There are likely thousands of travel stories written about travelling in California. I am sure each story has its own flavor for places, people interactions and countless opportunities to explore and enjoy the Golden State. This story will be added to the count of this legendary state’s extensive diversified fields of humanity, professions, environs, and terrains.
At LAX and San Jose Airports
I have had the opportunity to visit California multiple times and every visit has been filled with charm. This story is about traveling through multiple terrains in the state with one of my friends in 2016 summer. We flew from our home state’s main airport to Los Angeles catch a flight to San Francisco. There was one-and-a-half-hour layover, so decided to have some refreshments. While enjoying the cold beer and hot chicken wings, we heard on the intercom that our flight was cancelled and will need to book another flight to San Fran or to another nearby airport. We abandoned our feast, rushed to the booking counter, and secured a flight to San Jose.
A mid-size car was reserved for this trip. When we got to the reservation counter, booking associate told us that there is a promotion going on and we have the opportunity to rent a Dodge Challenger with Hemi engine (807 hp) for the same rental rate as the original reservation. Now that was very welcome sign for the trip. Driving this muscle car was extremely enjoyable on this relaxing vacation tour.
Taking about San Jose reminds me a little funny story, so taking a little detour here. A traveler, travelling (from a region of the world where Spanish language is not prevalent) by road was to cross Mexico border into the US. The border patrol agent asked “Sir, what is your destination in California?” The traveler responded, “I am going to visit friends in San Jozee” (just like a normal English J and S sound, right?). The agent said “Sir, you do not seem to understand the pronunciation of Spanish words. It is not San Jozee. The J sounds like H. So, it is San Hose.” The traveler thanked him for enhancing his knowledge. Then agent asked “Sir, when do you plan to be in San Jose and return back?” The traveler replied, “I will be there in Hoon and return back in Hoolie.” The border agent again corrected him and said “Sir, you have to realize that it is not Hoon and Hoolie, but June and July.” Well, the traveler was perplexed himself and retorted back “Sir, a minute ago, you advised that a J sounds like H and now you have changed that instructions. Can you please make up your mind and stop confusing me?” The lesson learned here is that it could be quite confusing when languages and cultures mingle, especially in places like California with so much diversity.
The Bay Area
Initial stay was with my niece and her family in the Bay area and the drive from airport to the destination was a little over an hour. My niece had cooked a sumptuous and tasty feast for dinner. Next morning, after the morning tea, we went for a ride to Mount Diablo that is almost four thousand feet at its peak. The unique about this ride is that you see bicyclists braving the uphill rides from base to the top. Now that effort is to be admired. Main roads in the towns around this area have bicycle lanes and you see a lot of people enjoying bike rides.
Mount Diablo Summit
After this ride, we went to a beautiful local mall that has unique architecture. On one end of the mall there was a big fountain, a small waterfall and the water flows gently to the other end. There were ducks at times swimming in the water and other times walking around on the side trails or just relaxing in the sun. There were quite a few restaurants with open air seating. The day being a Sunday, there were quite a few families with little kids playing in the open areas. Like other people, our group of six had brunch in the restaurant’s open-air seating near the water. The food was tasty and the whole environment was beautiful and relaxing. In the afternoon, I took a siesta while my younger companions went for a walk in the neighborhood. In the evening we went to the local shopping plaza that was buzzing with people. We went bar hopping and had a wonderful evening.
Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey
Next day, my friend, my niece’s husband and I drove to Carmel-by-the-Sea town. It is a quaint small beach city on California’s Monterey Peninsula. It’s known for the museums and library of the historic Carmel Mission, and the fairytale cottages and galleries of its village-like center. The Scenic Bluff Path runs from surf spot Carmel Beach to bird-rich Carmel River State Beach, with a scuba entry point.
Art Galleries in Carmel
The weather was a little chilly, so there were no swimmers, but pleasant atmosphere for walk at the beach. NBA finals were going on with Golden State Warriors on the cusp of winning second championship. So, there was excitement and loud cheering in the bars and restaurants. We had an enjoyable time in the town and listened to music in the hotel room. Next day, we walked around the town and visited a few art galleries. The quality and variety of the paintings and artwork were awesome. Had lunch on the patio of a nice restaurant. The beer and food were excellent. In the afternoon we visited Mission Ranch hotel and restaurant that is owned by Clint Eastwood.
It is located near the beach with nice views of mountains on the other side of the bay. The whole experience of this leg of the tour was so nice that we decided revisit this town and stay at Mission Ranch sometime in the future.
Next day we visited Monterey, a city on California’s rugged central coast. Its Cannery Row, one-time was center of the sardine-packing industry. Now, it’s a popular strip of gift shops, seafood restaurants and bars in converted factories. Also famous is Monterey Bay Aquarium, with thousands of marine animals and plants on display in underwater and interactive exhibits. Again, the beer and food were excellent. We walked around for a few hours in the town. In the evening, we started driving back to our destination.
Fishermen’s Wharf in Monterey
Yuba City, Reno, and Lake Tahoe
The following day, my friend and I went to Yuba City to visit my friend’s family. This city is about forty miles north of Sacramento. Faming and agriculture are predominant in the whole county. It is home to a large number of people from my home state in India.
Farmers in Yuba City
Next day, we (my friend and one of his relatives) drove to Reno, NV and stayed overnight there. There were hundreds of motor cyclists gathered for some kind of convention. The hotel was genuinely nice and had a unique experience there. Somehow, they had messed up our reservation that had to be corrected. The receptionist was a trainee visiting from Poland. It was a little struggle to communicate with her. She booked me in a genuinely nice and big suite. I have never seen such a huge bathroom in a hotel suite. Visited a few casinos, played on slot machines while drinking beer. Then had drinks and listened to the music in my suite. By the time, we decided to have dinner, most of the restaurants were closed, so we ended up eating at a fast-food joint.
A Casino Scene in Reno
The following morning, we headed back to Yuba City via Lake Tahoe and traversed through the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains. Weather at the lake was awesome for swim dips and just to linger around the beach. We reached the lake around mid-day and after a couple of hours headed back to our host’s home in the early evening. The following morning, my friend and I went to San Jose (San Hose’) airport to catch a flight with change of slights at Denver to the final destination.
Scenic Lake Tahoe
Closing
It was a wonderful and memorable visit to the Golden State. I will be sharing other trips with other flavors in the near future.