Big trees in California
 

My 83 yr old father has always wanted to see the"big trees in California" and I plan on taking him in September. Flying from Austin and I am not sure where I should take him. I can get non-stop flights into Oakland and San Fran. Hiking is out so we need car touring options. Plan on 3 night trip maybe 4 during the week. It will be a slow and easy trip for us with plenty of stops and rests. Where should we go?? He loves the great outdoors. He is also interested in local agriculture. He has been a farmer his entire life.
thanks

There are 2 kinds of big trees in CA. There are the tall trees that are on the CA coast. Then there are the giant sequoia's in the Sierra.

Do you know which ones you want to see?

Big treas are all over -- Two different species but there are redwoods in places along the north coast and between San Francisco and Sants Cruz -- and -- in the Sierras in places like Calaveras county and Sequoia NP.

One good option would be to fly into Sacramento or Oakland and head to the North coast. See the Avenue of the Giants, and coastal agriculture and vineyards.

OR - Fly into San Francisco or San Jose and head south to the Santa Cruz Mountains Seeing Big Basin SP and vineyards and then farms down in the Salinas Valley.

Or - fly into Sacramento, San Jose or Fresno and head east to Calaveras Big trees or even farther SE to Sequoia/Kings Canyon.

My first choice would probably be to fly into SMF, and head up to the north coast. 3 to 4 days would be enough time for a fairly leisurely loop starting and ending in Sacramento.

I just posted this on a post Sunday. Some nice links from one Farmer to another.Can your Father walk at all? My best suggestion is fly into OAkland, (Oakland is easier to navigate than SF, rent a car (all rental cars are off site, wait area for shuttle bus is across street all flat, but you can maybe get a w/c to help)...drive to Sonoma. Stay at Fairmont Mission Inn, drive to Armstrong PArk.http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=450
Very flat, BIG trees right from parking lot... there is a paved trail for w/c...contiue out to the coast and see teh ocean...

http://www.farmtrails.org/

http://www.localharvest.org/search.j...&nm=&zip=95476

http://www.forkandbottle.com/secrets_of_wine_country/

I have been to several groves.

Sequoia National Park- Giant Forest Area is what I would rank #1. The trees there are just super. You do need to be able to walk just a little to really see them. You can see plenty of them without walking, but it would be good if you had a wheelchair, or could walk maybe 1/4 mile.

Stout Grove in Redwood National Park would be my #2 pick and the drive thru them is very nice on a really good dirt road.

Yosemite-Mariposa Grove- The trees here are great and you can take a tram/train tour of this grove, so this makes it easy. If you went to Yosemite, you would want to at least drive thru the valley and see the waterfalls as they are very impressive as well


I am going to Prairie Creek section in Redwoods this next week, and I think it will be super nice as well. If you went to the Redwoods, the trees are taller-but not as impressive because they aren't nearly as big in diameter. You do have the added bonus of seeing the coast with the Redwoods. All around the Fresno area there is tons of agriculture. Sequoia and Yosemite are in that general area.


If you have never seen the trees, you will be blown away. They rank in the top 5 things I have ever seen in my life. Right up there with the Grand Canyon or Niagra Falls, in other words.

sorry, didn't see you were going in Sept, Waterfalls might not be all that great at that time, not sure about this year as they had a lot of extra snow

I really don't think it matters which trees we see. He does want to see a tree that you can drive through. thanks for the info. I think alot depends on the non-stop flights.I can leave from another Texas airport, Housston or San Antonio. He can walk but not long distances. He is quite active but has to rest often. Actually he still farms...bails hay, but limited by his walking. The info is great and I will plan the trip with 2 options and let him decide.

janisj when you say coastal ag what do you mean? I am not familiar with the area. Also how long is the loop from Sacremento?

With such a short trip, get a connection and fly into Fresno. Take him to Sequoia Natl Park and drive through(literally) the giants. Next, visit the many agricultural areas of the area. That Valley grows everything, and Im sure there are some CoOps or Churches in the area that will let him visit their working farms firsthand

The giant Sequoias are the most impressive. The redwoods are taller but don't give the same awe inspiring image as the sequoias.
They are almost shocking to see for the first time,it looks like something from another planet. For a farmer to see the largest(by weight) living thing in the world would be memorable.

Muir Woods is an easy accessible hike, it's not a trail, but a wooden boardwalk.

If going to Sequoia, Yosemite - check the altitude if you father may have a problem with it (how is his blood pressure?)

Here is a link about the drive through trees:

http://redwoods.info/showrecord.asp?id=2464

Both are wonderful of course --but I personally would choose the north coast over Sequoia in September. That is a very dry time in the sierras and the waterfalls and everything else won't really be at their best.

