San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park has a lot of old ships to visit and explore. Aside from the ships, you can walk around Aquatic Park cove to visit the pier, the beach, and the museum.
Tag: norcal
Barking Sea Lions at Pier 39
If you’re looking for something free to do on your visit to San Francisco, the Sea Lion viewing platform is a great choice. These chubby creatures are loud, sleepy, and very playful.
Sunol Regional Wilderness
Sunol Regional Wilderness is a popular spot for locals especially in the summer when there’s water. There’s a watering hole area called Little Yosemite where people come to swim and hang out with their friends and family.
Behind Bars at Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island had many uses back in the days before it became a national park site. To get to the island, you’ll need to book tickets from Alcatraz Cruises located on Pier 33 either online or in person. The ferry ride is only 15 minutes long with incredible views of San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge, and the Bay Bridge.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park
The largest trees in the world can be found at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. Sequoias can grow to be 30-250 ft tall and 20 – 35 ft wide. There are many trails to explore these giant forests and notable trees to learn about.
Lava Beds National Monument
Keep reading if you’re not claustrophobic. Lava Beds National Monument in Tulelake, California has over 20 caves to explore all in one area. The lava tube caves are divided into three difficulties levels based on length, height, and floor of the cave. These caves were formed from lava flows from a volcano eruption over 10,000 years ago.
California’s Active Volcano: Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park is California’s own mini Yellowstone. If you want to see some hydrothermal features like boiling springs and sulphur vents or even hike around a cinder cone this is your spot.
Portola Redwoods State Park
The drive to Portola Redwoods State Park requires a lot of patience and alert driving but is worth it if you are looking for some solitude among the trees. The road to get to this park is narrow and winding and you may experience some entertainment on the way there.
Twisted Trees at The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park is a woody state park in Santa Cruz county. It is named after the matriarch of the Marks family from Salinas who donated to the land to become a state park. There are many trails to explore here but I could only choose one: the Old Growth trail to see the Advocate Tree.
Castro Adobe State Historic Park
Castro Adobe SHP in Watsonville is one of the last adobe houses left standing in California. It is gradually being brought back to life by Friends of the Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks. I visited during an open house event when guided tours were happening.