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Day 1:
Meet at
the hotel lobby in San Francisco at 5 p.m. We will
be driving over the Golden Gate Bridge with a photo
stop getting to know each other at dinner in
Sausalito (not included). Your tour guide and driver
will share some important information about the tour
and will hand you a travel itinerary. |
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Day 2: Hike
along the picturesque Pacific Ocean shore trail at Año
Nuevo State Park to a rare elephant seal colony.
Lunch will be a picnic in Año Nuevo. Stop in Santa
Cruz to explore the West's oldest amusement park
directly on the beach, featuring an historic pier
with lots of great seafood snacks. Spend the
evening at the Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. We
will spend the night at a Bed and Breakfast Inn in Pacific Grove nearby to
Monterey. |
Ano
Nuevo |
Monterey |
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Day 3: In
the morning we will drive and walk along the
17-Mile-Drive with its exquisite shore views and
famous golf courses. Visit the historic Carmel
Mission and its beautiful gardens. Hike and picnic
at Point Lobos State Park, a flower and birding
paradise. In the afternoon you have the choice of
optional whale watching tour or a visit to the
world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. |
17-Mile-Drive |
Carmel Mission |
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Day 4: Leaving
the Pacific we stop in Salinas for a visit to the
John Steinbeck Center with an interesting
exhibition on the Nobel Prize winner's books, as
well as some history about California's
agriculture. Today's hike will be along the San
Luis Reservoir with its nice picnic areas. In
Mariposa we will have a short guided tour through
the California Mining Museum. 2 nights in Mariposa
- Enjoy the swimming pool! |
John
Steinbeck Center |
"Fricot Nugget" |
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Day 5: Today's
highlights are hikes in Yosemite National Park
with its beautiful waterfalls and giant sequoia
trees. We will stop in at the Visitor Center and
fascinating Native American Museum. |
Yosemite N.P. |
Mariposa Grove |
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Day 6: Drive over the scenic
Tioga Pass in Yosemite Park and hike across
mountain meadows 12000 ft. above sea level. At the
east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains we will
reach the high prairie of the Great Basin Desert
and explore the geothermal area along an idyllic
creek. The following three nights we will stay in
the busy little town of Bishop where there are
several nice restaurants. |
Tioga Pass
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Hot
Creek
Geological Site |
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Day 7: Drive up a mountain pass emerging 12000 ft. in
elevation among the White Mountain Range. We will
hike among the oldest trees in the world in the
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, an incredible
sight. In the late afternoon we will relax at an
historic natural hot springs. |
Ancient Bristlecone
Pine Forest |
Keough Hot Spring
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