South California Trip – March 2024

Links to all the photos and videos from the trip

https://photos.app.goo.gl/AuN85QtHHX9UPe8Q6

I was excited about this trip as it's the first time in 26 yrs in the US that I was visiting California. My plan was to arrive in Las Vegas, then do a clockwise loop covering three National Parks and part of the Pacific Coast Hwy up to Monterey/ Big Sur. After arriving in LV, I had an Indian lunch buffet and then headed towards the town of Twentynine Springs where I was staying. From there the North entrance to Joshua Tree National Park is close so that became my entry point. 

Day 1 - 3/24 -  Joshua Tree National Park

Since I was a bit under the weather I slept later than usually I do on these trips and had a great breakfast at John's Place. It was almost 9 am when I entered the park. My first stop was Skull Rock on Park Boulevard as it's one of the most visited location and parking could have become a hassle later.  

SKULL Rock is an amazing natural rock formation in shape of what the name suggests. Quite something. There is a short Discovery trail near it which isn't too hard. My second stop was SPLIT Rock. As the name suggest it's a huge rock which is split in two. Not as exciting as other visiting points. Then I backed up the road and went towards Pinto Basin Rd towards HEART and ARCH Rock. This is moderate trail, part flat ground and part through rocks. The Heart shaped rock is a photo favorite. The ARCH Rock could easily be missed but the trail through the rocks is exciting.  

From there I headed on the same road to Cholla Cactus garden. In JTNP two deserts meet, the Mojave Desert and Colorado desert. As you near the Cholla Cactus garden you suddenly notice the change in topography, from mostly Joshua trees to mostly Cholla Cactus shrubs. It is quite abrupt if you are noticing. There is a short trail in the garden that winds among the cactuses. Most of them had early blooms but it was still cold for full blooms. Just a little ahead is Ocotillo Patch named after the unique thorny, spiky trees they grow here. They have red/ pinkish blooms. I saw lot more Ocotillo trees/shrubs in other parts in my trips than I saw here. 

Then I headed back up to Park Boulevard Rd which is where most attractions are. Since I had already visited Skull Rock I went past it toward CAPS Rock. As the name suggests there is a huge cap like rock sitting atop huge boulders. There is short easy trail around it. On most of these trails there are plaques with great information about the flora, fauna, geology in this area and this byte sized info is worth a read. Then I visited Keys View which is basically a drive uphill and from a parking lot a short walk atop from where there is amazing view all over. On hazy days one may not be able to see far but luckily it was quite clear when I visited.  

My next stop was Hidden Valley trail which is amazing. It’s a bowl like area sitting in midst of huge rocky hills. You can walk an easy loop trail. This is favorite of rock climbers, and I saw lot of them going up or down making your heart churn. This trail is a must do. Next stop was Barker Dam trail. The trail is easy, but dam is just a tiny dam built by ranchers in old days. There is no more ranching here thanks to shortage of rainfall. 

Lastly I visited Hall of Horrors. This one disappointed me as there are no clear signs as to what to look for. I got couple of pictures of a slot canyon like formation but if there is more to it then I surely missed it.  

Day 2 - 3/25 – Anza Borrego State Park / San Diego

I left Twentynine Springs early to drive to San Diego. On the way I had a slight diversion to visit Anza Borrego State Park which is known for its wildflower blooms, and this was the right time of the year. The route took me through JTNP way past the Cholla Cactus garden. Part of it was state or county roads while part highway. I passed through Salton Sea and a place called Mecca. I saw a lot of agricultural activity in the area. Salton Sea has an interesting history that I Googled later. 

As I entered Anza Borrego Park I stopped at couple of places where there were crowd of people looking at a great display of mostly reddish pink wildflowers. A stroll and few pictures and I was on my way. The actual destination point of the park has a garden like feature with desert flowers and wildflowers that you can stroll through. It was interesting though some of the spectacular photo displays I have seen online was nowhere to be seen. Maybe it wasn’t time yet or had already passed. Yet, the segway was worth it. 

