California at Easter

[bill_hall]

I'm visiting San Francisco from the U.K. for a week at Easter (April 7 on),

then up to Yosemite area for the next week. This is my first trip to California

and I would appreciate any advice on what to see and shoot in the wildlife and

landscape fields. Also, would it be possible, (AND WORTH IT), to visit Bodie,

and Mono Lake while staying at Yosemite.

[jlkphoto]

Bill, there is virtually no chance that Tioga Road will be open that early in the year so getting to Mono Lake and Bodie from Yosemite would eat half your week if you're driving.

[jlkphoto]

Here is a chart showing when Tioga Road has historically opened and closed.

 

http://www.monobasinresearch.org/data/tiogapass.htm

[mark_chappell]

<I>Also, would it be possible, (AND WORTH IT), to visit Bodie, and Mono Lake while

staying at Yosemite</i><P>

 

As Jeff says, that would almost certainly entail driving up to Lake Tahoe, crossing the

Sierra there (US 50 or 80), and then driving south (maybe ~350 miles total?) to the Mono

Lake area. At that time of year, Bodie is likely snowed in also.<P>

 

California in April is something of a gamble. It can be very green and lush if the rains

came earlier, or quite brown if they haven't. Snow levels are variable also. Too early for

mountain wildflowers, but could be just right for desert wildflowers and possibly the

southern coast ranges as well -- but highly dependent on when and how much rain has

fallen. If you like birds, many of the winter visitors will still be around (shorebirds

especially) and some of the spring-summer visitors will be arriving.

[sergey_oboguev]

However, depending on your interests, you may spend a day or two elsewhere around SF before heading to Yosemite, such as for instance Point Reyes (incl. its elk reserve) or locations along coastal Hwy 1, from Ano Nuevo (adult elephant seals will be gone by April, but weaners would be still there for the first couple of weeks) and further south to Carmel/Monterey/Pt Lobos and Big Sur.

[erik_loza]

Yeah, avoid Tioga, for sure. You could get to Yosemite easily enough from San Francisco, but you wouldn't be able to get to 395 from there. Is Yosemite the higher priority? Both Bodie and Mono (in particular) are worth checking out, but I think you would have to backtrack quite a bit to to get up to them. Good luck in any case.

[david_henderson]

Access to Bodie varies by year and I couldn't get there at the end of April last year. I got across the Sierra OK, travelling via Nevada City to the north, but the access road to Bodie still had a lot of snow. Mono Lake should be accessible but frankly unless you get absolutely perfect light and water conditions it isn't in my view worth a protracted journey which would certainly involve at least one overnight with the restaurants in Lee Vining probably closed. You would probably get to see Lake Tahoe and Nevada City too though.

 

Again I'd expect that some of the higher roads in Yosemite might well not be open when you visit, and if it were me I'd be thinking to take a couple of days out of the Yosemite week and get down to Carmel/Point Lobos and Big Sur. And maybe plan to spend a couple of days north of San Francisco in Marin, Wine country and as far as Point Reyes. San Francisco's great but I'd guess that after four or five days a change of scenery will be welcome. Don't forget Alcatraz and its a lot better to make reservations in advance -you can do this online- for the first boat of the day.

[sergey_oboguev]

Pt Reyes is also likely to have wildflowers in bloom around April. Exact peak changes from year to year, but different sub-areas bloom at different time thus there is fair chance you may find some spots in bloom.

 

P.S. You may find this book to be of practical utility:

http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Guide-Yosemite-Michael-Frye/dp/1930238002

[peterlyons]

What do you like to photograph? If you like developed areas, try some stairway walks around

the city. I recommend the Filbert Steps in particular. Also the Farmers' Market at the Ferry

Building. Perhaps also visit Golden Gate Park and the botanical gardens. I'll third the vote for

Point Reyes--it's always gorgeous. On the way you might stop for the tidepools near Half

Moon Bay at http://www.fitzgeraldreserve.org/

 

Say more of what you like to shoot and maybe we can collectively come up with more and

better stuff!

[madredhen]

Presidio Park in San Fran has lovely old buildings, roosting herons at the pond, and the beaches around there may have enough shorebirds to keep you busy for a while.

[greg s]

In that area of California I would check out...

 

* Big Basin State Park: big redwoods, very nice (in the Santa Cruz mountains south of SF)

 

* Big Sur coastline: lots of dramatic coastline (south of SF)

 

* Montaña De Oro State Park: if you happen to drive that far south

 

OR you could drive the coast north of SF, but the weather will be more pleasing going south (less rain and fog). The north coast is also very nice though, depending on weather conditions.

 

OR there is the famous Napa Valley just a bit north of the bay... with the fields of wine grapes, big houses, and towns like Calistoga

 

My own choice would probably be to see the south coast and the state parks in the Santa Cruz Mountains area while you're visiting SF. The April weather should be quite pleasant.

