Spring training; Arizona's Cactus League brings Giants, A's, Indians and 12 other major league teams in early February!

Cleveland Indians warm up across the field from the San Francisco Giants in this March, 2014 Cactus League game.

Member of the Indians signs autographs and chats with fans before game against the Giants.



Chicago Cubs new field in Mesa opened in 2014, allowing the Cubs to set a Cactus League attendance record.

Scoreboard in Sloan Field, with happy fans, in new ballpark in Mesa, AZ.



Author's spouse, Susan, posed next to Welcome to Old Town Scottsdale sign. Scottsdale has a stylish old town, a throwback to the 1960s.  For a great lunch, try the nearby Pink Pony Restaurant!

Red rocks and stark bluffs surround the quaint, artistic town of Sedona, just 130 miles north of Phoenix.

The Grand Canyon is also north of Phoenix, and makes for a good detour on way from California.

The Super Bowl is now history, we’ve thankfully finished those interminable college football bowl games, and the NBA and NHL are in full swing.

But, for diehard baseball fans, spring training in Arizona and Florida will soon be underway! For fans of the San Francisco Giants, Oakland A's, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians and 10 other teams – the Phoenix area is Spring Training Central, in mid-February through end of March.

Said owner Bill Veeck in 1976, “That's the true harbinger of spring, not crocuses or swallows returning to Capistrano, but the sound of a bat on a ball.”

The Cactus League, as spring training in Phoenix is called, is home to half of major-league teams; the other half train in Florida’s Grapefruit League. In Phoenix, the teams spend their workouts and competitive Cactus League games at 11 ballparks, with several teams sharing the same park.

Ball fans can frequently take in two games in one day by visiting the same park for a day game, followed by an evening game, or take in games at two different parks, just miles apart.

During spring training, fans can see players up-close and personal. Our experience last spring was that members of the San Francisco Giants and the Cleveland Indians chat alongside the fence, joke and have a good time with fans. We watched as the Giants took a 10-2 lead over the Cleveland Indians (yes, I am an Indian’s fan), then the Indians came back to take the game, 11 to 10. Players on both teams chatted with fans between innings, and acted as if they delighted in the game.

All the Phoenix-area ballparks are much smaller than MLB stadiums, and more intimate, seating about 10,000 fans – not a bad seat in the house. Ticket prices are lower, and a cold beer seems to taste better amid such intimate and pleasant surroundings.  And, no alligators as in Florida!  In Spring Training, 1921, in St. Petersburg, FL, Yankees Manager Miller Huggins ordered a young Babe Ruth, resting on the bench, “What are you doing here on the bench?  You’re supposed to be running in the outfield to get your legs in shape,” Huggins said.  The Babe replied: “I ain’t going out there anymore…There are alligators out there!” 

For the Giants, pitchers and catchers are scheduled for the first workout on February 18; the first full squad workout is set for February 23. Their first competitive Cactus League game is set for March 3 with a two game series against the Athletics. They conclude their spring training season with an April 1 game against my favorite, the Cleveland Indians.

The Giants return much of their world championship team, but will work to fill the third-base void left by Pablo Sandoval (departed to Boston) with Casey McGehee signed to fill that spot. Fans are looking forward to the continuing development of second baseman Joe Panic and dominant pitching of Madison Bumgarner and veteran presence of Tim Lincecum, Tim Hudson and Jake Peavy.  Relief pitching should remain strong, and manager Bruce Bochy will be busy rotating new faces into the lineup and filling Sandoval’s vacated clean-up spot.

The Oakland Athletics have pitchers and catchers reporting February 18 and the first full squad work out on February 24. Their Cactus League opener is against the Giants on March 3 and their final Arizona exhibition game is April 1 against the Los Angeles Angels.

The A’s, shaking up the roster for a stronger playoff run, made 10 trades involving almost 30 players.  Gone are their best player, Josh Donaldson, and several stellar pitchers including Jeff Samardzija and Jon Lester. But the A’s brought in new and younger blood, with a new infield including Brett Lawrie and Ben Zobrist. With returning star pitchers Sonny Gray, Drew Pomeranz and Scott Kazmir, several vets back from surgery and new, young arms, pitching won’t be the club’s challenge.

The Giants and the As square off in a three game “Bay Bridge” exhibition series, at AT&T Park and O.co Coliseum, April 2-4, with the regular season then getting underway for both teams immediately following.

