The 2022 West Coast Tour is in the books. Here is a short video of the adventure created by Nola from France. Enjoy! West Coast Tour 2022 by Nola
WELCOME TO West Coast Tour – 2023 –
The Narrative for Our Adventure
Day 1 – Sunday – October 15 |
| PORTLAND AIRPORT – LAX – HOLLYWOOD – DOWNTOWN DISNEY
Summary: From Portland International Airport, fly to the Santa Anna Airport. Once we collect our luggage, we will drive to Inn and Out Burger for Dinner. Then we will drive to the Holiday Inn Suites in Anaheim, We will walk to and from Downtown Disney. Our hotel is a short 15-minute walk to Downtown Disney®. Portland International Airport: IMPORTANT NOTE ON LUGGAGE: When packing, you will need to have a CARRY ON – and one personal item, such as a backpack or purse. The dimensions of the carry-on bag for Alaska Airlines are The carry-on bag size limit for flights has changed to 22” x 14” x 9” – these dimensions include the wheels and handles. Be sure to measure your bag carefully before you fly. If you choose to check a bag, or your carry-on bag does not meet the measurement requirements stated above, you will need to pay the $35 baggage fee. This fee is NOT included in what you have already paid. You are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes in your carry-on bag and through the checkpoint. These are limited to travel-sized containers that are 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item. Downtown Disney®: An Impressive Promenade Featuring Unique Eateries and Distinctive Shops to Explore! Eat, shop, and explore Downtown Disney® District located in the heart of all the action! Discover unique eateries that will please most every palate.Browse boutiques for must-have apparel and all things Disney.Uncover an exciting variety of authentic Star Wars merchandise. Address: 1240 S Walnut St, Anaheim, CA 92802
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Day 2 – Monday – October 16 |
| DISNEYLAND PARK – DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
Summary: Today is devoted to an entire day of Magic at Disneyland and California Adventure. We will spend the entire day from opening to closing at the Disneyland Resort. Be prepared for fun and dress accordingly. We will eat breakfast at our hotel before heading to the resort. Lunch and Dinner will be on your own in the resort. This is the only park that Walt Disney saw completed in his lifetime. It embodies the quiet, charming spirit of nostalgia that so characterized Walt himself. the park is vast yet intimate, steeped in the tradition of its creator yet continually changing. Disneyland was opened in 1955 on a 107-acre tract surrounded almost exclusively by orange groves, just west of the sleepy and little-known Southern California community of Anaheim. Disneyland Park is a collection of adventures, rides, and shows symbolized by the Disney characters and Sleeping Beauty Castle. It’s divided into nine subareas, or “lands,” arranged around a central hub. First encountered is Main Street, U.S.A., which connects the Disneyland entrance with the central hub. Moving clockwise around the hub, the other lands are Adventureland, New Orleans Square, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. Three major lands, Critter Country, New Orleans Square, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, are accessible via Adventureland and Frontierland but do not connect directly with the central hub. Another land, Mickey’s Toontown, connects to Fantasyland. Sail with Pirates, explore exotic jungles, meet fairy tale princesses, dive under the ocean and rocket through the stars…all in the same day. Continue the magic with Disney with the best that California has to offer and the result is Disney California Adventure, a theme park that reflects the California life style. When you enter the gates of this park you are transported to the land of promise, opportunity and glamour. Disney California Adventure is a journey from the California of yesterday to today and a tribute to this land of dreams. You can ride the Red Car Trolley in 1920’s Los Angeles. |
Day 3 – Tuesday, October 17 |
| BEACH – SURFING – SANTA MONICA PIER – ROUTE 66 – BURBANK