Whereas -September is the <u>VERY best</u> month along the coast. The weather is the best of the entire year. That is why it would be my first choice - timing of the trip. Plus Sacramento/SMF is the easiest of all the airports to navigate(other than Fresno but that would only be for Sequoia).

I also would not go to Muir Woods - very close to SF so it gets VERY crowded. They are lovely but it is pretty small area.

Ag in the northern areas would include vineyards, cattle, dairies, lots of pear orchards, Walnuts -- and other small scale fruit/veg operations.

There's one other trip not on the list that is wonderful: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park just outside of Santa Cruz. There is a 1-mile path through the redwood grove that is wheelchair-accessible and absolutely magnificent. My mom is mobility challenged, but she thought it was amazing. (Much to my surprise, she actually walked the whole thing; I think it's the first time she's walked that far in at least 10 years.)

And -- down around Santa Cruz are vineyards, artichokes, strawberries, vegetables.

Some ideas:

Drive him to Santa Cruz and take the open air train that goes through the Santa Cruz mountains. It goes up to Henry Cowell State Park which is a short distance away. They also have a chuckwagon barbeque. If he can't walk to the grove from the depot (I think it's 500 feet) then at least he got to see the trees from the railroad.

Another idea is there is a park somewhere on the road to Yosemite where they have sequoias and you can take a tractor ride through the grove. There is a guide that tells you about each of the memorable trees, including the one you can (or could) drive through. He would probably love that, but I can't remember the name of the park. On the way to Yosemite and back is the central valley where great views of the agriculture are to be had, of every imaginable crop.

Yosemite is beautiful in and of itself, with large trees but not the size of the redwoods nor the girth of the sequoias. But the park and its waterfalls are not to be missed, and they have a nice shuttle bus which requires no walking.

Muir Woods are very nice and give the rain forest type feel. I don't think the trees are anywhere near as good as Sequoia, Redwoods, or Yosemite. The tree at Muir aren't that super compared to the others. The bark alone on the Giant Sequoia's is 2-3 ft think.

Thanks for all of the info. I have been busy researching and here is what I came up with....appreciate any comments

Sequoia-Pros-could stay put in on place for lodging the entire trip, Cons-no direct flights

Avenue of the Giants Pros-32 mile drive with lots of pullouts plus ocean, Cons-logistics from Sacremento and loop drive.

Santa Cruz area-Pros-ag tours in the valley, Cons-I am not sure the trees will have enough wow factor compared to other places

I would use Oakland and try to book a Southwest Airlines to Sacramento.
I think you could get your dad around to many of these trees in 3 nights in a rental car from Sacramento.
Although the redwoods are remarkable, they are often densely packed together and their relative size is diminished.
You guys could cover a lot of ground in that time.

Smom, you are right in your assessment that the redwoods near Santa Cruz don't pack the same punch. It's a lovely area but if your goal is big trees, that area and Muir Woods just aren't the best. I also don't think there are any drive-thru trees there.

logandog, what do you mean "use Oakland" and "try to book a SWA to Sacramento"?

I have to say driving the car through a redwood was a bit of a laugh- the one we went through ( and I am sure there are several) was close to Crescent City and it really is a tourist trap ) but of course we did it anyway.
There is a fee to go through, the tree is almost dead and held together with wires - the pictures came out great though and we had fun doing it.
Watch the side mirrors on the car - the vehicle after us took
one of the mirrors off going through

I agree that the north coast is better for the big trees. There are some old growth groves in the Santa Cruz mountains, but not nearly as many as further north. And the old growth groves further north are more accessible - more spectacular even from the car or with a short walk. In the Santa Cruz mountains you've got to work harder to get the old growth trees and they are fewer and further between.

I was thinking that Oakland airport would have frequent connections to Sacramento because of Southwest Airlines.

Oh, well, I just checked and you can't fly from either SFO or Oakland to Sacramento on SWA. Too bad.

Is flying into SF a bad idea? Direct flights with good times for arrival and departure. Arrival around 10 am and early afternoon departure. Or should I do connecting flights into Sacramento?

It depends on where you are going. Sacramento, Oakland, SF are all about the same distance to Yosemite. Sacramento is closer to the Redwoods by 1-1.5 hrs. The Redwoods and Sequoia each have many groves that you could visit, so you would need to narrow that down as well. Sequoia has three or four, but you would want to visit Mariposa Grove there. The Trees aren't just everywhere in the park, they are in little areas here and there. Sequoia has more areas and larger areas. The Redwoods are more throughout the entire park, but each area there is a little different as well

So, which place have you decided on. And then can he walk at all for any distance, would be my other question?

I am leaning towards going up the Pacific coast from San Fransico. Yes but no long distances, I would prefer to take him to lookouts. He could do 1/4 mile but it not something we stop and do several times of the day.

