Wesson Family Home » California 2008

California vacation – Day 4 – Muir Woods/Napa Valley

dwesson — Wed, 07 May 2008 05:32:47 +0000

Today was our last day here in California. We got an early start this morning and drove from Monterey north through San Francisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge. This bridge is such an amazing structure and offered some great photo shots. I’ve been to San Francisco a number of times for business, but this was the first time I’ve had an opportunity to actually drive over it. Once over the bridge we made a stop at Muir Woods national park. I was amazed at how big these California red woods can get. I tried to take some pictures to give perspective, but somehow I don’t think they do justice. Amanda and I got some good exercise as we hiked almost 4 miles of hiking trails. After our visit to Muir Woods, we headed over to Napa Valley to view all the vineyards; the rolling country side with all the grape vines dressed perfectly looked as if it was from a painting. What I love about California is the variety of things you can see in such a short drive. In our 4 day vacation here in California we have seen history, a beautiful pacific coast, farm land, national parks, and vineyards as far as the eye can see. We’ve had a wonderful time, but we are both ready to get home and see Ben again. Tomorrow we’ll catch an afternoon flight back to Georgia and hope to arrive home around 10:00 PM.

California vacation – Day 3 – Monterey

dwesson — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:11:10 +0000

What a day this has been! One thing Amanda and I love to do on vacation is sightseeing and we did plenty of that today. We started our journey by driving the 17 mile scenic route along 17 mile Drive (…yeah I’m serious, that was the name of the road). This drive offered breathtaking views of the coast and golf links of Monterey and Pebble Beach. We then made a stop in Carmel-by-the-sea where we experienced its small-town charm and beautiful beaches. We continued along Highway 1 to Big Sur where pictures and words cannot describe the magnificence of this stretch of coastline. We then drove inland through the farm lands of Salinas and concluded our day with shopping the outlet malls of Gilroy. Tomorrow we will head back north to San Francisco where we will cross the Golden Gate Bridge and spend much of the day at Muir Woods.

California vacation – Day 2 – Alcatraz Island

dwesson — Mon, 05 May 2008 05:00:57 +0000

We woke early this morning to catch one of San Francisco’s historic rail cars to Pier 33 at Fisherman’s Wharf, where our boat would leave for the historic and legendary Alcatraz Island. Since I was a little kid, I’ve always been fascinated with Alcatraz; part of that fascination was influenced by the documentaries and movies about the many mobsters that were imprisoned there and the infamous prison break. Now at age 33, I’ve finally been able to see “The Rock” in person. The visit did not disappoint; Alcatraz offers an audio tour that really makes the visit come to life. If you are ever in the San Francisco Bay area, be sure to visit the island. After a day on Alcatraz Island, Amanda and I picked up a rental car and drove to Monterey. Tomorrow we will wake early to drive down the coast on California’s popular Big Sur highway.

California vacation – Day 1 – San Francisco

dwesson — Sun, 04 May 2008 04:18:45 +0000

We spent our first day of vacation sightseeing in San Francisco. Waking was hard this morning because we did not arrive into San Francisco until 2:00 AM; that’s 5:00 AM EST! We should have arrived by 11:00 PM but bad weather resulted in us flying around the storm which resulted in our plane running low on fuel before reaching San Francisco. We were forced to land in Las Vegas to get more gas in order for us to reach our destination. After arriving in San Francisco, we took a taxi to our hotel, the Serrano Hotel located in the Union Square district. After some much needed sleep, we woke to do a day of sightseeing around the city of San Francisco. We rode a double-decker bus to see as much of the city as possible in one day. We made stops at Union Square, Chinatown, North Beach, and the Fisherman’s Wharf.