California - Part 1

*Redwood SP

The Redwood Parks consist of 3 State Parks and a National Park.

We hiked beautiful and impressive trails in the State Parks. The scale of the size of these trees cannot be put into words... you feel very, very small next to them, and this feeling persisted until the end.

*San Francisco

I was really looking forward to this, but I also had huge expectations because I had heard so many positive things from other people. I was absolutely not disappointed - maybe it's because I have a fondness for cities that are located on water - and we spent three great days!

On the day of arrival, we couldn't miss the opportunity to see the Golden Gate Bridge. It was beautiful in color, but the Bay Bridge leading to Oakland was equally impressive in size!

The highlight - which every tourist must do - was riding the Cable Car. Afterwards, we also visited the museum where we could take a closer look at this ingenious invention.

'The Rock' - a classic action movie for me, was filmed on Alcatraz, a prison island that we could visit. It was absolutely worth seeing!! The island is part of the National Park Service, which meant that there were many excellent rangers available for questions and answers, and there were many things to do on the island, such as a great audio tour. For me personally, it was a great experience.

We also strolled along the famous Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. At the port of San Francisco, there was a wonderful farmer's market where we had a meal. All in all, it had a relaxed and Californian atmosphere - with lots of palm trees and sunshine!

*Yosemite NP

This park is undoubtedly one of the most famous and popular in the USA, alongside Yellowstone NP. On the first of two days, we hiked along the Vernal and Nevada Falls in magnificent weather.

On the second day, our path took us first to Glacier Point, a viewpoint from which you can see the Valley. Then we hiked on the Sentinel Dome Trail. From there, we saw El Capitan and Half Dome - an absolutely amazing view!

*Death Valley NP

We headed to Death Valley via Mono Lake and Chrystal Lake. We encountered very, very hot weather with temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius and endless long roads! Therefore, a full tank and plenty of water supply were necessary. On the first day, we visited various stone arches and canyons - there wasn't much else to see here, but even that was impressive! A huge salt flat called Badwater Basin, which is 86 meters below sea level, represents the lowest point in North America and is well worth seeing.

The next day, we visited the Borax Harmony Works, a production site for the mineral sodium borate (borax), which was produced here from 1883 to 1888. Then there was 'Dante's View', a viewpoint at nearly 1700 meters high, from where you can overlook Death Valley.

So for now, we say goodbye to California and head towards Nevada and the vibrant and glittering Las Vegas...