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Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 05:32:06 -0700
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I was at Death Valley right after Christmas 2000. It was comfortable --
fairly hot days, but almost freezing (0 degr C) at sunrise. The locals make
jokes about the German and Swiss tourists who actually show up at Death
Valley DURING THE SUMMER ... what are they thinking? If you are concerned
about hot weather ... then don't go to Death Valley in July. If you are
concerned about the cold, don't go to Antarctica in the winter. If you get
short of breath climbing stairs in Miami, don't try to climb Everest without
oxygen.
Perhaps Grand Canyon/Bryce/Zion is better in July, but it will still be very
hot. Grand Canyon/Bryce/Zion in the winter will have snow and ice often.
Maybe this is a crazy idea, but you can consider visiting the island of
Kauii in Hawaii. It's nice all year 'round and you can drive or bike to
where it always rains and if you get tired of that, you can drive or bike to
where it never rains. You can always find something comfortable, the ocean
is nice, the mountains are nice, the food, the people, etc.
Reading other replies regarding Rt.1 on the Pacific Coast ... that is an
excellent option, but book rooms very early (now!) for Big Sur and all the
places packed with tourists in July. If you show up that day and ask about
rooms, the people tend to just laugh and never answer your question (I tried
it.). You received many good hints from others already. One place I highly
recommend along the Rt.1 north of SF is Jenner. It's where the Russian
River dumps into the Pacific. There's a restaurant called "River's End"
built overlooking the river and ocean with large windows and a good menu.
And if you just stop your car just north of "River's End", there's a
turn-off where you can look down onto the beach and watch the seals frolic
in the waves, often with a surfer or kayaker riding the same wave almost
within reach.
Point Reyes is awesome, but bring your full Goretex windjacket & hood, wool
gloves, wool hat even in the summer due to the very strong ocean winds there
always. If you plan to stay out long, bring Goretex windpants too. At
times of the year you can watch whales swim by Point Reyes without even
going out on a boat. Bring compact binoculars.
The Stinson Beach / Bolinas area is great too. There's an awesome day hike
just north of Bolinas into the southern end of the Point Reyes park. It
brings you to one of the only two waterfalls that fall into the ocean in
California. (The other is in Big Sur.) Near Stinson Beach is also a place
you can find a hidden hot springs which is only exposed when the tide is
below -0.5 on the tide tables.
The Marin Headlands just north of Golden Gate bridge is fabulous. You'll
see what I mean.
Pigeon Point lighthouse (book several months in advance) has a few youth
hostel sleeping and private rooms and guests are allowed to use a private
jaccuzzi which is built on the rocks just overlooking the ocean waves and
rocks. It's awesome. Warning: the lighthouse is closed for repairs for
unknown amount of time, but the rooms are open. Oh BTW, this is S of SF, on
Rt. 1 heading towards Santa Cruz.
One thing to keep in mind is that along Rt.1 and especially in San
Francisco, it can be very cold in the summer, especially July. Only
tourists wear shorts ... and often just the first day. You can always spot
tourists because they are wearing thick "San Francisco" sweatshirts that
they just purchased minutes ago because they "forgot" to bring their winter
clothes. But you will NEVER need an umbrella in SF between April -
November. Even a thunderstorm is so rare, that if one happens during the
year, it's in the newspaper the next day. Summer in SF can be 10-15 degr C
plus wind and fog, but it can also suddenly be 30 degr C.
Another warning is to be very careful about entering the ocean! You'll
notice beautiful beaches everywhere, but nobody in the water except for
surfers with wetsuits and boards. There is a reason. A few years ago,
there was a story of a wedding couple who stood on the rocks in Santa Cruz
for a wedding photo. A wave knocked the wife off the rock and she died. If
you do go into the water, learn about how to rescue yourself from rip
currents --- just like ski-tourers in Switzerland learn how to rescue their
partners from a crevasse.
Wine country is a whole other world. You can float over the vineyards in a
hot air ballon. You can taste wines at various vineyards, but remember that
most close at 4pm, which seems like midday in the summer. You can sit in
the Wine Country Train and cruise Napa valley while you eat gourmet food.
Or book a few months in advance and eat at the CIA/FBI. CIA = Culinary
Institute of America, FBI = Food and Beverage Institute. Chef students will
cook spectacular food and you pay their tuition. The CIA is up in Helena in
Napa Valley. I was able to book lunch at the CIA just a day in advance when
someone else cancelled. You can always ask.
The cool thing about California is that you can live here forever and always
have great new places to discover.
Just like I advise Americans going to Europe, the same applies in USA ...
don't try to cover too much territory too quickly ... focus and enjoy ...
then come back again to another spot another time.
-chris
----- Original Message -----
From: <BrawandP_at_immunex.com>
> Any comment on going to Death Valley/Grand Canyon/Bryce/Zion in July?
I'm
> concern about the hot weather... Would you do that or not?
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Received on Thu Apr 18 2002 - 15:06:26 PDT
