| This city is spread out over an enormous surface and it lacks a real center. As a result we did not find it a very pleasant city without any charm. The vrey famous neighboorhoods Hollywood and Beverly with its big boulevards are definately worth a visit, though, as well as the beaches and some museums. In this city it's all about to see and to be seen. To experience the real American lifestile LA is the place to be. |
| Yosemite welcomes most visitors per year of any National Park in the United States. As a result, Yosemite Valley is often jammed with cars during the summer. This really is a major drawback of this park. In addition most campsites are fully booked well in advance. Therefore, visiting this park outside the main season is the best option. Nevertheless, Yosemite valley is still of an extraordinary beauty: Several falls plummit down into the valley from the hugh granite rock formations that line the valley. Once you're more than half an four away from the main roads, you have have the place for your own. In the northern part of the Park it's much more quiet and you can make some fantastic day trips to some lakes in the mountains, while you enjoy the mountain scenery. |
| The coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles is very spectacular with nice cliffs, falls and lagoons. We camped a couple of nights on a campsite on the shores of an artifical Lake (lake Lopez). We made some nice walks in the neighboorhood and we made a boat trip on the lake. But because many people from LA come here druring weekends, it was a bit too crowded. |
| This National Park is famous for its Joshua Trees. Actually, there not realy trees, but family of the Yucca plant. The park is separated in a high and low part. In the lower part, the desert prevails and only some cactuses can survive in this harsh environment. On the other end in the higher section of the park there is more vegatation, including the Joshua Tree and more wildlife (mainly lizards). The best time of year to visit the park is during spring when many plants are blossoming and temperatures are not too high. |
| The major draw of these two adjacant National Parks are the giant Sequoia Trees. In 500 years they can become 100m tall and the diameter at the base of their trunk can reach 10 meters! When you stand close to one of these giants you feel really dwarfed. Apart from these trees, there's much more te see and do. There are many trails which are worth exploring and importantly, they are less crowded than those in Yosemite NP. The main feature of Kings Canyon NP is, not surprisingly, its canyon, which is one of the deepest of North America. on the valley floor you can make nice walks and picknick on the banks of the river. |
2008 © Bart Everts
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| We visited San Diego mainly for its world famous zoo. It has Koalas, Pandas and many other endangered animals. Because of the tropcial climate in this region, the Zoo is set in lush tropical gardens. San Diego also has Sea World which should be worth a visit. |
| San Francisco is located at the end of a small peninsula in between a big bay and the Pacific Ocean. Because the peninsula automatically restricts teh surface area of San francisco most of the main attractions are within walking distance. Unlike Los Angeles, San Francisco is American but with a clear European twist to it. The city has a lot to offer. To name a few: prison island Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge spanning the waterway between the bay and the ocean, Pier 39, its old fashioned trams and the road with the 20 or so hairpins. We enjoyed the city very much. Just south of the city there is this reserve (Aņo Nuevo), where you can find a large group of enormous northern Elephant seals. A bit further south down the coast we recommend to visit Monterey Bay Aquarium with large basins of fluorescent jellyfish. |
| Not far north of LA we stayed a couple of days on a laid back camping near Santa Paula. We made some daytrips to the coast and visited a couple of falls in the surrounding hills. |
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| Physical activities: eg Walking / Rafting / swimming Nature: eg National Park / Reserve City / Cultural site |
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