The Phoenix area has plenty to offer, in addition to the Cactus League. It's a golf Mecca, and Scottsdale's quaint Old Town shops and unique restaurants are always a pleasure. Dine at the Pink Pony in Scottsdale for a real treat, and be transported back to the city in the 1960s. Greater Phoenix offers the Desert Botanical Garden to explore desert plants, the Heard Museum offering world-class insights into Native American culture and art and the Phoenix Art Museum. 

For kids and family activities, the Phoenix Zoo, Arizona Science Center and Children’s Museum are featured attractions. This region is centered in the lush and colorful Sonoran Desert surrounded by tall mountains; plenty of hiking and biking trails will take you to new and alien places!

Another idea, for California travelers, is to couple the spring training visit with a stopover in a national park such as Grand Canyon, several hours to the north. We did just that, camping several nights along the south rim of the canyon, then touring south through the artistic town of Sedona, then into the Phoenix area. It made for a spectacular week-long trip.

Both Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks are also along the route to Phoenix. The spring is the perfect time to visit these natural wonders, when wildflowers typically blanket the otherwise arid landscape!

How to get there: From Stockton, Phoenix is about 710 miles and a bit over 10.5 hours.  A natural detour can include a stop at the Grand Canyon, then traveling south to Sedona, before reaching Phoenix.  The Giants play in Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251; nearby, the As play at renovated Hohokam Stadium, 1235 N Center St, Mesa, AZ 85201.

What to take: Binoculars, camera and snacks for the trip. And, your favorite team’s hat and jersey!
For more information:  For Cactus League teams, stadiums, schedules: http://www.cactusleague.com. For Phoenix vacation planning: www.visitphoenix.com.
For additional travel destination inspiration, see my blog: http://blogs.eSanJoaquin.com/Valley travel; to contact me, tviall@msn.com.
Happy travels in the West!

Hetch Hetchy Valley and Reservoir; undiscovered but stunning part of Yosemite!

Hetch Hetchy Valley and Reservoir, looking east from trail on the north shore trail of the reservoir.

The trail along the north shore of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, looking back towards the dam.

The Hetch Hetchy Dam, started in 1919, completed in 1923 and further heightened in 1938, it now floods the valley and creates a reservoir that is 8 miles long, and up to 300 feet deep.

Hetch Hetchy Watershed at top, the much-more visited Yosemite Valley (to the south) at bottom of map.

The Hetch Hetchy Valley and free-flowing Tuolumne River, in the early 1900s, before the dam was approved.

A portion of the ferocious Rim Fire of a year ago, that burned vast swathes of forest in and around Yosemite Park; this view looking to the northeast, into the Tuolumne River drainage, with Hetch Hetchy in distance.

The old post office in Chinese Camp, part of a three block Gold Rush ghost town, right on Hwy. 120, on the way to Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite Valleys.

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and the Tuolumne Valley are close cousins to the mighty Yosemite Valley, virtually undiscovered and almost equally stunning.  Hetch Hetchy is just 115 miles and a scenic day-tour from Stockton!

The Hetch Hetchy Valley was the scene of one of the most epic environmental battles 100 years ago, as John Muir, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups fought to keep this valley pristine and free of development.

Muir's exploration of both Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite, and writings in the influential Century Magazine, helped to get Yosemite National Park established in 1890. However, the much less-visited Hetch Hetchy Valley portion of the park remained in peril.

San Francisco had eyed the valley for extending its water supply since the 1890s and applied several times to the federal government for water rights but was denied. The huge San Francisco earthquake in 1906, when much of the city burned, underlined the city's need for more water and turned the political winds in the city’s favor.

In 1908, US Secretary of interior Garfield granted the city the rights to development of the Tuolumne River, provoking a multi-year environmental battle led by the Sierra Club and John Muir. Muir observed, "Dam Hetch Hetchy! As well damn for water tanks the peoples’ cathedrals and churches for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man".

In 1913, writing to Robert Johnson of Century Magazine, he pressed his argument, noting "The Hetch Hetchy Valley is a wonderfully exact counterpart of the great Yosemite, not only in its sublime cliffs and waterfalls and it's peaceful river, but in the gardens, groves, meadows and campgrounds on its flowery park-like floor". He would continue to fight the city of San Francisco to his death in 1914.

Muir's writings are archived at the University of Pacific and can be read online at go.pacific.edu/specialcollections.

In 1913, the US Congress passed and President Wilson signed the Raker Act, which permitted the flooding of the valley. Muir died the following year, bitter to have lost the fight. Construction on the O’Shaughnessy Dam would begin in 1919 and end in 1923; it was further heightened in 1938 and now supplies water to almost 2.5 million San Franciscans.