 

Cheers, -Greg-

[bob_flood1]

A week in San Francisco will require you to bring your appetite - it's a city of great restaurants. In the city, there should be seals at or near Pier 39, Alcatraz requires reservations on the weekends and probably during the week, too. You can shoot the golden Gate Bridge from Fort Point, Baker Beach, and the Marin Headlands across the bridge. Google the Golden Gate Park - interesting stuff there. North of the city, if you want to hike, Mt Tamalpais (Mt Tam to the locals) in the Headlands is a day's worth. There's Muir Woods (Mill Valley) with great redwoods (and only a few miles from the bridge) and the wine country. Personally, I find the Napa Valley better looking than Sonoma, but the grapes won't be out that early - the vines will be cut back and decidedly unphotogenic. But winery tours offer great shooting opportunities. Pt Reyes has been descibed by others and is very good.

 

South of the city, check with locals about the surf at Mavericks at Half Moon Bay - that where the west coast gets the monster waves and the surfers will be out if it's good. Big Basin up in the Santa Cruz mountains above Palo Alto is a good place, good weather or bad. If you get up there, have lunch at Buck's in Woodside - it's a local eatery in the mountains where the people who own Silicon Valley eat. The coast highway is usually good, but can get pretty full of cars on a nice weekend.

 

Yosemite is always great (I have a prejudice here). The snow melt should be getting under way - the falls shouldn't be at their peak, but they should be pretty good. Tioga Pass will be closed, and geeting to Mono will be as difficult as everyone has said. But if you have the time, there are opportunities along the way - taking I-80 from San Fran to Reno will take you thru Donner Pass - get a map of that area and note the lakes - they might be open enough to be worthwhile. It's been a poor winter for snow so far, which will make things more accessible than usual for April. Lake Tahoe is a subject by itself. The road to Bodie will most likely still be closed, although, if the snow doesn't get any better, maybe ...

[SteveH]

If you're staying in SF, you can do any number of day trips. To the South (where I live) I

recommend the drive down Hwy1 along the coast from Pacifica to Monterey/Carmel.

Carmel, of course is the mecca for the west coast black and white photographers, and

there are a number of galleries there. Muir Woods is the more famous Redwood park to

the north, but to the south there are Butano State Park, San Mateo County Memorial Park,

and Big Basin State Park. There's a lovely day walk from Waddell Creek to Berry Creek Falls

and back on the coast end of Big Basin State Park. Also you can visit the small towns of

Montara, Half Moon Bay, San Gregorio and Pescadero all within about 50Km south, another

great day driving trip. Spring is a great time on the California coast: there's not so much

fog, and the days can be actually warmer than they would be in the summer. Try the

artichoke soup in Duartes (locals call it doo-arts) in Pescadero. Enjoy.

[craig_gillette]

Weather really will be the unknown factor, it could still be wet and cold/snowing in the Sierra or may be working it's way towards spring, especially in the foothills. The coastal mountains and hills of the southern central coast will likely be greening up. So a loop south via 1 through Big Sur to the San Luis Obispo area might be quite enjoyable.

 

I ran a Mapquest check once, it's pretty close to 350 miles from Yosemite Valley to Lee Vining either south via Fresno and Highway 99 through Tehachapi and north up 14/395 or north through the Sacramento area and via the Lake Tahoe/Donner pass area and south again. Bodie will likely not be easily accessible. Mono Lake, otoh, is pretty close to Highway 395 so access is less an issue than just having reasonable shooting weather. So Mono Lake is possible, but unfortunately, "worth it" may be questionable. You might consider looping from Yosemite around via Tahoe/Donner and then south all the way through the Owens Valley but the the southern Central Valley after Tehachapi is rather plain (even the drive south from Bishop gets long - but it would be terrain unlike most of Europe - relatively dry sage plains in the valley (although the small Tule elk may be viewable) with high mountains to both sides, then very dry desert terrain, volcanic influences with cinder cones and lava flows, then wind farms near Mojave/Tehachapi, then the almost flat Central Valley farmlands until reach the coastal hills and mountains again.

 

The "Gold Country" along Highway 49 in the Sierra foothills can be very scenic.

[sergey_oboguev]

In case you absolutely wished to visit Sierra, fly out of SFO or SJC to Reno and rent a car there. It is ~150 miles to Mono Lake.

 

Alternatively, fly to Las Vegas and drive to Sierra through Death Valley and Lone Pine/Alabama Hills.

 

You may also pick up the car at one end and return it at another.

 

It will take time though.

[dave_terry1]

Bill, I don't know what kind of free time you have while in SF, but I highly recommend a

trip (overnight if possible) down Highway 1 to Big Sur. You can make it there and back in

a day, but who wants to try? Stay the night in Carmel, and hit Big Sur at you leisure.

There's so much to see along the way you don't want to hurry. Don't forget Pt. Lobos,

where Adams and Weston honed their craft.

 

Welcome to California, you'll have a great time no matter what you decide. There are no

wrong choices, it's all beautiful, especially in April.