Summary: Today, once we check out of our hotel, we will head to Huntington Beach for some surfing lessons with Banzai Surf Company. They will bring us all together for a two hour surfing adventure in the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Surf lessons include surfboards, wetsuits, and all the sand you can eat. Banzai has the safest beginner location in Huntington Beach. There will be lunch t-shirts and pictures. Once we dry off, eat and change, we will head to Santa Monica Pier. On our drive along Ocean Avenue, notice the alfresco dining spots, pastel hued hotels, palm-lined Palisades Park, and the distinctive Tongva Park provide enviable beachfront hangouts. Oceanfront Park, home of the original Muscle Beach, still flexes its charm with a collection of rings, parallel bars, and balanced bars plied by body builders, yogi’s and other assorted sun worshippers. Bikes, Skateboards and even hoverboards drift down the Marvin Braude Bike Trail in an aimless procession of fun. Enjoy wandering around the pier and be sure to have dinner at one of the restaurants along the pier. After dinner, we will load our Charter Bus and head to our hotel in Burbank. There may be some pool time. Be sure to rest as tomorrow will be another busy day. Jutting out into the Pacific Ocean at the intersection of Ocean and Colorado, the Santa Monica Pier symbolizes the heart of Santa Monica and is one of the most photographed locations in the world. More than just a Pier, it is a destination where people come together to enjoy local culture and to reconnect with the Pier’s storied past. Perched over the Pacific, the 114-year-old Pier, featuring the world’s only solar-powered Ferris Wheel,. Take a ride on the wooden horses and sleighs of the Santa Monica Pier Carousel. The famous carousel was built in 1939 in the Looff Hippodrome, a National Historic Landmark and one of the few structures remaining from Santa Monica’s original pier. In 1941, the iconic Santa Monica Yacht Harbor neon sign was unveiled–the perfect spot for a selfie! attracts more than 7 million visitors a year, each reveling in a delectable slice of West The Playland Arcade has over 200 games for you to enjoy some friendly competition with your friends. You’ll find old-school pastimes like skee-ball and pinball alongside newer video games in this classic arcade. Don’t miss getting your picture taken in one of the photo booths. In 2009, the Santa Monica Pier was dedicated as the official western terminus of Route 66, commemorated by a Route 66 sign: a killer backdrop for your Pier trip photos. Route 66 was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway system. US 66 was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The highway, which became one of the most famous roads in the United States, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before terminating here in Santa Monica. US 66 served as a primary route for those who migrated west, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). It was recognized in popular culture by both the 1946 hit song “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66“. It was also featured in the Disney Pixar film “Cars”. Courtyard by Marriott Burbank Airport Address: 2100 Empire Ave, Burbank, CA 91504 |
Day 4 – Wednesday, October 18 |
| UNIVERSAL STUDIOS – UNIVERSAL STUDIOS CITYWALK – SANTA BARBARA
Summary: Today, we will spend enjoying the rides and entertainment at Universal Studios. After Breakfast at the hotel, we head to Universal Studios and will be there when they open the doors. Dinner will be at Universal Studios City Walk. Whether you want to sample traditional Mexican favorites like fajitas, tacos, and enchiladas at Antojitos Cocina Mexicana, indulge in one-of-a-kind sweet snacks, or just want to pick up some of the latest apparel, accessories or Universal merch, it’s all here at Universal CityWalk. With acres of a fun and exciting environment – from shopping to mouth-watering food, drinks, and treats. After a full day, we will load our charter bus and drive to Santa Barbara. We will stay in the Ramada Santa Barbara Motel. Universal Studios is the only authentic, working movie studio and theme park in the world. It’s a can’t-miss for visitors as it is a popular weekend attraction for locals. From the world-famous Studio. Tour to thrilling rides and family-friendly attractions, the magic of movie-making is made real for everyone who comes to experience it. What is there to see and experience?