What remains is a still stunning valley and pristine 8-mile long reservoir, nearly the equal of Yosemite Valley, and visitors have this part of the park almost unto themselves and can still appreciate the treasure that so stoked John Muir’s soul.

One can drive to the parking lot right beside the O'Shaughnessy Dam. Views from the dam are memorable, but hike a half-mile or several miles along the north side of the reservoir for the most indelible views.  Hetch Hetchy’s relatively low elevation makes for one of the central Sierra’s longest hiking seasons, but, check weather forecasts for winter trips.

Looking up the valley, on the right one sees the massive Kolana Rock, on the left, the Hetch Hetchy Dome. The view extends east, up the reservoir and through the Tuolumne Valley; serious hikers can continue even further east into the Tuolumne Meadows area. Hikers will find varied views both remarkable, and reminiscent of nearby Yosemite Valley.

Crossing the dam, our trail took us past the base of Tueeulala Falls, dry for lack of snowmelt, and to the base of Wapama Falls, surging mightily with early snow melt. It's about a 2 mile hike from the dam to Wapama Falls on an easy, well-maintained trail (note to self: return in April or May to admire these falls when more water is flowing!).

The discussion over water supplied to San Francisco, and ongoing battle over restoration of the valley by removing the dam, continues – but entering our fourth year of California drought, probably won't gain traction in the near-term. Until then, pack your binoculars and camera and set forth on a serious day tour, or longer!  If you are planning a longer trip to Yosemite in general, include a day to tour Hetch Hetchy!

One of the side benefits of such a trip is you pass through a couple of historic towns worth a stop. Chinese Camp is a true Gold Rush ghost town, right on Highway 120. Take the walk down the three block stretch of Main Street, with an old abandoned hotel, post office, merchant’s buildings, rooming house and homes slowly moldering away. Just up the hill on Main is the St. Francis Xavier Mission Church/cemetery, established in 1854.  You will find family plots and pioneer tombstones dating to the 1860s.

Groveland is closer to Hetch Hetchy, also on Hwy. 120, a quaint Gold Rush town catering to tourists with the historic Groveland Hotel, jail dating to 1854 and Groveland Pizza, on north edge of town, a fine family food stop.

Camp Mather and Mather Family Camp, just nine miles from Hetch Hetchy, offers a store, restaurant and variety of accommodations, from cabins to lodge, in a bucolic wooded setting. Vast stands of scorched forest along Evergreen Road, both before and after Camp Mather, offer mute testimony to the ferocious Rim Fire of a year ago.

How to get there: From Stockton, 115 miles, 2.75 hours. Take Highway 4 east to Copperopolis, turn right on O'Byrnes Ferry Road, take a left on highway 120/108 and follow Highway 120 past Chinese camp and Groveland. Then, left on Evergreen Road to the reservoir.  Leave early, particularly if you want time to see Chinese Camp and Groveland; and this portion of Yosemite closes at 5 PM.

What to take: Pack cold weather gear, binoculars, camera and snacks for the trip. Fishing rods and your CA fishing license!
For more information: Yosemite National Park, go to www.nps.gov/yose; call 209/372-0200 (then dial 3, then 5) or by mail: Public Information Office, PO Box 577, Yosemite, CA 95389 (the park does charge a day-use fee).
For additional travel destination inspiration, see my blog: http://blogs.eSanJoaquin.com/Valley travel; to contact me, tviall@msn.com.
Happy travels in the West!

Spectacular western US destinations; update your "Bucket List" for 2015

Wildflowers frame a receding glacier near top of Logan Pass in Glacier National Park!

The "Phantom Ship" rises out of Crater Lake, one of two islands on the azure blue lake.

The Grand Canyon offers many hues in late afternoon, taken from Mather Point.

A herd of bison graze peacefully in front of the Grand Teton Range in late morning.

Susan and author Tim Viall await eruption of Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park.

Cleveland Indians warm-up before a game with the San Francisco Giants; Cactus League in Glendale, AZ.

We central Californians are blessed by close proximity to the American West’s incredible spaces, all within a several day drive or closer. With so many spectacular destinations at your back door and a New Year, take the time to update your bucket list of western destinations.  Two weeks ago, we offered insights into California’s incredible places (http://blogs.esanjoaquin.com/valleytravel); here are some of our favorites in the west.