A direct flight into Oakland would be great - no need to wear your father or yourself out before the trip even begins. If he hasn't seen tne Golden Gate it is a pretty amazing manmade wonder. You mentioned his interest in local agriculture...in San Fran a visit to the Farmers Market at the Ferry Building would give him the opportunity to visit with farmers & taste some great local produce, cna be crowded (ferryplazafarmersmarket.com), a visit to a small winery would be nice, your timing may put you there during crush when they are picking grapes, Cowgirl Creamery in Peteluma is a local dairy farm with tours & tastings (cowgirlcreamery.com) & if he likes oysters a stop in Marshall at Hog Island Oyster Farm (hogislandoyster.com. You can take a tour &/or have a picnic. Enjoy your trip, it will be a special time for you both!!

If you can get direct flights into SFO, that's what I'd do. Connecting flights can be a pain. But once you get to SFO, you'll get your car and head out. And driving across the golden gate bridge is a fabulous way to start your road trip :)

Here is some info that may help you and your father decide what to do.

Here's a web site for the Chandelier drive-thru tree, and 2 others.
http://www.outwestnewspaper.com/trees.html

The drive time from Oakland to the Chandelier tree is about 3 1/2 hours via hwy 101, or about 4 1/2 hours via the coast road.

The web site for Sequoia National Park is here.
http://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm

The trees in this park are the largest in the world, and very likely in the solar system, so it follows that they are bigger than the drive-thru trees.

The drive time from Oakland to Giant Forest in the park is about 4 3/4 hours.

For visits to farms, use this map.
http://www.calagtour.org/

Click on a county to get a list of places to visit.

You might be interested in my recent short trip report on the north coast area

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...ort-report.cfm

I live in Fresno, and it is rare for us to get up to the north coast, which is where I would vote for you to go. It will be greener, much more lush, with ground coating ferns in the north. Sequoia and Yosemite in Sept can be very dry and hot.There is a lot of ag along the coast and just inland. Your dad will see a lot of it.

On your way from SF or Oakland, you can stop at Muir woods in the north bay area, which is also a treat. For first timers, the Avenue of the Giants with the 8 sheduled pullouts should be great. The very short loop trails are generally flat, and the trails are well maintained.

"My 83 yr old father has always wanted to see the 'big trees in California'"

In my mind, "the big trees" are the Sequoiadendron giganteum or "giant sequoia". These trees are located in the Sierra Nevada. The coastal redwoods are beautiful, stately trees but they do not compare in girth with the sierra trees. Also, because the sequoia trees are more spread out, it is easier to admire their size than their coastal cousins.

For your father, I would recommend visiting Yosemite because they have the narrated tram tour through the Mariposa Grove which would make it a lot easier for him to appreciate the grove. Also, you would be able to show him Yosemite Valley which is a sight second to none. If he has never seen Yosemite (and if he has, wouldn't he have seen the trees?) you should take him. Yosemite is a much more worthy destination to fly all the way out to from Texas than the Avenue of the Giants.

Don't get me wrong, there are some wonderful redwood groves along the North Coast but, except for some groves in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, the best parts are further north up in Redwood National Park and it's associated state parks. Also, the trees around the Avenue of the Giants are not near the coast. You don't reach the coast on Hwy 101 until you get up to Humboldt Bay and you don't see the ocean until you get to McKinleyville. You could drive Hwy 1 for coastal views but that drive really needs at least two days to do it justice.

If you go to Yosemite, you will drive through part of the San Joaquin Valley which is one of the most productive agricultural regions on earth. A short detour could also take you through the Delta which is one of the most interesting farming areas in the West. There are also vineyards and wineries in the Sierra foothills that produce some excellent wines.

Flying into Eureka directly and will stay some place for 3 nights. Actually we have 2 days exploring. Then we are driving down Highway 1, spend the night along the way. End up in San Fransico for one night and flying home to Texas.

I picked the coast because we are tired of the heat and he has never seen any coastline except Texas. I think the dramatic differences will be impressive.

Need a central place to see RNP and Avenue of the Giants.
Thanks

Hwy 1 and HWY 101 are different. I am sure you know that, but just wanted to make sure. Hwy 1 is much slower going. You might get enough "coast" at the Redwoods. Don't miss Patricks Point State Park. Agate Beach and Palmers Point Beach there are very interesting. The two are very close to each other, but very very different. Try to catch Palmers at Low Tide. You will see hermit crab, mussel, starfish, etc.
You could see some very nice beaches at Point Reyes National Seashore as well(near SF), if you decide to drive a lot on hwy 1.

Yes I know they are different. I plan on staying in Miranda and then heading south to Mendociona area on highway 1. About how long of a drive? I figure at least 4hrs from Mendociona to SF. Is that about right? If we get tired of the coast where do you recommend that we head off and maybe head off to Sonoma...maybe?

oops replied to the wrong post...someone wanted to make sure I knew their was Highway 1 and Highway 101.