For a concentrated dose of nightlife, dining, and oh-I-need-that shopping, be sure to visit the bustling, pedestrian-only Universal CityWalk complex. Actually, you can’t really miss it—walking routes from Universal Studios Hollywood’s main parking structure take you right through CityWalk. Plus, there’s no admission, so you can visit CityWalk even if you don’t have tickets to the theme park. Don’t miss the dancing water fountain display at its center, designed by the same folks who created the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas. And keep an eye out for the camera crews and hosts of the TV show Access Hollywood, who regularly film segments around the theme park and CityWalk. Free outdoor concerts feature light shows and plenty of room for dancing—though you might have find someone to hold all the shopping bags you’ll be toting, what with stores like Abercrombie & Fitch, Sephora, and Billabong lining the plazas and walkways. You won’t go hungry either. Choose from the outposts of Pink’s Famous Hot Dogs, Vivo Italian Kitchen, and Antojitos. CityWalk is also home to some notable transplants from outside the Golden State, such as Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Dongpo Kitchen (an offshoot of China’s popular Meizhou Dongpo), and the first California branch of Portland’s VooDoo Doughnut. Address: 4770 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, CA 93110 |
Day 5 – Thursday – October 19 |
| SCENIC HIGHWAY 101 – MONTEREY – SAN FRANCISCO
Summary: Load the charter bus and drive us scenic 101 to Monterey. Today is a day to look out the windows and see the diverse terrain, from the ocean to forests to mountains. We will spend some time at the Montery Bay Aquariaum to explore the Pacific Ocean and her inhabitants. After a stop in Monterey, we will continue up 101 into San Francisco to the Holiday Inn Express Mill Valley. You will need a good night sleep for our adventures riding across the Golden Gate tomorrow. Scenic Highway 101 – the Pacific Coast Highway: One of the first highways designated by the BPR (Bureau of Public Roads) in 1925, U.S. 101 stretches from San Diego, Ca., north up to the Canadian border. The stretch of 101 between Oxnard and Santa Barbara is especially scenic, with views of the Channel Islands offshore. Just north of the Gaviota Tunnel (which is north of Santa Barbara), Hwy 101 turns inland, and you won’t see the ocean again until you get to Pismo Beach, and then only briefly. This road has been around in various forms for as long as people have inhabited the region. Highway 101 generally follows the route of the El Camino Real. Even in its paved form it has an interesting history. If you are interested in seeking out some of the old alignments of the highway from the last century Monterey is a city on California’s rugged central coast. Its Cannery Row, one-time center of the sardine-packing industry, was immortalized by novelist John Steinbeck. Today, 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. An aquarium unlike any other. From sea otters to seaweeds, our unique oceanfront location and timeless galleries bring the wonders of the ocean to life for our visitors. But beyond our exhibits, we are transforming what it means to be an aquarium. The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the ocean. Frolicking sea otters, fast-swimming sharks, pulsating jellies and waddling penguins — our world-class exhibits and breathtaking scenery instill a love of the ocean in our visitors. With over 200 exhibits and 80,000 plants and animals, the Aquarium is a window to the wonders of the ocean. San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial and cultural center in the northern region of the U.S. state of California. The city proper is the 17th most populous in the United States, and the fourth most populous in California, with 815,201 residents as of 2021. Sonesta Select SFO Oyster Point Waterfront |
Day 6 – Friday – October 20 |
| FISHERMAN’S WARF – GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE -SAUSALITO –
FERRY RIDE – ORACLE PARK – AND MORE! Summary: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before we will load the charter bus and head into San Francisco at Fishermans wharf. The bus will be dropping us off on Hyde Street near Fisherman‘s Wharf where we will all be renting bicycles for the day. We may be joined by volunteers from the Rotary District 5150 in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you have not ridden a bicycle in a long time or ever, please make an effort to learn before we leave on the trip. We will start our bike ride adventure from our starting point through Fort Mason and then through the Marina District. We will pass through Crissy Field and pick up lunch. Next the adventure continues to Fort Point where we will walk our bikes up to the entrance of the Golden Gate Bridge. After a