Of the USA’s 59 national parks, several in nearby states stand out: California leads the nation with nine parks, Alaska has eight, Utah, five, Colorado, four, Arizona and Washington, three each and Wyoming two parks.  With the exception of Alaska, all are within a two-day drive of central California.  Our short list of favorites in the west are the Grand Canyon, Crater Lake,  Yellowstone and Grand Teton and Glacier Park. 

I first visited the Grand Canyon with my family as a 15 year-old, and several times as an adult.  Each visit comes with the jaw-dropping, catch-your-breath amazement that accompanies the first look into that huge, colorful abyss, some 5,000 feet deep in the Arizona high desert. 

A year ago, my wife and I recently approached the park’s south rim at 5 PM to find the canyon bathed in stunning hues from the setting sun - incredible!  This is a landscape to inspire the multitudes; the Colorado River runs 277 miles through the park, up to 18 miles wide and over a mile deep.

The majority of visitors enter the Grand Canyon at the south entrance. Tour the south rim, running for miles with unique vistas and history, including the Tusayan Ruins and Museum; noting the history of the native people that once made their life on the rim. Take a hike down the Bright Angel Trail used by mules to take people all the way to the canyon bottom – we hiked about a mile down the trail, then had approximately 700 vertical feet to climb out – definitely tougher than the trek down!

Near the top of our list is Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, just north of the California border and offering wonderous vistas. Start at the Crater Lake Lodge area on Rim Drive’s southside.  Walking to the crater’s nearby rim, that first view remains always inspirational.  Crater Lake, which filled a collapsed volcano’s caldera some 7,700 years ago, 5 miles across and 6 miles long, is the bluest blue you’ll ever see.

Yellowstone/Grand Teton National Parks are also must-dos.  Located in Montana and Wyoming, they offer a double shot of western beauty, sharing a common border.  Most visitors plan to spend several days in each park, to see Yellowstone’s scores of geysers and thermal basins and to share in the bison, elk, moose and stunning mountains that call both parks home.

A tour of Glacier National Park in north central Montana can be linked to a visit to Yellowstone, though the two parks are separated by almost 500 miles of monumental Montana scenery.  Glacier, home to most of the US’s surviving glaciers, is a gem of carved, rugged Rocky Mountains.  If you can add a few days, plan also to voyage north to Canada’s Lake Louise and Banff area, about 300 miles further north. 

For destinations “not quite a national park, but awe-inspiring none-the-less”, Mount St. Helens, WA, is a national monument and well worth the visit.  Just 50 miles northeast of Portland, a wonderful route shows the swath cut in 1980 when the mountain’s northside erupted with immense force.  Almost one cubic mile of the mountain’s northeast side exploded, reducing the once grand 9,677 foot peak to  8,365 feet, leaving a gaping, horseshoe crater. devastating an area about six miles wide and 20 miles in length and killing 57 people. Just 60 miles further north is Mt. Rainier National Park, so couple the two destinations into one. 

Mt. Rushmore National Monument, in South Dakota, though created by the hand of man, is also a destination for anyone’s bucket list and the surrounding Black Hills hold their own scenic rewards.

For cities with special urban delights, Seattle would rank at the top of our list.  With waterfront vistas almost everywhere, marvelous seafood dining, the old Pioneer Square area, the Space Needle and Pike Street Market, Seattle is an eminently walkable, bikeable and tour-worthy city.  Running a close second are Portland, OR, and Vancouver, British Columbia.  Each have similar attributes and their own special character to rank near Seattle.

Look for unique experiences that, coupled with great destinations in their own right, make for special memories.  Spring training baseball, late February to March, makes the Phoenix area an even more special place to visit.  Mix in a stop at the Grand Canyon, and you’ve added several noteworthy places to your expanding list. 

Fifteen major league teams make the Phoenix area their Cactus League headquarters.  Last March, we saw the Cleveland Indians beat the San Francisco Giants, and toured the parks of the Chicago Cubs, Oakland As and others. Or, couple a summer vacation with visits to football training camps for your favorite teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos!

When traveling, watch for unique “by accident finds” like the Imperial Dam on the Colorado River, just outside Yuma, AZ.  The dam and huge settling ponds allow sediment to settle before the irrigation water is pumped to the Imperial Valley, CA, one of the US’s largest agricultural regions.  Nearby is the eerie Salton Sea, a former barren valley well below sea level (similar to Death Valley).  It became an environmental disaster in the early 1900s when the flood-stricken Colorado River overflowed its banks, forming a landlocked sea now 35 miles long and 25 miles wide; floods in the 1970s created five ghost resorts surrounding the lake. 

