The Traveling Widower

Tag: california

  • A short trip to a big city

    View looking up at a modern skyscraper featuring a textured facade and geometric architecture against a clear blue sky, with greenery visible at the base.
    Trans America Pyramid

    I’m sort of stuck in Northern California for a few months, not able to go too far away from home for medical reasons. So, I’m planning to take a lot of short trips, where I can get back home quickly if I need to. I decided to cross off one entry on my enormous (and growing) bucket list, Alcatraz. Not to check in (our president wants to reopen in for business), but to do a tour. Just something I’ve always wanted to do, but we never managed to get there all the years Jan and I lived in the South Bay. It was not high on my wife’s list. A cold,windy island with old crumbling, ugly buildings. 

    I love the City, or at least I used to – Jan and I spent a lot of time here over the years, visiting our friend who ran hotels in the area. I have a lot of good memories of times spent just wandering around in the different areas, going to great restaurants and bars, watching our friends’ new hotel going up across from Oracle Park. We even watched a Billy Joel concert..from the roof across the street. The sound was pretty good and we had much better food and wine than what is offered in the stadium. Unfortunately, we also got to watch the city lose a lot of it’s charm over time. Not what I want to get into on this post.

    For this little trip, I was planning on spending just two nights at a nice hotel, visiting the “Rock”, and wandering a bit doing some city photography. And then getting the hell out quickly before the traffic became bumper-to-bumper for 100 miles. It worked out pretty well.

    The drive to the Hilton in the Financial District was quite easy, given that I hate driving in San Francisco. Google directions were perfect, and I was lucky to hit a time when the city traffic was fairly light. No idiots on scooters or bikes cutting across the intersection, and no Waymo cars doing strange things in traffic ( I did see a couple). My room at the Hilton had incredible views:

    A panoramic view of San Francisco featuring Coit Tower atop Telegraph Hill, with a backdrop of the Bay and distant mountains. The scene includes a mix of urban buildings and greenery under a clear blue sky.
    Coit Tower

    The night time view was great as well – people who live near big hotels should put their shades down at night.

    Nighttime view of a cityscape with illuminated buildings and streets, highlighting a prominent tower on a hilltop.

    After checking in, I headed out to explore, planning to walk to Pier 33 where the ferry leaves for Alcatraz, and then wander over to Fisherman’s Wharf. It was a perfect summer day in San Francisco – about 62F, with winds about 150MPH. It was not a good day for wearing a hat.

    Flag of Pier 39 waving against a clear blue sky.

    But it was still fun wandering around, something I have not done for years. It’s such a great city for photography – so many odd buildings (and people). Fisherman’s Wharf is really awful (my opinion) – crowded with ticky-tack shops, but the views of the winds-swept bay are great, and then there is the giant sea lion colony  – smells really bad, but fun to watch and listen to all the barking sea lions.

    Colorfully painted seal sculptures in front of the Aquarium of the Bay building at Pier 39.
    A colorful carousel with ornate decorations and illuminated lights, featuring various painted scenes on its canopy.
    A distant view of Alcatraz Island with a ferry approaching, set against a clear blue sky.
    The “Rock” in the distance, from Fisherman’s Wharf

    On the way back (walking very slowly) to the hotel, I looked up and realized I was next to the Trans America building, the pyramid. And they have a really nice redwood tree park next to the building. A nice place to take some pictures looking up. I’m not quite sure why this was in the park. It’s a strange city.

    A bronze sculpture of a deer with antlers, positioned in a landscaped area with plants and trees, in front of a fountain and modern buildings.

    I finished day 1 having a great burger and a martini at the hotel bar, watching the NBA finals.The Nuggets and Warriors are out, so I don’t really care who wins.  A good start to my short trip. I’ll leave my Alcatraz adventure to the next post.

  • Bored in January – How about a trip to Yosemite

    A scenic view of mountains under a clear blue sky, featuring prominent rock formations and patches of snow on the peaks.

