Every year millions of tourists head for Yosemite National Park in California to experience the many natural wonders of one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Whilst there is plenty to keep you occupied within the park limits, there are some spectacular destinations just beyond the entrances which are well worth exploring too. If you can spare a day or two beyond the park here are the places to head for. Continue reading
Author Archives: Sally
Get Out of London Theatre
West End shows make for a wonderful evening out but they are now very costly. It is possible to get your hands on discounted tickets through schemes like Get Into London Theatre and via special offers but it is never going to be cheap. This makes it all the more annoying when your entertainment is ruined by the behaviour of certain members of the audience. I have been attending shows for more than 40 years and I am sure that standards of behaviour are slipping. I wish that these idiots would get out of London theatre! Continue reading
The Quality Of Life In Modern Britain
A new building site has recently been established close to my home. I feared it would be another housing development which would put yet more strain on our local roads and services. On this occasion the construction work has turned out to the redevelopment of a hospital but this is just a very small light at the end of an enormously long tunnel. Continue reading
A Day at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park is truly enormous. There are many natural wonders to explore but they are spread far and wide and so you face a lengthy drive to each destination. This fact makes checking the weather before you set out a very good idea but this is precisely what I didn’t do on the day I wanted to visit the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Continue reading
Writing a Holiday Journal
My father recently found a holiday journal that my late mother had written several years ago. Seeing my mother’s work reminded me that there was a time when a diary and a photo album were the only ways to document your travels. The entries truly spoke of my mother’s great love of her favourite destination, Switzerland, and I realised that our modern ways of recording our travels can be a poor substitute for a well written journal. Continue reading
The Cats of Torre Argentina
Rome is a stunning city with architectural marvels around every corner. Tourists flock to the eternal city to marvel at the ancient Roman ruins and Renaissance masterpieces but there is one special place that many do not see which is situated just a few hundred metres from the busy and fashionable shopping area of Via Condotti and the Piazza Venezia at the heart of the city. Largo di Torre Argentina is a beautiful square containing some spectacular Roman ruins but is equally notable for its feline residents. Continue reading
Yellowstone National Park
Growing up I was a great fan of Yogi Bear and knew that his fictional home Jellystone Park was based on Yellowstone. Years later and with a firmly established love of both bears and the great American outdoors it was inevitable that I should eventually pay a visit to the United States’ inaugural National Park and I set out with great expectations and the hope that I would see at least one of Yogi’s cousins.
The Curious Incident
As a frequent theatre goer I was horrified by the recent ceiling collapse in London’s West End. Without warning large volumes of debris fell on the unsuspecting audience of the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Apollo Theatre. As yet no cause for the collapse has been identified making it a curious incident at the Curious Incident! All joking aside the episode is rather unsettling not least because I am in possession of tickets for the show. Continue reading
Lake Tahoe
Despite several visits to California Lake Tahoe was a destination I had managed to miss over the years and I thought it was time to put that right. I was planning another touring holiday starting in San Francisco which was to feature mainly places that I had been before so it was nice to ring the changes a bit by including somewhere new. I didn’t really know what to expect of the region and was slightly wary because it was not a national park and so I has concerns over urban development but I shouldn’t have worried.
Arriving
Driving from San Francisco my first view of Lake Tahoe was spectacular. I weaved my way down a mountain pass and then suddenly there was a huge blue vista before me surrounded by snowy peaks. It was obvious that due to the wooded shore line and lower slopes most of the buildings which surrounded the lake were all but invisible from a distance. The only exceptions were the large casino hotels of South Lake Tahoe but that was fine.
Development
The lake straddles the California/Nevada state line and the Nevada portion of South Lake Tahoe is a mini Las Vegas with several casino hotels and a touristy feel but just a couple of miles beyond the town you feel like you are in another world. I stayed in the RV park at Camp Richardson which was beautifully appointed in the forest and just a short walk from the water.
Sunset at the Lake
As the light began to fade on the first evening I took a stroll down to the water’s edge. Tahoe is gorgeous at sunset with the shimmering lake fading into darkness and brightly lit paddle steamers crossing the water. I decided that I couldn’t resist a quick dip and was surprised to find that the mountain lake was mild and perfect for swimming. The shoreline is sandy making for a wonderful place to relax during the day.
Trekking
I has no time to relax myself, however, as I had planned several activities and excursions and my first full day started with a ride on horseback through the trees of the lower slopes. It was wonderfully peaceful trekking through the forest despite being relatively close to the road and Tahoe was really impressing me.
The Emerald Bay
After the riding I took a drive up to the Emerald Bay. This is a spur of Lake Tahoe famed for its stunning emerald colour and surrounded by steep cliffs. It was so pretty and above the water there was a stunning waterfall to explore. This was a beautiful spot of great serenity with stunning views as far as the eye could see.
The Ponderosa
The next day I set off for a drive around the circumference of the lake. En Route I just had to stop off at the Ponderosa Ranch of Bonanza fame. The house used in the television series is now a major tourist attraction and almost a mini theme park. In addition to a tour of the house there were recreations of Wild West shoot outs and animal exhibits to enjoy. It was a bit commercialised but I actually loved it! I was saddened to hear that the ranch has since closed.
Shopping
It was then time to move on and I continued around the lake through Incline Village which is largely a development of holiday accommodation. Along the road I saw what looked like an interesting shop and stopped for a quick look. The quick look soon turned into a major shopping expedition as this wonderful outlet was packed with beautiful homewares and gifts. I left weighed down by several purchases and spent the rest of the drive wondering how I was going to get it all home!
On The Quads
The following day I went quad biking which turned out to be one of the best days I have spent anywhere on the planet. The original plan had been to take on the famous Rubicon Trail but a late snow melt meant the trail was not available and so I was diverted to the Nevada desert on the other side of the mountains. This turned out to be a good thing as the territory was a wonderful place to ride. Flying over the hills of red sandy desert I had snow-capped mountains as a backdrop and a crystal clear blue sky above. My guide was simply brilliant and we climaxed the trip with a race across the dessert flats.
Heavenly Mountain
My final day at Tahoe was marked by a trip up the cable car to the appropriately named Heavenly. There are some stunning views of the lake from the first station and the summit is a very pleasant place for a hike. I was sorry that I had not had more time in the area to do some walking but I felt that I had seen a lot in my four days and Tahoe was certainly somewhere to return to in the future.
With a heavy heart and laden down with quality gifts from that wonderful shop I drove away from Lake Tahoe the next morning and headed for my next adventure in Yosemite National Park.
Byline
Article by Sally Stacey
In Search of a Christmas Tree
One of the great joys of travelling is the excitement of discovering exciting new places whether they are a spectacular national park or a great restaurant. I have travelled far and wide in search of the next adventure and so you can imagine my surprise when I stumbled across two great places which were right on my doorstep. I thought I was acquainted which pretty much everything in my immediate area but I was wrong and my little adventure started with a Christmas tree! Continue reading