Take the New Year's start to update your own Western USA bucket list – and, get exploring! No list can ever be complete, so polish up your own and share notable destinations that I have missed.  I’ll publish other reader favorites in my upcoming Record Valley Travel blogs!

What to take: fishing rods, good hiking shoes, binoculars and camera, maps and/or a GPS unit. 
Where to stay: The nice thing is that all these destinations have in-park lodges (many historic and memorable), fine campgrounds in beautiful settings and good-value motels nearby.  If you are a senior, get the America the Beautiful Pass, costing $10, getting you into most national parks free and saving you up to ½ off federal campgrounds! 
For more information on any of our National Parks, go to: http://www.nps.gov and pick your destination.  For insight into Seattle, go to www.visitseattle.org (or similar visitor sites for the other cities). For Phoenix and Cactus League baseball games, www.cactusleague.com.
For additional travel destination inspiration, see my blog: http://LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com; to contact me, tviall@msn.com. 
Happy travels in the West!

Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Plant and Park in South Sacramento County

Towering 300’ into the sky in south Sacramento County are the Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Plant’s twin cooling towers and Rancho Seco Park, complete with swimming, fishing and camping in a pristine setting. Just 25 miles from both Stockton and Sacramento, the old nuclear plant is worth a visit and the park’s amenities will bring you back for recreation throughout the year!

The300' tall twin nuclear cooling towers are visible from miles away 

The containment building that housed the nuclear reactor on left, with the cooling towers at right

An aerial view of the nuclear plant, from SMUD web site

Rancho Seco Lake, and Park, with the cooling towers in the distance

Nuclear plant: Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) bought the property in the 1960s, and built the nuclear plant, which went on-line in April, 1975. In March, 1978, a power failure in the plant’s instrumentation led to a steam generator ‘dry-out’, a precursor, had other failures followed, to a nuclear near melt-down like the Three Mile Island nuclear plant on the east coast.

After operating at a reduced capacity until 1989, a public vote lead to the closing of the plant. It was decommissioned and the nuclear equipment was removed. Today, a gas-powered plant produces electricity on the same lines that the nuclear plant used; nearby SMUD has also developed solar-generation facilities. At about the same time, a Stanislaus County nuclear plant was proposed by PG&E, but was cancelled in 1979. Over 60 US nuclear plants were cancelled in the late 1970s, as public confidence in their safety reached a low point.

Rancho Seco Park: The 160 acre Rancho Seco Lake was developed as an emergency source of water for the plant; today it is a stunning public park, offering swimming, fishing, hiking, bird-watching and camping. A nice public beach offers warm-weather swimming, while fishing goes on year-round (sunfish, catfish, trout are found in the lake, and non-motorized boats are welcome).

The nearby Howard Ranch Trail and the Amanda Blake Memorial Wildlife Refuge are the latest additions to the park. The trail offers a seven mile hike in rolling valley foothills while the refuge offers superb viewing opportunities to see geese, hawks, ducks, blue heron, occasional bald eagles and migratory birds in the winter months.

Camping on the lake shore offers 25 tent sites and 18 RV sites with electric and water hookups. Plenty of picnic options, including group picnic sites, are available throughout the park. Near the park recreation room, WiFi access if also offered!

Getting there: Rancho Seco Park is located at 14440 Twin Cities Road, in Herald, CA 95638; from either Interstate 5 or Hwy 99, go east on Twin Cities Road.  

For more information: Call 800-416-6992 for park info; or see the web site, www.smud.org/en/about-smud/community/recreational-areas/rancho-seco-lake.htm. For additional weekend getaway destinations, see http://LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com!

Mission San Antonio/Jolon/Fort Hunter Liggett, CA

Should you be the visiting the incredibly scenic Pinnacles National Park (just south of Hollister, CA), and decide you want to get over to the rugged Big Sur California coastline, an interesting and wildly scenic 90 mile drive will get you there.

Pictured, from top down: remains of the old Dutton House on edge of Jolon; Jolon's old general store; St. Luke's Church, founded in 1863; Mission San Antonio main chapel; interior of Mission San Antonio; and, remains of the mission's water system, that supplied water to the grist mill (remains seen in distance).

This drive takes you past the historic remnants of Jolon on the old El Camino Real, through Fort Hunter Liggett and the nearby historic Mission San Antonio. From there, it’s 25 more miles up over the rugged coastal mountains, dropping you in the middle of Big Sur on the California coast.

