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The Ultimate California Vacation for National Park Goers
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items Trying to visit the National Parks in California but not sure where to start with planning? Check my most recent trip below! We visited 5 parks in 7 days!
Map
Sections
8
Hiking Essentials
San Francisco
Clovis
Yosemite
Sequoia/Kings Canyon
Pinnacles
Hiking Essentials
Just buy them… the price is SO beyond worth it! Over 3 days we hiked 20+ miles and these socks saved my life! I also tend to have stinky feet after walking that much but these never stunk! Added bonus is that they are also super cute! I wear a Women’...
Women's Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Sock
This bag is super light weight and comfortable. It came with a 22L water bladder that has its own pocket. The ample storage of this bag made it perfect for day hikes. It also has a built it waterproof cover in the bottom. I was also able to put my wa...
Teton Oasis Hydration Backpack 18L/22L
I’ve had these for a few years now and love them! Best part is that they are waterproof!
Women's Trailstorm™ Mid Waterproof Shoe
Bought this to bring with me but ended up being too hot the entire time to need it… but will be using on other hikes in the future!
Women's Sun Trek™ Hoodie II
Where are my mid-size girlies with thick thighs at?! I found the PERFECT biker shorts for you!
Having bigger thighs makes finding shorts so much harder. Always worrying about if they are going to roll up, with they cause you to chafe, etc. I went o...
YUNOGA Women High Waist Biker Shorts 6"
My go to bag for anything and everything! Did not necessarily hike with it, but it was great for switching to after hikes and during our travel days
Everywhere Belt Bag 1L | Men's Bags,Purses,Wallets | lululemon
San Francisco
How to make the best of San Fran in 1/2 a day
This hotel was SO nice to stay at! Close to the airport made it easy to catch a FREE shuttle there. The food and wine was also delish! They also were so beyond sweet at the restaurant as we got in late and hurried to ensure we got our order in before...
The Westin San Francisco Airport (Official Site) - SFO Hotel
We originally planned to stop at a cute little coffee shop but missed the turn for it and ended up going over the bridge to the other side! So glad we did because we were able to get such amazing views!
Golden Gate Bridge
Stumbled across this cute little cafe and had the most amazing lunch! My husband opted for the breakfast sandwich while I went with the spicy chicken sandwich! Both were delicious! 😍 It was also a quick walk to the beach.
Ocean Beach Cafe | Coffee, Sandwiches & Non Alcoholic Bar in San Francisco
A MUST do in San Fran! The cable cars are so fun and can get you a majority of landmarks throughout the city like Chinatown, Lombard St., Fisherman’s Wharf, etc.
Powell / Hyde Cable Car
We were still a bit full from our lunch but had to stop at this highly recommended restaurant. We split a bowl of the clam chowder and seafood pasta 10/10!
Scoma's Restaurant
Clovis
We found Clovis to be the best crashing spot for going to Sequoia/Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and Pinnacles National Park
Blast and Brew was a great spot for dinner after a long day of hiking! They had over 30 beers on tap to choose from and even had a tap and go option.
Blast & Brew
Popped into this little bar after dinner. Brandon, the bartender, was so friendly and knowledgeable about the area
500 Club Bar
Yosemite
If you’ve never been to Yosemite, you should definitely check it out! We were shocked by how much there was to do at this park! You can for sure spend more than one day here! They have multiple places to stay, eat and drink! Be sure to do some extra ...
Tunnel view allows for the coolest entrance into the Yosemite area! We got there around 6 am and barely had anyone around!
Tunnel View
If you only have time for one hike, I would HIGHLY recommend the Mist Trail. It took us about 8.5 miles to see both Vernal and Nevada Falls. The hike was quite steep in places and could be challenging at times. But the views made every second of it w...
The Mist Trail
After our hike we were so hungry and came across the Bar 1899 in Curry Village. The Agave Smash with the spicy tequila was 10/10 and had a great burn to it. They also had an amazing gluten free beer that tasted just like any other IPA. The salad had ...
Bar 1899
Treat yourself to some delicious homemade ice cream on your way out for all your hiking! I opted for the turtle sundae!
Reimer's Candies and Ice Cream
Sequoia/Kings Canyon
We only had a day to spend here so we tried to make the best of what we could. I can tell you if we had to pick only one park to go back to, Kings Canyon would be it 100%. The views were incredible. The hikes are supposed to be nothing short of amazi...
If you’re going to Sequoia, then General Sherman is a must see! This tree is the biggest (by volume) in the world!
General Sherman Tree and Trail
If you want to get a little bit more up close and personal with the giant Sequoia trees, then the Congress Trail is what I would recommend!
Congress Trailhead
Tunnel Log was so cool to go through! There’s not many times you can say you drove through a tree! Be careful on the drive to it though, the road is windy and narrow. Take your time!
Sequoia National Park's Tunnel Log
Moro rock allowed for some AMAZING views! Unfortunately we both got a little nervous and couldn’t hike up to the top. If you have the courage, you get 360 degree views though!
Moro Rock
Did not expect to find something like this by the lake! Although it is a camp, they allow visitors to eat, gets some drinks and even rent kayak/paddleboards! Which is what we opted to do which isn’t pictured! They even have a cute little coffee spot ...
Hume Lake Christian Camps
Pinnacles
Only spend about 2 hours here… the hike we did can be found below! We unfortunately did not see any California Condors, but others did along the High Peaks trail… please be sure to look that hike up before taking it!
This trail is the best if you can only do a quick hike! It took us just a little over an hour to complete! We were not able to go through the caves due to bats, but still got to experience some really cool sights along the way. Going up really had yo...
Moses Spring Trail to Rim Trail Loop
Channel Island
Please do not be like us! Book your trip well in advanced! There is only one company that does the tours (Isalnd Packers). We didn’t realize how quickly the trips would sell out. Luckily we showed up the morning of, and they were able to squeeze us o...
Non-Landing Trips (Wildlife & Other Cruises)
After our 3.5 hour tour we went to Brophy Bros. for lunch! We had the cold sampler, fish and chips, and their clam chowder & salad combo. Would highly recommend if you are in the Ventura Harbor area!
Brophy Bros.
Extra Stops
Here are some of the other places we visited along our way! After Pinnacles, we drove to Monterey and drove down the PCH to Malibu! Stopped at Lucia and Morro Bay before heading to the canyons in Malibu
My husband is a huge golf fan, so stopping at Pebble Beach was a must for us!
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Stopped down by Old Fishermans Wharf for dinner (Abalonetti) and a sweet treat at Monterey Bay Creamery. There were also some cute little sea lions
Old Fisherman's Wharf - Monterey
While driving down the PCH we stopped in Morro Bay for lunch! We ate at The House of JuJu which had delish and unique burgers! We then walked around a little bit and decided to see what the long lines at Giovanni’s were about. Needless to say the fis...
Morro Bay
If you’re looking for a spot that makes you feel like you’re in Greece, this place is it! We got the sampler to share and it was so much food that was so fresh and out of this world
Taverna Tony - Malibu
An all you can eat Brazilian steakhouse. This is a must do if you are in the area. If you go at night they also have dancers!
Kravings - Tarazana