Nearby trips for upcoming vacation

[Leszek Vogt]

Hmmm, totally forgot Vancouver Island (a gem).

Les

[Otto Seaman]

Vaughn's suggestion to do a loop up Northern California is a good one, I especially liked the Eastern side of the mountains from Rt 395.

You could expand the loop to hit Ashland, Crater Lake, and the very photogenic, if infrequently photographed, Eastern Oregon locales around Malheur Lake, onto the Owyhee, into Idaho... very desolate!

[Mark Barendt]

Black Rock Desert http://www.burningman.com/

[John Kasaian]

Tuolumne Meadows less travelled? Try getting reservations for a campsite.

[Leszek Vogt]

Alright John, you can call me lucky . I was staying at Tamarack Flats and despite being July (2012) I was able to secure on-the-spot campsite for two consecutive nights at T. Meadows (indeed, w/o 6 month reservations). Part of it is patience and the other part is approaching the situation early in the day....weekends might be less optimistic . There are enough trails (and space)...where elbowing others is not necessary, though this would not be tolerated (he he) in the valley....and we all know it. Just try to get out to Vernal Falls on the weekend and you are trippin' over peeps or they are bumpin' into you. I've scratched the valley from my list in '97...or maybe even earlier.

Les

[Jim Andrada]

August in Tucson is just fine - much cooler than June (seriously - school starts up around 8/15)

There should still be monsoon action which is really dramatic - more clouds than you would imagine (which is why it's cooler.) Humidity can be a bit high by Arizona standards but still drier than the Bay area. Great sunsets . Maybe a bit warmer than San Francisco:<))

[Scott Davis]

How about sticking a LOT closer to home? While it's not sand dunes, there are some great trails through old-growth redwoods in Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve near Half Moon Bay. And they're not heavily trafficked or photographed. Then there's always Oceano dunes for some Edward Weston-esque action. And don't forget about Pinnacles National Park (which actually has two halves, one a little ways south of Gilroy and the other half of the rock formations is down near Bakersfield somewhere - the two halves have been separating for millennia thanks to the San Andreas fault). And there's the black sand beach at the bottom of the hill right off Conzelman road at Kirby Cove. A bit further up the coast, still in the GGNRA, Pirates Cove. That's just for starters.

[macandal]

So here are two trips I've sketched out based on Vaughn's and Leszek's suggestions.

Vaughn's
http://goo.gl/maps/dZJsk

Leszek's (I eliminated the two places near Yosemite, as this will be another trip entirely. I eliminated his suggestion of the Rocky Mountains, as it would take me too much out of the way, since most of the trip is in No. CA and south OR. Also, I could use another stop between Brookings, OR and SF.)
http://goo.gl/maps/LdduU

What do you think?

[Vaughn]

Alt route on my original suggestion -- at Lava Beds, head SE to Hwy139 down to Hwy 299 to Burney Falls, or over to Lassen Nat. Park.

[Leszek Vogt]

Funny, Vaughn took the words out of my mouth....I was thinking Burney Falls when I was looking at your destinations. Yes, Yosemite requires bit of time and be at the right place & @ right time (light)....and Rocky Mt is great if you have other stuff aligned with it.....so I do understand. Indeed, Dakotah brought up an excellent point, it's so easy to get yourself lost (deliciously & repeatedly) on Rte 1....and I've done it several times, I mean so much so that time became a strange concept....as I was lurking under the rocks. This was v. easy to do when I lived in the Bay Area.

If you can and it's not too far out of your way, stop for few scenic shots (coast) at Cape Sebastian St PK....closer to sunset (if feasible) will give you better results. Whether No. or So., the view is superb (there).....No. Cal and Oregon are well known for this. I would meander (if you have extra time) around Redwoods....many beautiful diversions. On my last trip South I spend little bit of time at Prairie Creek Red. St PK (I'd recommend it)....probably 2 miles from Vaughn's house . I found the burned out redwood log that's truely amazing (still standing)...and you can ask the ranger about the "twisted tree".

Hope you have a nice experience.

Les