It's not a drive for big motorhomes, though cars and trucks do fine. We journeyed from Pinnacle's east entrance, south on Highway 25, to the intersection of Bitterwater, followed G 13 to King City, then G 14, passing Jolon, then west on G 18, stopping at Mission San Antonio, one of the original 21 California missions established almost 250 years ago. Then, 24 scenic miles to the Big Sur coast, dropping us near John Little State Beach and just south of Julia Pfeiffer State Park.

Along the way, the remnants of the old town of Jolon can be found, established in the 1860s to meet the needs of miners traveling to the Los Burros Mining District.  Of particular interest are the remains of the old Dutton House, which thrived from 1849 through 1886 as a tavern and hotel for miners and travelers on the El Camino Real. Jolon would become the social and agribusiness center in South Monterrey County. When the railroad came to King City, that town prospered and Jolon slowly faded away.  Today, you can find the ruins of the Dutton House, Jolon's old general store, St. Luke's Church and faded dreams! 

Jolon was acquired by William Randolph Hearst in the 1920s, and sold to its current owner, the US Army, in 1940. Ft. Hunger Liggett (http://www.liggett.army.mil) would then become an active Army training base for World War II, and continues today as headquarters for the U.S. Army Combat Support Training Center, serving multi-service active and reserve components. The military outpost encompasses approximately 165,000 acres, home to deer, mountain lions, wild hogs and occasional bears!

Mission San Antonio (http://missionsanantonio.net) is the historic prize of this trip; founded by Padre Junipero Serra in 1771, when he hung a bell in an ancient oak tree. Due to need for a better water supply, the mission was later moved ¼ mile away to its current site. The Native Americans of the mission were the Salinan Tribe, part of the Hokan family.

Before the founding of the mission, the native population thrived on a diet of acorns, seeds, berries and wild game. They would move into the mission’s buildings and build a very productive mission town, home to hundreds of Salinan members who set to work to further expand the mission and its infrastructure. Today, remnants of the first mission buildings, its water-powered mill, ovens and more have been uncovered, the old water system remains evident, and the current mission sanctuary is home to a thriving Catholic flock.

West of the Mission and Ft. Hunter Liggett, its a scenic, switch-backed road up and over the Santa Lucia Mountains to Big Sur. Plan a weekend or longer and bring your binoculars to see this historic and stunningly scenic part of “wild California”! For additional inspiring California destinations, see http://LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com.

Travels with a teardrop, other tiny trailers

We have owned several tiny trailers over the last six years; our first was a cute little reproduction Kit Kamper, popular after World War II and one of the more frequent teardrop trailer styles seen today. The Kit was built on a platform of 4’X8’ plywood sheets; hence, 4’ wide, 4’ tall and 8’ long (we have since upgraded to a Scotty teardrop, as noted below).

Pictured, from top down: Our reproduction 1958 Serro Scotty Junior teardrop, Susan relaxing in camp with the Scotty and its open rear galley (beside a giant fifth-wheel), and our 1964 Serro Scotty Sportsman (a work in slow-progress, behind the Nissan 300ZX we towed it with before we got the Focus)

Ours was built from a kit in 2004; we purchased it from its second owner who towed it with a Mini Cooper! We toured mostly California with this trailer - the North Coast, the Sierra and a few trips to other destinations. In 2012, we decided to up-size, and bought a slightly larger 1964 Serro Scotty Sportsman trailer (still teardrop in style, but offering a dinette, an interior sink and two-burner stove) but needing a pretty complete rebuild.

Shortly after, I sold the Kit for what I had paid for it, to a new owner in S. California. With the larger Scotty trailer wedged in our garage (awaiting more extensive work than I originally realized), I found on-line (eBay) a beautiful reproduction 1958 Serro Scotty Sportsman Junior, built in West Virginia in 2011 by a true craftsman. Since we were headed back to Gettysburg anyway (for a week-long bicycle tour with my brother and four other pals), I bought this cute teardrop and picked it up in route to Gettysburg.

The 1958 Scotty was also built on the 4’X8’ plywood platform) making it similar in size to the Kit. We have toured extensively with it, including the trip all the way across the country, a three week trip up the CA/OR and WA coasts to Vancouver, BC, across BC to Spokane and back, and assorted other shorter CA trips to national parks like Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Pinnacles and more.

The arguments for a teardrop trailer include small and lightweight (about 700 to 800 pounds), so a small car or truck can tow it and still deliver good gas mileage (we tow ours with a 2013 Ford Focus 5-speed stick and get 26 MPG). I take special delight in pulling up beside giant diesel pickups, pulling 35' fifth-wheels (and getting about 10 MPG), realizing we are about as comfortable as they are! 