short stop for shopping, we will ride our bikes across the bridge then down Alexander Avenue to Sausalito. We will lunch in Sausalito and then we will catch the Ferry back across the bay to the San Francisco Ferrry Building. From Fort Point we will ride or walk our bikes up to the entrance to the Next, we will then ride down the Embarcadero under the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge to Oracle Park where the San Francisco Giants Baseball Team plays and the team store can be invaded. Oracle Park is a Major League Baseball stadium in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Since 2000, it has been the home of the San Francisco Giants. Previously named Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park, and AT&T Park, the stadium’s current name was purchased by the Oracle Corporation in 2019. From there, we will ride the bikes back down the Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Wharf, where we will turn in the bikes. After returning our bikes, dinner will be at the wharf on your own. We will load the charter bus to return to our hotel in Mill Valley to rest and prepare for day 2 in San Francisco. Once known as San Francisco Port of Embarkation, US Army, in San Francisco, California, is a former United States Army post located in the northern Marina District. alongside San Francisco Bay. Fort Mason served as an Army post for more than 100 years, initially as a coastal defense site ‘ and subsequently as a military port facility. During World War II, it was the principal port for the Pacific campaign. The Marina District is bounded to the east by Van Ness Avenue and Fort Mason; on the west by Lyon Street and the Presidio National Park; on the south by Cow Hollow and Lombard St, which bisects the southern edge of the Marina District. The northern half of the Marina is a shoreline of the San Francisco Bay, and features the Marina Green, a picturesque park adjacent to the municipal boat marina from which the neighborhood takes its name. Much of the Marina is built on former landfill, and is susceptible to soil liquefaction during strong earthquakes. This phenomenon caused extensive damage to the entire neighborhood during the Lorna Prieta earthquake. A former US Army airfield, is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Historically part of the Presidio of San Francisco, Crissy Field closed as an airfield in 1936. Under Army control, the site was affected by dumping of hazardous materials. The National Park Service took control of the area in 1994 and cleaned it up, and in 2001 the Crissy Field Center opened to the public. While most buildings have been preserved as they were in the 1920s, some have been transformed into offices, retail space, and residences.. A masonry seacoast fortification located at the southern side of the Golden Gate at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. This fort was completed just before the American Civil War by the United States Army, to defend San Francisco Bay against hostile warships. The fort is now protected as Fort Point National Historic Site, a United States National Historic Site administered by the National Park Service as a unit of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to Marin County. It is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, California, and the United States. It has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World. The Golden Gate Bridge “possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world”. It opened in 1937 and had been until 1964 the longest suspension bridge main span in the world, at 4,200 feet (1,280 m). A San Francisco Bay Area city in Marin County, California. Sausalito is 8 miles (l3 km) south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation ot 13 feet (4 m). About 7800 people call this community home. This laid-back town with a Mediterranean vibe is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to the building of that bridge served as a terminus for rail, car, and ferry traffic. Developed rapidly as a shipbuilding center in World War II, the city’s industrial character gave way in postwar years to a reputation as a wealthy and artistic enclave, a picturesque residential community (incorporating large numbers of houseboats), and a tourist destination. It is adjacent to, and largely bounded by, the protected spaces of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The San Francisco Ferry Building is a terminal for ferries that travel across the San Francisco Bay. a food hall, and also has offices, located on The Embarcadero in San Francisco, California. On top of the building is a 245-foot tall clock tower, with four clock dials, each 22 feet in diameter, which can be seen from Market Street, a main thoroughfare of the city. Designed by American architect A. Page Brown in the Beaux Arts style in 1892, the ferry building was