From thereon I proceeded to drive to San Diego. The first place I went to was Mission Beach which has ample public parking space. It was good to walk around on the beach, on a rock pier and seeing lot of surfers. The water was too cold for me to enter in. Then I proceeded to Cabrillo National Monument. This is kind of on a hill with a lighthouse from where you can see the sea all around and the city of San Diego spread wide across. On the way you pass a lot of war graves which is a sobering experience. You can also drive down closer to the shoreline and explore tide pools. However, it closes quite early in the day 4.30/5 pm and I was disappointed to not have time to explore. 

Later I checked into my hotel and for dinner decided to explore the Gaslamp Quarter area. Due to weekday, it wasn’t as crowded though finding parking was still a hassle. I walked around a bit and ate at a restaurant ‘La Puerta’ trying out some tacos with a margarita. Good food but expensive (guess most of CA is expensive for a Midwesterner). Back to hotel and it was time to turn in for the night. 

Day 3 - 3/26 – San Diego

Next day I went to breakfast at CAFÉ 222 in downtown. It was a place I had read about online. In these days of social media, where anybody and everybody is a travel reviewer you can get thousands of varied recommendations on food and other places to visit. This was one such place. I ordered a Blueberry Corn Muffin with butter and Coffee for $25, once again reminding me that CA is expensive. 

I then headed to Balboa Park in the city center. It’s a large urban park which has many museums and interesting things to explore. I had no definite plans to see anything in particular but when I entered and started strolling through the park I saw a large queue near the Japanese Garden of Friendship. I bought a day pass online which offers entry to 4 museums and got in line to enter the Japanese garden. It was worth the visit with beautifully sculpted gardens, ponds with fish and other features. The cherry trees section was exceptionally beautiful with 95% bloom (as per a display board). For anyone visiting Balboa Park I would recommend visiting this garden. Next I explored San Diego Institute of Arts museum. Having visited the Detroit Institute of Arts in my hometown this one seemed comparatively smaller in scope and exhibits. Air and Space Museum is another one I would recommend. The exhibits with models of beginning of flights, displays from World War I and II, commercial flights etc.  was very interesting and informative. Finally, I visited the Mingei museum with mostly contemporary art. In between I strolled through various gardens and buildings and the whole day was fulfilling. 

In the evening I met a friend’s son who recently came here from Pune to do his Masters at USC. We met at a local pizzeria and spent couple of hours just chatting up about college, student life, careers, and stuff. 

Day 4 - 3/27 – Pacific Coast Hwy/ Los Angelos

Leaving my hotel in morning I drove towards Dana Point which is where the Pacific Coast Hwy 1 begins. I have wanted to do this for a while. You may vision this as a typical highway where you can drive at high speed but in reality this is quite a busy road with towns, homes, shops, traffic lights along the way. While you are driving parallel along the Pacific Ocean you don’t always get a glimpse of it except occasionally. 

My first destination was Huntingtin Beach. It’s a nice beach, with a pier you can walk on and lot of surfers all around. The water was cold, so I didn’t swim in the water but did wade in knee deep. I spent about 1-1.5 hrs. here then moved on to my destination which was Los Angelos. I had to leave the PCH to go to LA and I arrived in early afternoon, with my first destination being the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It’s a typical downtown walk along the sidewalk except the stars all along the walk with names of movie folks. I saw a lot of recognizable names (Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Ronald Reagan, Liz Taylor) and many we don’t know. 

From there I headed to the Griffith Park and the Observatory. In the park I ate my packed lunch in one shade tree area and then went to the Observatory. Right from outside the observatory you can see the famous Hollywood Sign. Inside the observatory there is a lot to see around and learn about astronomy with general admission, but I did not have time to catch the paid shows/ movies. You can easily spend half a day or entire day here. From there I went to my hotel and just had carryout dinner from a nearby Thai restaurant. One interesting fact I saw in the restaurant was old Thai movie posters which looked exactly like old Hindi/ Indian movie posters from the 60s/70s. 