With their small size, teardrops fit in your garage, and their relatively small interior space mean two bodies keep us quite warm, even when outside temps drop into the 30s!  Our interior sleepting space is 4'X6'5", so plenty of length and space for two.  Being a hard-sided trailer, my spouse Susan no longer worries about bear attacks, as she did when we tent-camped! 

The teardrops also have a rear galley that often have built-in stove tops and/or sinks; ours offers reasonable storage space for Coleman stove and other camp gear. We also equipped both our teardrops with a rear bike carrier receiver, so we can load 2-3 bikes on back.  With your bedding already made up, camp gear loaded, it's a simple matter to pack a cooler and your clothes, and away we go!  The cons include being small (not a lot of fun on a rainy weekend, though we have been known to hibernate and watch movies on a laptop for hours on end)!

Teardrops are not the only choice in small camping rigs, which also include both soft-sided and hard-sided “tent trailers”, and smaller, fuel-efficient vans decked out as creative campers. The marketplace for any of these is both Craig’s List and eBay (search for both tear drop, and teardrop campers); I frequently see nice teardrop trailers advertised from anywhere from $2,500 to $7,500, depending on how nicely equipped.

You can also find, on the web, varied companies that rent teardrops for a few days or a week. Try one out, you may become hooked on the comfort afforded and hard-sided security, vs. tent-camping!

Pinnacles National Park, CA, a story of faults, volcanoes and eons of erosion!

Jutting up from the Gabilan Mountains south of Hollister, CA, are the spectacular remains of an ancient volcano – a volcano located 150 miles south, near Los Angeles! Pinnacles National Park lies on the San Andreas Fault, and is moving a few inches north each year, distancing itself from its mother volcano!

 

From top down, our campsite at Pinnacles Campground among ancient Oak trees; rocky canyon wall off the moderate Rim Trail; Bear Gulch Reservoir just above cave of same name; my spouse Susan at entrance to small cave in route to Bear Gulch Cave; and the stunning Machete Ridge, deeper into the High Peaks area.

It’s a landscape that features the effects of heat, water and wind constantly wearing away at an alien landscape, leaving rugged spines, deep canyons, eerie talus caves, verdant foliage, rushing streams and robust wildlife, from dear, wild turkeys and hogs, to the majestic California Condor with wingspans up to seven feet.

On a recent visit, we found light crowds and a very dry park scene (no campfires allowed in the one large campground, no smoking anywhere), but a lively and stunningly scenic place overall! We entered from CA Hwy 25, through the East Entrance, just 35 miles south of a very pleasant Hollister, CA (with a number of comfy motels, closest to the park). The park also has a West Entrance, from Hwy 146 out of Soledad, but no major visitor conveniences on this side (no road crosses this out-of-the-way national park).

We made our home for three days in the Pinnacles Campground, the parks only, but very nice, campground. Complete with store, visitor center, swimming pool (in season) and showers, if offers a wealth of trailer and tent sites, many with full electric hookups. And, a shuttle bus runs regularly, to take you to the two park main trailheads, about three miles away.

You cannot really get the flavor of Pinnacles without some hiking, so bring comfortable walking shoes and a water bottle. From the Bear Gulch Trailhead, a moderately strenuous one-mile hike takes you to the spooky Bear Gulch Cave (bring headlamps or flashlights) and Bear Gulch Reservoir; one can return on the Rim Trail for a change of scenery.  From this trailhead or from the Old Pinnacles Trailhead, one can venture further into the High Peaks area, for ventures to Balconies Cave and views of Machete Ridge and the Balconies Cliffs. This oddly sculpted landscape will leave you struggling for words to describe it!

This was our first trip; it made us hungry to return in the late spring and explore more of this stunning California wilderness. For more info on Pinnacles National Park, go to: www.nps.gov/pinn. And, plan a side trip to Mission San Antonio and to Big Sur (just south and west), while in this part of wild California! For other inspirational destinations in CA, see my blog http://LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com!

Kings Canyon National Park; deep canyons, majestic Sierra peaks!

Entering Sequoia National Park, you will see distant views of Kings Canyon and Sierra peaks nearing 14,000 feet (nearby Mt. Whitney, at 14,500 feet, is tallest in the lower 48 states, but a bit out of view).