    After returning from Ecuador, I was back alone at home, with over two months to kill before my next big trip (Baja with National Geographic). The holidays were difficult for me, since this was the first since my wife had passed, and the memories from out last Thanksgiving and Christmas were hitting hard. I did make a few trips back to the South Bay to be with friends, which helped to some degree. Once New Years was passed, I was depressed and bored, needing something to do. I’m not a skier anymore, and did not feel like driving back to the coast, so I thought hard about where I could go to get away, and do some winter photography. I was planning to try my luck at Mono Lake, but looking at the drive and distance, realized that I could just as easily make it to Yosemite. January was turning into a dry month, and the roads (and valley) to the park were clear of snow. And a miracle occurred – I was able to get a room at the Lodge at Yosemite Falls. That can be difficult any time of the year. So, I loaded up the Forester with winter gear, including chains just in case, and headed off to Yosemite.

    I’ve been to this park a couple of times in the spring and summer. My wife and I went in early summer at the peak of the waterfall “season”, and hiked up to the top of Nevada falls – a long but beautiful hike. I had a work trip to the park once, but did not do a heck of a lot other than watch all the younger Googlers get drunk at the hotel. And then there was my assault on the Half Dome cable route….a true adventure. My memories from the past all included large crowds, pretty much everywhere you go.

    Winter on the other hand, can be relatively deserted. I managed to hit it at one of those times. It was very cold, but completely snow free in the valley and most of the trails. 

    The Lodge at Yosemite Falls is aptly named – it is located a short walk from the base of the lower falls. And when you walk out of your building in the morning, the first thing you see if you look up is an amazing view of the upper falls.

    Tall granite cliff with a waterfall cascading down, surrounded by tall green trees and a clear blue sky.
    View from the Lodge

    Early in the morning, there is a frost arrowhead around the falls – never seen that before. I spent a few early mornings at the base – it’s not really photogenic there, but it’s an amazing place to just sit and enjoy the beauty and solitude. Only in the winter. In the summer, this spot is a zoo. The early morning I wandered over, I had the place to myself for an hour. The fact that it was only 5F may be why it was deserted. But, it was almost a religious experience to be in such an incredible place, without the usual hordes of tourists cramming around the viewing area to take selfies. A great place for some morning meditation.

    A waterfall cascading down a rocky cliff, with a rainbow visible in the mist at the base.
    Yosemite Lower Falls (not much water in the winter)

    The nice thing about staying at this location (aside from a really nice bar and restaurant…and a Starbucks), was the proximity to a number of great spots for photography….within walking distance. I discovered the first day, a great spot for capturing reflections of the Upper Falls in quiet spot along the Merced River, by the Swinging Bridge. It was about a 10 minute (brisk) walk from the hotel. This was another spot where bus loads of tourists stop for selfies – I had it for myself most of the time.

    A serene landscape featuring a reflective lake with a rocky cliff and waterfall in the background, surrounded by trees.
    Reflection in Vernal River

    So I spent a wonderful couple of days, wandering around the park, taking lots of photographs in the morning and evenings, and hiking a couple of trails as well. 

    A stunning view of a tall waterfall cascading down a rocky cliff within a mountainous landscape under a clear blue sky.
    Upper and Lower Falls
    A scenic view of a towering rock formation surrounded by dense evergreen trees under a clear blue sky.
    Halfdome (I’ve been on top of that)
    A scenic view of a mountain peak illuminated by sunlight at sunrise, reflecting in a calm river surrounded by pine trees and a winter landscape.
    Halfdome Sunset (very cold it was)
    A tall waterfall cascading down a rugged rock face, surrounded by trees and a clear blue sky.

    It’s hard to stop taking pictures there. Another great feature of digital cameras. 

    I did have one of those moments where I had to remember that I am not 25 years old anymore. I was interested in doing the trail to the top of the upper falls since it was free of ice and snow. The trail head was just a half mile from the lodge, so I decided to give it a try. I think it’s just 5 or 6 miles to the top, but most of it is switch-back rock steps. Not a good thing for a bad knee. I trucked along quite a ways, and started thinking about how much this will hurt going back down. When a very young couple came running down the steps, without skipping a beat, I figured this would be a good place to turn around. Good move on my part.

    I wish I had booked another day or two, but I was tired enough to head home. I felt recharged again and I was close enough to my next trip to start thinking about working on a packing list. Mission accomplished.