Day 5 - 3/28 – Monterey

Though I wanted to drive via Hwy 1 all the way to Monterey it wasn’t possible to do so as there was a stretch of road in between closed for construction. Hence the next day I drove through Malibu and Santa Barbara then took a detour through Solvang, San Luis Obispu to Monterey. The drive was fine but nothing worth stopping and seeing. My first stop after reaching Monterey though unplanned, was the 17-mile drive at Pebble Beach. This is a famous drive through lot of (expensive) residential area with multiple stops along the ocean. Some of stops which I found interesting were the Restless Sea, Bird Rock, Cypress Point Overlook, and the iconic Lone Cypress. There is also the famous golf course right along the sea and it was amusing to see couple of golfers taking a swing with the waves crashing in the background. After exiting Pebble Beach, I headed to my hotel in Seaside, Monterey. 

Day 6 - 3/29 – Big Sur

I got up early morning next day to drive south on the Hwy 1 in area known as Big Sur. One of my first stops was the Bixby Bridge, a photo op place. The high bridge and ocean below with crashing waves is indeed a great site. I took a few photos from location a bit farther from the bridge, but I was able to explore more and take more photos on my way back later in the afternoon. Further along the road there is a famous restaurant named Nepenthe with beautiful ocean view. I had checked the menu prices and found them exorbitantly high. I didn’t mind stopping along on one of the numerous stunning viewpoints along the road and eat a packed lunch in solitude. 

There are multiple State Parks all next to each other as you drive through along on this road – Garrapata SP, Andrew Molera SP, Pfeiffer Big Sur SP and Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP. I drove all the way to Julia Burns SP to McWay Falls. It’s a very short hike and you can see the falls with water falling onto a beach from a distance. I think there is a way to go up to the falls on the beach, but the road was closed due to some damage. A short driving distance away I went to Partington Cove which is a hike downhill to a cove (a small inlet or bay) where you can experience the crashing ocean waves up close. From there I drove all the way back to Point Lobos Natural Preserve, stopping along many times at different viewpoints of the ocean. 

At Point Lobos I hiked through what is known as Cypress Grove which winds through a cypress trees. At one point along where you can see the drop to the ocean, the wind was so fierce that it was hard to keep my balance. This is definitely a nice place to stroll through. From there I went to Pacific Grove, driving along on my way through Carmel by Sea. It was too crowded with no parking place and either way I wasn’t much interested in shopping or eating. By the time I reached my hotel it was raining heavily, and it rained through the night. The next day I left the area but came to know couple of days later that part of the Hwy 1 on Big Sur collapsed into the ocean, so the road was closed, and many tourists were made to leave/ escorted from the area and State Parks. Guess I was lucky to have experienced the drive and the views by just a nick of a time. 

Day 7 - 3/30 – Pinnacles National Park

This park is just about 1.5 hr. drive from Monterey. I arrived here by about 9.30 am. This isn’t a very popular park compared to some other NPs in California. The unique feature of this park is the soaring, wild condors as part of the California Condors recovery program. 

I entered though the East entrance and headed towards the Bear Gulch trailhead. I had to park at a distance and walk a bit to the trailhead. This trail leads you to the Bear Gulch Talus Cave. The cave was open (it is closed certain times of year based on Bat activity). The trail is quite flat and easy. The caves require you to have a flashlight as certain parts are quite dark. I had read ahead and hence carried a flashlight. I went some distance into the cave and then turned back. There are narrow stairs, dark compact places and heavy water rushing through in an indoor waterfall as it had rained earlier. After coming back to trailhead, I started on the Condor Gulch Trail. This could be a moderate 1.5/2-mile hike, or a strenuous longer 5/6-mile hike based on how far you want to go. I did the moderate hike until the Condor Gulch. With binoculars I was able to see couple of condors soaring high above and landing on some cliffs, but they were too far to get any good pics. 

On the way out I stopped at the camp store to get a park souvenir. Then I exited the park driving towards my next destination of Death Valley but stopping for the night in the town of Bakersfield. 