 

Dave

 

PS- We drive on the right side here ;-)

[bill_hall]

Thank you very much gentlemen. I have decided to take your advice and not waste time trying to get to the East side of the Sierra. I'll do about 6 days around S.F. 3 in Yosemite, and spend the rest along the coast. One thing I'd really like to photograph are the sea otters, anyone know a good place?

Dave, don't worry this will be my 8th trip to the U.S. and I find it easier (and more pleasure) to drive there than here!

Thanks a million. Bill Hall.

[david_henderson]

I've certainly seen sea otters at Point Lobos

[jlkphoto]

Your best bet for otter photos may be the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They have them captive and often you'll see them wild, in the ocean, from the Aquarium outdoor balconies.

 

Getting close enough for an otter "portrait" usually requires a kayak and a very long lens and a lot of patience. Without these, you usually can't get close enough unless you are VERY lucky.

[david_senesac]

April is prime time for lower elevation wildflower displays in California although the world class displays tend to be in Souther California including places like Antelope Valley State Reserve or Carrizo Plain National Monument. However for those areas to be worthwhile there needs to be above average winter rains and this winter thus far has been quite droughty. There are some fine areas with wildflowers in Northern California though they are not the vast fields of flowers like in the south. You might take a look at my website below as I provide some information on each image. Wildflowers along the California coast on average years often peak late April through early May however that can vary considerably both in time and numbers of flowers. ...David

 

http://www.davidsenesac.com

[savagesax]

Lower Yosemite can bring amazing beauty in April. I've been in snow storms, heavy rain, 20 to 50 degree weather, beautiful waterfalls, bear, deer, coyote, and perhaps the best part is not too many people!

[craig_gillette]

I'd agree with Jeff on the otters, the aquarium is a good spot to try for them and well worth a visit anyways. The shoreline from Mobnterey's Fisherman's Wharf, to Cannery Row to Point Pinos (Pacific Grove), including the aquarium, is fairly calm so there can be opportunities anywhere along there. But as he noted, they tend to be a bit far for easy photography. I've even seen one pretty close in Morro Bay near the fishing boats and tourist shops and restaurants. You'll almost certainly be able to see them at Point Lobos and Big Sur - just not necessarily close. Try in the more sheltered coves.

[mark_chappell]

RE: sea otters: as others have said, you can reliably find them pretty much anywhere around

the Monterey Peninsula, but they tend to be quite a way offshore, and having one come close

enough for a good image is a matter of luck. The harbor/warf area is good, but then you're

usually looking down at them which is a little awkward. The tours of the estuary at Moss

Landing (15 miles or so N of Monterey) are often very productive for otter photography, I've

heard. Moss Landing harbor is another spot to try.

 

If you like shorebirds, the Monterey Peninsula is one of the best places anywhere for them.

[craig_gillette]

If you should decide to head for the mountains, you may want to go via Sacramento. A lot of history. Several notable museums, the capitol, the "Old Sacramento" area on the river brings back the early days of rampant entrepreneurship which fueled some massive fortunes, including the building of the transcontinental railroad - and the state railroad museum is very interesting, if that kind of thing interests you at all. If you go through Sacramento to Auburn, you can take 49 down to Placerville, passing through Coloma, site of the gold discovery, or from Placerville up to Auburn then into the high country. I-80 on the north side takes you through Donner Pass and the Truckee area - where the railroad was forced across the mountains, and an emigrant party was stranded just as winter arrived - only half the party survived apparently through cannibalism. The I-50 route takes you to south Lake Tahoe. 49 can be followed south through the Gold Country to the 120, 140 and 41 entrances to Yosemite.

 

At Angel's Camp, Highway 4 may not be open across the mountains but should be open to Calaveras Big Trees State Park, a park centered on a giant sequoia grove which includes the Discovery Tree, the first tree/trees reported after the area was explored during the Gold Rush. Angel's Camp is also the home of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," made famous by Mark Twain.

[robcarlimages.com]

In April, I'd recommend you take 140 into Yosemite along the Merced River. The Redbuds should be in bloom, adding great color to some moving water shots. There's also a lot of moss covered rocks along the side of the road that can make some interesting shots...if you can only convince youself that Yosemite can wait a few minutes longer while you stop! Check on the condition of the road on the web, though...rains last year caused a landslide that washed out the road. There is a workaround at that section now, but if it starts moving again this spring due to heavy rains, they could close it.

 

I'd rather go up to Pt Reyes (Roosevelt Elk, Elephant Seals, maybe?) and Muir Woods (Redwoods) than Monterey at that time of year, but I have the luxury of going to Monterey whenever I want. But if you do try to get some otter shots and the beasties don't cooperate, there are some frollicking on display inside the aquarium that can be shot (I know, not the same, but...)

 

Have fun. Maybe we'll see each other. I'll be the guy on the side of the road with the deer in the headlights look, scratching his head:-)

 

<a href="http://www.robcarlimages.com">robcarlimages.com</a>