completed in 1898. At its opening, it was the largest project undertaken in the city up to that time. Brown designed the clock tower after the 12th-century Giralda bell tower in Seville, Spain, and the entire length of the building on both frontages is based on an arched arcade. With decreased use after bridges were constructed across the bay to carry railroad traffic, in the 1950s, the building was adapted for office use and its public spaces were broken up in an unsympathetic manner. In 2002, a restoration and renovation were undertaken to redevelop the entire complex. The 660-foot long Great Nave was restored, together with its height and materials. A marketplace was created for the ground floor, the former baggage handling area. The second and third floors were adapted for office and Port Commission use. During day light, on every full and half-hour, the clock bell chimes portions of the Westminster Quarters. The ferry terminal is a designated San Francisco landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The famous Fisherman’s Wharf is located on the northern waterfront, is one of San Francisco’s busiest tourist areas. Souvenir shops and stalls selling crab and clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls appear at every turn, as do postcard views of the bay, Golden Gate and Alcatraz. There’s also a colony of sea lions to see and historic ships to tour. At Ghirardelli Square, boutiques and eateries reside in the famed former chocolate factory. A food and seafood lover’s haven, Fisherman’s Wharf boasts some of the best dining in the city. Salivate over fresh Dungeness crab served steaming hot at outdoor stands, or in a variety of traditional and gourmet recipes at the Wharf’s many seafood restaurants. The eclectic mix of international cuisine is sure to make a hit with your taste buds. Fisherman’s Wharf is also home to some of the world’s best chocolate and sweets! Bon appetit! Sonesta Select SFO Oyster Point Waterfront Address1300 Veterans Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080:
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Day 7 – Saturday – October 21 |
| CABLE CARS – PIER 39 – ALCATRAZ – CHINA TOWN – HAIGHT ASBURY
Summary: We will begin our day with breakfast at the hotel and head back into San Francisco – Our first stop will be Pier 33 to take a trip out Alcatraz Island. After the tour of Alcatraz, we will take the bus to Union Square and be dropped off. We will be breaking into groups to visit different areas of the city. You must be with a chaperone if you go anywhere other than Union Square. You can explore Union Square, the center of San Francisco’s shopping district; take a short walk to and visit the famous San Francisco ChinaTown. And for those not interested in shopping, you will have the option of a side trip to Haight-Ashbury, the home of the 1960’s Hippie Movement. After visiting the sites in downtown San Francisco we will meet at the Union Square Cable Car Station and take the cable cars back to Fishermans Wharf with the option to get off at the “winding” Lombard Street photo opportunity and walk the rest of the way to the wharf. After a fun day exploring San Francisco, we will return to our hotel in Mill Valley for one more night. Alcatraz is located in the San Francisco Bay, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. Often referred to as “The Rock”, the small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison (1868), and a federal prison from 1933 until 1963. Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of aboriginal people from San Francisco who were part of a wave of Native activism across the nation with public protests through the 1970s. In 1972, Alcatraz became a national recreation area and received designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. It is home to the abandoned prison, the site of the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States, early Military fortifications, and natural features such as rock pools and a seabird colony, (mostly Western Gulls, cormorants, and egrets). According to a 1971 documentary on the history of Alcatraz, the island measures 1,675 feet (511m) by 590 feet(180 m) and is 135 feet (41 m) at its highest point during mean tide. However, the total area of the island is reported to be 22 acres (8.9 ha). Landmarks on the island include the Main Cellhouse, Dining Hall, Library, Lighthouse, the ruins of the Warden’s House and Officers Club, Parade Grounds, Building 64, Water Tower, New Industries Building, Model Industries Building, and the Recreation Yard. San Francisco Cable Car System: You will be riding the world’s last manually operated Cable car system. An icon of San Francisco, the cable car system forms part of the intermodal urban transport network operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway, or “Muni” as it is better known. Of the