Day 8 - 3/31 – Death Valley National Park

I left Bakersfield after an early breakfast driving towards my next destination of Death Valley Park. Its little over 200 miles / 4.5 hrs. of drive. I drove South for some distance then turned direction driving Northeast. Essentially we are driving around the mountain range and the effect of rain shadow is very much visible here. The drive down south on the west side of mountain range is fertile, green region while drive North on the east side you see the barren land in the rain shadow eventually resulting in the desert of Death Valley. On the way I saw large patches of yellow wildflowers, in some places stretched out over long distance with snow peaked mountains in the far distance. I stopped at couple of such places to take photos. Past lunch time I entered Death Valley taking the cursory photo at the park entrance. 

My first stop after entering the park was at the Furnace Creek Visitor center. There are excellent displays here and lot of info about the park with its history, geography, and biological features. From there I proceeded to Zabriskie point. A short hike up from the parking lot here you can see around quite afar with a colorful terrain. Next I headed to Badwater Basin which is the lowest point in US. Typically, this is a just a flat land with salt deposits. However due to lot of rains here recently, there was almost a knee-deep water forming a large temporary lake, which is quite a rarity. Some distance away I stopped at Devil’s Golf Course which again is a large flat land with sharp salt crystals spread across. My next stop was Artist Drive where you drive through a series of colorful hillocks. The colors are due to different minerals and depending on the light conditions this is quite a picturesque area. Then I went back to Zabriskie point to see the sunset, but it was cloudy so couldn’t catch any sunset.  

Then I had to drive almost couple of hours back towards Panamint Springs where I had night accommodation at a ‘resort’. It was basically sleeping in a tent but there aren’t many places to stay here. Thankfully they had a restaurant where I could get some dinner. That night it rained heavily, which considering that I was in a place in the US where rain is very scarce, was a rare event. And I could feel the pain of it the next day. 

Day 9 - 4/1 – Death Valley National Park

I got up at first light the next day and started driving back towards the park to cover the rest of the sights I wanted to see before proceeding to Las Vegas to catch my flight the next day. As I started driving I realized the havoc the rain had caused. In many places there were gravel, large rocks and mud washed over the road making the drive not just slow but also tricky. I kept driving slowly, making way through though I was skeptical and worried of having a flat tire in the middle of nowhere with no way of communication to call for any help. At a high elevation pass I saw a young lady with a stalled car. I stopped to ask for any help and learned that she had driven over a large rock causing problems. The only help I could offer was to assure that I can tell someone at the next ranger station almost 20 miles away to send for any help. Thankfully there was a ranger car which just came by (they may have anticipated such issues and were patrolling is my guess) and the ranger offered to call for help for her. I hope she got by ok, but this is the hazardous part of traveling in such remote places.

Further down I encountered a much worse road situation and stopped to think over my options. It was risky driving over not knowing what lay further, while the situation going back was no better but at least known. I asked someone who had driven from the other side, and they said it was ok. So, I decided to take the risk and drove over a mess of rocks, mud, and sand. My luck must be strong as I was able to get through without issues and soon I was at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. I have been to sand dunes in MI and CO, so I spent just a short time here not going much farther in the dunes. From there I went over to the ruins of Harmony Borax Works which was a commercial enterprise in the days back but long abandoned. Nothing much exciting except for the history of it. My last stop was the Golden Canyon Trail. This was a great trail winding through yellow/gold canyon walls on both sides until you reach a place with red rock canyon called Red Cathedral. I went a bit farther in the Red Cathedral area then turned back. By the time I was at the parking lot it was around 2 pm and I started my drive to Las Vegas for a night halt. 

In summary, Death Valley is spread across a vast area with a few interesting sites. It isn’t as awe inspiring as say Arches or Zion or Rocky Mountains but has its unique features . And being so close to Las Vegas it is worth at least a day trip if you are in the area.

Return Back 

4/2 – This was the end of my trip as I took the flight back from Las Vegas to Detroit. All went as planned so I was glad about the trip. Now that I have covered south California, I am excited to plan another trip soon to explore North California.