Photos, from top, down: View at Road's End, with some of Sierra monoliths that are targets for technical climbers; quintet of Sequoias in the General Grant Grove stand guard near parking area; the General Grant Sequoia looms out of a forest of giants; rocky peaks of the Sierra rise from Kings Canyon; the Kings River, which (along with glaciers) scuplted the canyon; scenic view of the Canyon, cloaked in haze from nearby Sierra forest fires; our Scotty teardrop at a Kings Canyon overlook; the Roaring River Falls, just a few blocks hike off the main highway.

Kings Canyon National Park is a sister park to Sequoia; they share common borders and one entry fee gets you into both majestic parks. The entry into the park is through the western piece of the park, and soon you experience the General Grant Grove of Sequoias, amazing in the number of huge trees in a confined, walkable setting. Nearby Kings Canyon Visitor Center and Grant Grove Village offers sequoia and historic perspective; lodging and several campgrounds are available here.

Continuing towards the canyon, stunning Sierra views are offered at every turn. You traverse through Sequoia National Forest, past the scenic Hume Lake turnoff, privately owned Kings Canyon Lodge, a rustic hotel and Boyden Cave as one tours along the frothing South Fork Kings River.

Reentering Kings Canyon Park, stop at the Cedar Grove Visitor Center and Village for unique canyon insights. Take a break at Roaring River Falls viewpoint (short video of the Falls is above), where a short hike takes you to a picturesque waterfall in a granite canyon.

Continue on to Zumwalt Meadow and Roads End, where you will see a number of trailheads and climbers preparing to scale the walls of varied monoliths. Campers will find a host of scenic campgrounds in the Kings Canyon itself, and lodges offer plenty of indoor respites for the weary traveler. Neighbor Sequoia Park also offers additional campgrounds and lodging options; go to www.nps.gov/seki.

While driving, keep your eyes open for deer, skunks, coyotes and, occasionally, black bears! While visiting Kings Canyon, plan a day-trip or longer to Sequoia National Park, it’s neighbor to the southeast. The General Sherman Grove, the Tunnel Tree and other points of interest are not to be missed. For a great lunch or dining stop, try the Wuksachi Hotel, central to Sequoia, with a wonderful dining room and quaint bar.

Plan a weekend trip or longer to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks; you will forever want to return! For more unique California destinations, see my blog, www.LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com.

Sequoia National Park; home of the giants and much more!

Several things impress as you approach this majestic park and its neighbor, Kings Canyon National Park, from Fresno, CA (we arrived on Hwy 198 at the Ash Mountain entrance).  They include the rapid and scenic rise from near sea level in the San Joaquin Valley to 7,000 feet in the Sierra, the frequent number of immense Sequoia groves throughout the two parks, and incredible views of the Sierra, particularly in the Kings Canyon!



Photos, from top down: The General Sherman Tree amazes scores of tourists while Park Ranger offers insights; our teardrop Scotty trailer in Lodgepole Campground; our trailer and Focus with Kings Canyon as a backdrop in distance; entrace to General Sherman Tree walkway; Susan with a mid-size Sequoia stump; and our Focus passing under the Tunnel Tree!

We were camping on a recent visit (towing a small Scotty teardrop trailer), and made for a reserved spot in a delightful Sequoia campground, Lodgepole Camp, complete with village/store and visitor center. Nearby is a marvelous hotel, The Wuksachi, complete with great restaurant and cute bar. Sequoia and its neighbor Kings Canyon offer a host of other campgrounds and lodging options; go to www.nps.gov/seki.

Once settled into our campsite, we began our tour of the park by driving a few miles to the General Sherman Tree grove, and hiking downhill to the grove of over-sized trees. First impressions count, a lot – one is amazed that around every turn is a monster Sequoia, measuring 12 to 35 feet in diameter and topping out at almost 300 feet.

One does not expect to be so awed by the General Sherman itself, but it is “that much larger” than its neighbors, measuring 40 feet in diameter, 275 feet in height, and, in total volume of wood, the largest tree in the world! It makes for big crowds, as the most known feature in the park.

Nearby, a side road takes you to Moro Rock, worth the short hike for great views, past the “Auto Tree” (where cars once drove up upon the huge downed trunk) and to Tunnel Log, where one can drive your car or truck through the hollowed-out trunk. It makes for great photos!  Another option, in summer, is the road to Crystal Cave, for you spelunkers! While driving, keep your eyes open for deer, skunks, coyotes and, occasionally, black bears!

The adjoining Kings Canyon National Park offers its own share of stunning revelations, though the parks size and scope of its features require a day or more to fully explore! Plan a long weekend trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks; you will forever want to return for deeper exploration!  For more interesting California destinations, see my blog, www.LittlePlacesIKnow.blogspot.com.