cigarette out of their car window (why dirty the ashtray?). IMO, firefighters are more than worth their weight in gold and we just don’t do enough for them or value them enough. Anyway, we made it home safely although it took a few hours longer than I thought.
Overall a great trip and thank you to everyone here who helped with my planning.
The next morning, we were off to Yosemite. The route that Microsoft Streets and Trips mapped out for me took us via Gilroy (I love Garlic!), Los Banos, Merced, and Mariposa. We stopped at the reservoir between Gilroy and Los Banos, partly for the bathroom and partly because it looked interesting. Nice bathrooms and it was quite interesting! At Mariposa, I had to make the Big Decision, go to Yosemite via Oakhurst or Groveland? The locals I talked to said Oakhurst, so that’s the way we went. Oakhurst is virtually a thriving metropolis. I was completely surprised. They have everything you might need, a Vons supermarket, a B of A branch all kinds of camping, hiking, skiing stuff, and gas stations. The price of gas was not too bad, not nearly as bad as I’d thought. I had filled up in Mariposa. Big mistake, wait for Oakhurst where it’s cheaper.
On to Yosemite! This is, IMO the best way to enter the Park, simply because when you come out of the tunnel, you see one of the best views in the world and a brilliant introduction to the Park. Do pull over into the conveniently located parking lot otherwise you’ll crash because you will not be able to stop looking at the view. We were staying for three nights at the Cedar Lodge in El Portal. I didn’t start planning this until Feb/March this year and Yosemite Lodge was booked, of course. The Ahwahnee is just a bit too expensive and the Yosemite View Lodge was also full. I will never stay at the Cedar Lodge again. It was not very clean, the beds were uncomfortable and the food is not great. The breakfast buffet is OK, but a rip off. They charge $8.95 for adults for the buffet, but that doesn’t include drinks, so your coffee and OJ or whatever is extra. You can’t get just toast or a bagel or a muffin, they’re part of the buffet. Anyway, I don’t recommend this place.
We drove to Glacier Point, a must-see. Absolutely the most fantastic view anywhere! We wandered round the Village and shopped. I was impressed that the food prices in the supermarket were no more than at home. Everywhere you go there is Yosemite stuff to buy. It’s not the same selection everywhere, so if you see something you like buy it. We went to the Ahwahnee for drinks – it was HOT, so we needed shade, and martinis. They do half-size martinis in the afternoon. So thoughtful! We walked there from the day parking in the Village. It’s about a 10-15 minute stroll and is mostly shady (so there are some mosquitoes). On our last night, we had dinner at Yosemite Lodge. Great food, great service and fabulous view. Highly recommend it, even if, like us, you don’t stay there. I made reservations, but half the seating is not reserved.
On the following morning, we left the Cedar Lodge (thank goodness) and started over the recently-opened Tioga Pass. This has to be one of the most beautiful drives anywhere. (Am I using too many superlatives about this place?) As it had opened so recently, I was kind of expecting to find snow piled up at the side of the road. Wrong! At the highest part, there was quite a bit of snow, but hardly piled by the side of the road! There are many, many places to pull of the road to look at the views. Use them all. When you get to Tenaya Lake, find a picnic table and sit awhile. The Visitor Center at Tuolumne Meadows, and all the other services on the road, didn’t open until a couple of days after we were there, unfortunately, which surely prevented me from buying more stuff. It also meant there were no bathrooms, though.
Finally, and reluctantly, we left the Park and descended to US 395. We stopped for the night in Bishop to break the drive back to San Diego. We stayed at the Best Western Creekside in Bishop. What a lovely hotel and how unexpected. They have extremely comfortable beds, nicely decorated rooms, and super-clean bathrooms for a reasonable cost. We had two rooms here and I highly recommend it. We had dinner at Whisky Creek and it was very good.
Now the long drive back home, which was fine until I- 215S. It became more and more backed up until it was at a virtual standstill. We discovered from the radio that there was a brush fire at Rainbow, on the San Diego/Riverside County line and the freeway was completely closed in both directions. Well, this didn’t sound very good and I was pouring over maps trying to figure out what to do. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t much I could do, so we sat in traffic for over three hours, in 100F temperatures, inching forward, sitting still, and then finally actually moving. I heard the traffic was backed up over ten miles in each direction. We didn’t want to drink too much water because, of course, there was nowhere to go to the bathroom! When we got close to the fire area, we saw the helicopters and firefighters and several truckloads of prisoners who can volunteer to do firefighting. We also saw that the fire had burned right along the side of the freeway before going up the hill, so that is why the freeway had been closed. This may have been started by someone throwing a cigarette out of their car window (why dirty the ashtray?). IMO, firefighters are more than worth their weight in gold and we just don’t do enough for them or value them enough. Anyway, we made it home safely although it took a few hours longer than I thought.
Overall a great trip and thank you to everyone here who helped with my planning.
Jul 3rd, 2006, 03:16 PM
#6
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Oh Barbara, stuck for three hours in your car with 100 degrees was a nightmare I am sure! I have had experiences like that but not for three hours, I can't even imagine how wilted you all felt.
Besides the one grubby Cedar Lodge (the breakfast sounds pathetic and so overpriced) your trip was obviously wonderful! Thanks for sharing it.
And bet a nice long cool shower when you got home felt good! Best regards.
Besides the one grubby Cedar Lodge (the breakfast sounds pathetic and so overpriced) your trip was obviously wonderful! Thanks for sharing it.
And bet a nice long cool shower when you got home felt good! Best regards.
Jul 3rd, 2006, 04:05 PM
#7
LoveItaly, we did have the ac going, but it was still a long time!
I forgot to comment on the spectacular waterfalls. All of them were just as full as could be with all the runoff from the snow.
I forgot to comment on the spectacular waterfalls. All of them were just as full as could be with all the runoff from the snow.
Jul 3rd, 2006, 04:41 PM
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Hi Barbara, I was thinking about the waterfalls just awhile ago. I can imagine they were spectacular! I also wanted to say inspite of all the many trips I have made up and down the coast I have never toured Hearst Castle. Isn't that silly? Do have a fun and safe 4th of July!
Jul 6th, 2006, 12:13 PM
#9
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Barbara, thanks for sharing your trip. My boyfriend and i are traveling to Yosemite next week (july 11). we are looking forward to it. We will be there for 3 full days only ..Thanks for the tip on dinner at the Yosemite Lodge. Did you eat at the Mountain Room Restaurant? Is that the only restaurant at their lodge? Please advise. Thanks.
Jul 6th, 2006, 01:11 PM
#10
Vero, yes, we ate in the Mountain Room restaurant. I don't know about other places there, sorry. Yosemite Village has several casual places, but I don't think any of them are open much later than 6pm.
