"Beautiful California" a California Travel Page by chewy3326

California is a land of contrasts; the geography of the state ranges from the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada to sun-blessed beaches in the south, mountains falling to the sea at Big Sur, the deserts in the south, and the dense redwood forests of the Northern coast. I've made four trips to California, two in 2005, one in 2006, and one in 2007.

The first trip, in April, allowed me to take in the Big Sur Coastline, San Francisco, and the Pacific Grove Area. There wasn't any snowy scenery here; everything was green, lush, and looked nice.

Our second visit was in June 2005; this time, we headed for Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. The scenery here was different from Big Sur; we found snowy peaks, big trees, and deep canyons. Sequoia National Park was especially nice, with the beautiful Mineral King Valley.

Our third visit was in June 2006, when we visited the spectacular Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe. Highlights on this trip were Mono Lake, Yosemite Valley, and Tioga Road.

In June 2007, we made our fourth and most recent visit to the Golden State, hiking in the Tuolumne Meadows area of Yosemite National Park and exploring the lakes and peaks of the Eastern Sierra Nevada. This was our favorite of our four trips to California.

This page is split in the following manner: the "Things to Do" gives a general idea of what to see/do in California. The "Sports Travel" tips are the best day hikes (that I've done) in the state.