twenty-three lines established between 1873 and 1890, three remain (one of which combines parts of two earlier lines): two routes from downtown near Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf, and a third route along California Street. While cable cars are used to a certain extent by commuters, the vast majority of their 7 million annual passengers are tourists. The Cable Cars are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. A 2.6-acre (1.1 ha) public plaza bordered by Geary, Powell, Post and Stockton Streets in downtown San Francisco, California. “Union Square” also refers to the central shopping, hotel, and theater district that surrounds the plaza for several blocks. The area got its name because it was once used for rallies and support for the Union Army during the American Civil War, earning its designation as a California Historical Landmark today, this one-block plaza and surrounding area is one of the largest collections of department stores, upscale boutiques, gift shops, art galleries, and beauty salons in the United States, making Union Square a major tourist destination, a vital, cosmopolitan gathering place in downtown San Francisco, and one of the world’s premier shopping districts. Grand hotels and small inns, as well as repertory, off-Broadway, and single-act theaters also contribute to the area’s dynamic, 24-hour character. Centered on Grant Avenue and Stockton Street in San Francisco, California, it is the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese community outside Asia. It is the oldest of the four notable Chinatowns in the city. Since its establishment in 1848, it has been highly important and influential in the history and culture of ethnic Chinese immigrants in North America. Chinatown is an enclave that continues to retain its own customs, languages, places of worship, social clubs, and identity. There are two hospitals, numerous parks and squares, a post office, and other infrastructure. Visitors can easily become immersed in a microcosmic Asian world, filled with herbal shops, temples, pagoda roofs and dragon parades. While recent immigrants and the elderly choose to live in here because of the availability of affordable housing and their familiarity with the culture, the place is also a major tourist attraction, drawing more visitors each year than the Golden Gate Bridge. Birthplace of the 1960s counterculture movement, Haight-Ashbury draws a lively, diverse crowd looking to soak up the historic hippie vibe. Upper Haight Street is a hodgepodge of vintage clothing boutiques, record shops, bookstores, dive bars and casual, eclectic restaurants. Bordering Golden Gate Park, the neighborhood features many colorful, well-preserved Victorian homes, including the storied Grateful Dead House. One of the busiest and well known tourist attractions in the western United States, Fisherman’s Wharf is best known for being the location of Pier 39, the Cannery Shopping Center, Ghirardelli Square, a Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum, the Musée Mécanique, the Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf, the Aquarium of the Bay, and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Seafood restaurants are aplenty in the area. Some include the floating Forbes Island restaurant at Pier 39 to stands that serve fresh seafood, most notably Dungeness crab and clam chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl. Some of the restaurants, including Fishermen’s Grotto, Pompei’s Grotto and Alioto’s, go back for three generations of the same family ownership. Other restaurants include chains like Joe’s Crab Shack and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Other attractions in Fisherman’s Wharf area are the Hyde Street Pier (part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park), the USS Pampanito, a decommissioned World War II era submarine, and the Balclutha, a 19th-century cargo ship. Nearby Pier 45 has a chapel in memory of the “Lost Fishermen” of San Francisco and Northern California. There is a sea lion colony next to Pier 39. They “took-up” residence months before the Lorna Prieta Earthquake in 1989. The sea lions lie on wooden docks that were originally meant for docking boats. Fisherman’s Wharf plays host to many San Francisco events, including a world-class fireworks display for the Fourth of July, and some of the best views of the Fleet Week air shows featuring The Blue Angels. One of the city’s most popular figures is a harmless but controversial resident of Fisherman’s Wharf called the World Famous Bushman, a local street performer who sits behind some branches and startles people who walk by. He been a permanent entertainer in the Fishermen’s Wharf area for the past 30 years and has gained a fair amount of notoriety among the locals and tourists that have been warned about him. Considered the first successful