This magnificent road trip had a rather unfortunate start: I had planned a wonderful trip to Costa Rica, but I got my plans mixed up and we flew to San Jose, California instead of San Jose, Costa Rica! Luckily, I realized my mistake a week beforehand. It was the Christmas period, so a busy time, but we were fortunate because at that same time (December 2018), a government shutdown paralyzed the country (a budget impasse that paralyzes the federal government, and in this case, the administration ceases all non-essential services to the population). Many Americans therefore canceled their vacations, and I was able to find hotels in the national parks without any trouble.
San Jose – Lake Tahoe – Alabama Hills – Death Valley (December 21-24)
Upon arriving at the airport, we headed straight to Volcano, the only town where we could find a room, to spend our first night. The next day, we set off for Lake Tahoe, but to our surprise, it had snowed heavily, and we wouldn't be able to access it without snow chains. We continued on to Lake Topaz and then spent the night in Lone Pine so we could visit the Alabama Hills early the next morning. The Alabama Hills is a fascinating region, and its magnificent landscapes have served as the backdrop for numerous Hollywood films (Gladiator, Star Trek, etc.). In the afternoon, we headed towards Death Valley.
Death Valley (December 24th to 26th)
We were incredibly lucky to find a room in the park. The weather was perfect at Christmas and the scenery was magnificent.
Death Valley – San Luis Obispo – Big Sur: The famous Route 1
The most beautiful road in California, which runs from Los Angeles to San Francisco; we drove part of it, starting in San Luis Obispo. The road is magnificent, the scenery unfolding one after another: the tranquility of Avila Beach, the sand dunes perfect for quad biking, the rugged coastline to admire, the magical sunset over Big Sur, the elephant seals in the Piedras Blancas Marine Park. Unfortunately, we couldn't spend the night along the way: all the hotels and campgrounds were fully booked.
San Francisco
Take photos of the Golden Bridge from every angle, try walking down Lombard Street, get lost in Chinatown, enjoy a cruise to visit Alcatraz Island and its prison, admire the Painted Ladies, discover Street Art and of course taste the many culinary specialties of San Francisco.