adaptive reuse project in the country, Ghiradelli Square has a history that spans more than a century and covers three continents. This specialty retail and dining complex, housing shops and restaurants was originally a chocolate factory established by Domenico “Domingo” Ghirardelli.Born in 1817 in Rapallo, Italy, Ghirardelli served as a Genoa confectioner’s apprentice and at a young age developed a strong interest in the business. He left for Uruguay when he was 20 years old, then sailed around Cape Horn to Peru where he became a coffee and chocolate merchant.James Lick—Ghirardelli’s neighbor in Lima—left for San Francisco in January 1848 taking 600 pounds of Ghirardelli’s chocolate with him. He arrived just thirteen days before the first shiploads of gold-rush pioneers. Lured by his friend’s tales of the gold rush, Ghirardelli joined Lick a year later and opened a general store supplying mustard, coffee, spices and, of course, chocolate. Between 1852 and 1895, Ghirardelli’s Chocolate Factory was located at four different sites before the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company took over the Pioneer Woolen Mills on North Point Street—today’s site of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Manufactory & Soda Fountain and Ghirardelli Square. In the 1960s the chocolate manufacturing operation was sold and transferred to San Leandro. A group of San Franciscans, fearing Ghirardelli Square might be demolished, purchased the property. Unique shops and restaurants were created within the old factory, combining the latest in retailing and fine cuisine with the flavor of old San Francisco. The project officially opened on November 29, 1964. Today, Ghirardelli delights visitors with its lively retail mix, while maintaining Ghirardelli’s tradition as a trendsetter for the rest of the world. In 1982 the owners applied for and were granted National Historic Register status, a move that ensured the preservation of Ghirardelli Square for future generations. Lombard Street San Francisco: the most crooked street in the world: Lombard Street is an east–west street in San Francisco, California that is famous for a steep, one-block section with eight hairpin turns. Stretching from The Presidio east to The Embarcadero, most of the street’s western segment is a major thoroughfare designated as part of U.S. Route 101. Sonesta Select SFO Oyster Point Waterfront |
Day 8 – Sunday – October 22 |
| HIGHWAY 101 – REDWOODS – CRESCENT CITY
Summary: After breakfast at the hotel, we will load the bus and continue our trip north up the coast highway to Crescent City. Along the way, we will make 3 to 4 stops to visit different California Redwoods forests, giant, ancient trees, that Northern California is known for, stopping along the way to view the giant ancient trees. Just a quick stop in Ukiah to pick up our lunches and then we will make a stop at a park in the Redwoods for a hike followed by lunch. One additional stop will be to see the famous Paul Bunyan and Babe the Ox statues. This is a great photo opportunity. Our hotel is our last stop for the day. Our hotel has an indoor heated swimming pool and a full breakfast for us in the morning. About the Redwoods: Coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) have inspired human beings since the dawn of time. Celebrated the world over, redwoods stretch from Humboldt County’s vast alluvial plains to the fog shrouded valleys of the Big Sur Coast. The mystique of these ancient forests will draw you in. Living Fossils: Redwoods blanketed much of the northern hemisphere over 100 million years ago. Ice sheets pushed the three remaining redwood species (coast redwoods, giant sequoias and dawn redwoods) into isolated patches in California and China. A mere 150 years ago California’s western edge was dominated by an ancient redwood forest the size of Connecticut. Less than 3% of that original forest exists. You have the opportunity to explore 90,000 acres of what was once the greatest forest on earth. Native peoples have honored the spirit of these trees by incorporating redwood mythology and materials into many aspects of their lives. When the first European explorers encountered the region, the dark, dense forests seemed forbidding. Once the unique qualities of coast redwoods were recognized, settlers flocked to California’s north coast to carve out a living from these ancient trees. Logging of the old-growth forests eventually led to conservation efforts, culminating in the establishment of the Sempervirens Club in 1900 and later, the Save-the-Redwoods-League in 1917. These efforts to preserve the giant trees lead to the establishment of the California State Parks system in 1927. This world-famous scenic drive is a 31-mile portion of old Highway 101, which parallels Freeway 101 with its 51,222 acres of redwood groves. It is by far the most outstanding display of these giant trees in the entire 500-mile redwood belt and is accessible to all with convenient services provided along the way. The Avenue of the Giants is surrounded by Humboldt Redwoods State Park which has the largest remaining stand of virgin redwoods in the world. Though not the oldest redwood in the forest, this large tree is over 950 years old, and is currently around 250 ft. (76 m) tall, though originally it was much taller. It has survived not only the ravages of time but also the 1964 flood of the area, a 1908 attempt at logging, and a direct lightning strike that removed the top 45 feet (14 m) of the tree (making its original height close to 300ft). It is from its age and the perceived hardiness to the fates that the tree derives its name. Markers are visible on the tree, denoting the heights of where the loggers’ axes and the floodwaters struck the tree. Avenue of the Giants features three trees in Northern California that visitors can drive through. The southernmost of these trees, the Chandelier Tree, is located in Drive-Thru Tree Park in the town of Legett. Shrine Drive-Thru Tree is near the town of Myers Flat and the Klamath Tour Thru Tree, the northernmost of the three trees, is located in the town of Klamath, California. The motor coach cannot drive through any of these trees, but you can see them as other cars drive through. Paul Bunyan & Babe the Ox: They stand tall outside the entrance to the Trees of Mystery Park, in full view of Highway 101, beckoning all to stop and visit. Paul Bunyan and his faithful blue ox, Babe, have been ambassadors, mascots, greeters, and parking lot emcees for ages. Once inside the park, on the Trail of Tall Tales, the redwood carvings depict their many exploits and adventures. Its 49-ft. (and 2 inch) tall official greeter, a talking Paul Bunyan (and sidekick Babe the Blue Ox), are postcard stars and pop culture catalysts (ahem, Gravity Falls). Nearly every visitor poses next to Bunyan’s mighty boot toe, while he slowly waves his hand and nods his head and blinks his eyes. Ask him a question and you’ll likely get a Bunyan-sized, well-worn joke response. Best Western Plus Northwoods Inn Address: 655 US-101 S, Crescent City, CA 95531 |
Day 9 – Monday- October 23 |
| CRATER LAKE – OREGON – HOME
Summary: After breakfast in the hotel, we will pack up for our final trip day. We will pick up lunch and drive to Crater Lake National Park. Good bye California and WELCOME BACK TO OREGON! Here we will have box lunch at the rim and you have plenty of time for “Photo Ops” and shopping at the gift shop for some very unique gifts from Oregon. As we leave Crater Lake, we will pass through portions of central Oregon up through the Willamette Valley as we make stops in Roseburg, Albany, Salem, Tualatin and Clackamas Town Center. Our West Coast Tour Adventure may be over, but the memories will last a lifetime. We hope you enjoyed this tour and time together. Crater Lake National Park is a United States National Park. Established in 1902, Crater Lake National Park is the fifth oldest national park in the US, and the only one in the state of Oregon. The park encompasses the caldera of Crater Lake, a remnant of a destroyed volcano, Mount Mazama, and the surrounding hills and forests. The lake is 1,943 feet (592 m) deep at its deepest point, which makes it the deepest lake in the United States, the second deepest in North America and the ninth deepest in the world. Crater Lake is often referred to as the seventh deepest lake in the world, but this former listing excludes the approximately 3,000-foot (910 m) depth of subglacial Lake Vostok in Antarctica, which resides under nearly 13,000 feet (4,000 m) of ice, and the recent report of a 2,740-foot (840 m) maximum depth for Lake O’Higgins/San Martin, located on the border of Chile and Argentina. However, when comparing its average depth of 1,148 feet (350 m) to the average depth of other deep lakes, Crater Lake becomes the deepest in the Western Hemisphere and the third deepest in the world. The impressive average depth of this volcanic lake is due to the nearly symmetrical 4,000-foot (1,200 m) deep caldera formed 7,700 years ago during the violent climactic eruptions and subsequent collapse of Mount Mazama and the relatively moist climate that is typical of the crest of the Cascade Range.
The caldera rim ranges in elevation from 7,000 to 8,000 feet (2,100 to 2,400 m). The United States Geological Survey benchmarked elevation of the lake surface itself is 6,178 feet (1,883 m). This National Park encompasses 183,225 acres (286.29 sq mi; 741.49 km’). Crater Lake has no streams flowing into or out of it. All water that enters the lake is eventually lost from evaporation or subsurface seepage. The lake’s water commonly has a striking blue hue, and the lake is refilled entirely from direct precipitation in the form of snow and rain. The End. |
