Nature of south California

I will publish above some photos and summary of the trip I made from April 27th to May 4th in Southern California. Unfortunately, the photos show very badly the feeling you may have standing among these extraordinary landscapes, especially in the desert when you have fabulous 360° views.

I really recommend to go to USA, rent a car and go and explore its wonders. It's really easy (both renting, driving, lodging), convenient, cheap (roads are free) and gives an incredible sense of freedom (when you're just alone standing in the desert or driving in great landscapes...). The national parks have very convenient facilities (Visitor Center with all you need, food markets, toilets, campgrounds), so you do not even need to plan too much your stay. The entrance fee is usually 20$ for a week. Their website is very convenient (www.nps.gov). They are some picnic places with bbq.

During this week, I've travelled to a great variety of landscapes: deserts the first days, then Sierra Nevada with conifere forests and mountains with snow, then finally the ocean. Enjoy the photos.

Day 1: LOS ANGELES - JOSHUA TREE PARK

Starting a trip in good condition after waking up at 5 AM and waiting 4 hours at the airport and 8 hours in the plane is not an easy thing! Arriving at LAX, first thing was to rent a car. I hadn't made any booking and expected to find all the agencies one after another. In fact, in the airport hall, there is an area with phones: you have to select an agency, call them, and they'll come and pick up you at the airport. Quite surprising when you don't know. I chose LAX Park, a local agency, which provided good fares (250 $ a week without insurance for 200 miles a day), but unfortunately I had to pay finally some extra because I drove 1800 miles in the week (3000 km). Best thing if you plan to drive more than 3 hours a day is thus the unlimited miles option. After getting the car, I started the journey by buying the essential stuff: water! In America, you can buy a gallon directly ! (about 4 liters). I started with 2 gallons before heading to the desert. The indications on the roads are very simple to follow (you need to check on the map your road number, and that's all). All the roads are free (founded by the gas tax), and the gas itself is not so expensive (or let's say it is really expensive in France!). It's about 3.4 dollar a gallon = less than 1 dollar a liter (about half the price in France... where the roads are not free!). After a 4 hours trip, I arrived at 29 palms, north of the Joshua Tree National Park. I went to the Visitor Center when the rangers give you all the details you need for the park. Just outside the park there are many stores and hotels as well. There is basically (like in every park) one or two roads in the park for usual cars, and some trails for 4x4 cars that lead to the main interest points and the hiking trails start. When entering the park, I was struck by the landscape: amazing rock formations among the desert, many plants and animals (rabbit, birds...), and a sense of freedom when driving or walking along among them. Joshua Park is really impressive for this variety of landscapes, it's not at all a flat area as you could expect. Without really knowing why, the plants can change sharply from one region to the next region of the park. I did a small hike (Lost Horse Mine trail) this first day before setting my tent in a "backcountry area": besides the regular campgrounds, these are some (vast) areas where you can freely put your tent wherever you like, with nobody miles around and sleep in the middle of the desert nature. I only found this possibility in Joshua Tree Park, and it's really worth trying. The temperature was perfect for sleeping (a bit cold in the morning), and I slept at 8 pm, after a very long day.


Day 2: JOSHUA TREE PARK - LAS VEGAS

I woke up once during the night to see the pure sky and the stars, then definitely by 5:30 AM as the sun began to rise. In a very short time, the desert changes of colors from brown to red to finally yellow, and the temperature rises quickly. I did two trails (start at 7:30 AM!): the Lost Valley (from Hemingway Parking): a valley preserved between great rock formations, and the Ryan Mountains, with great overview from the summit (and a snake met!). I left the park by 12:00 AM and had a lunch in a "rustic" hamburger restaurant (impossible to finish the fries) before heading to Las Vegas through some more remote roads, in the desert, listening to the radio (in the most remote areas, only some Christian radio can be listened to!), driving through some remote "towns" (sometime only a bar! and with some ironical names such as a "paradise valley" that looked more like hell to me). Arrival at Las Vegas at the evening, the town itself being among the desert. Las Vegas was the less enjoyable part of my stay. The town in itself gives a unpleasant feeling of something "fake". The visitor becomes one gambler among other gamblers. In the hotel where I stayed (Circus Circus Hotel, 130 $), everything was clerly made to take the customer money. I played some Black Jack (probably the most rational game), and after winning 30$, I lost the next two games (final results -10$, not bad I guess). At least I could take a shower and relaw in a good bed.


Day 3: LAS VEGAS - DEATH VALLEY

I left Las Vegas by 10:30 AM to Death Valley park. Among the parks I did, this was probably the one with the greatest landscapes. Contrarily to what you may thought, the desert parks had far more diversity in landscapes, flore and animals than the mountain park. In Death Valley, I started by an overall view from Dante's View, unfortunately full of tourists. There are some extraordinary views of the salt lake of the valley. I then drove to the Valley (lowest point of the US) till Dante's golf course, in the middle of this salt lake (where only the Devil could play golf). According to the pictures I saw, this area is extraordinary to see after a rain, when you can find green-blue colors in some small lakes created by the rain. The heat was already difficult to support (maybe 35°). Going back to the center of the valley, I drove through the "Artist Road" that goes through the mountain. The drive in itself is very enjoyable (you drive through small "canyons"), and at the middle you can discover the "Artist's palette", a mountain with incredible colors of purple-blue-brown. For that day, I did a small hike at Mosaic Canyon, before heading to Mesquite Spring campground. Impossible to do some backcountry camping in the park, I had to stay at a "regular" campgrounds. However, everything is very convenient there, ans you can arrive even just before the sun sets, pay directly, put your tent and sleep.


Day 4: DEATH VALLEY - LAKE ISABELLA

The best day. I woke up to see the sun rises and started that day journey at 7 AM. I first went to UBEHEBE crater (a volcanic area with craters formed after an explosion), then to SCOTTY castle (a mauresque-styled castle built by a gold prospector). I walked on the sand dunes of Death Valley, and after a small breakfast at Stovepipe Wells, I drove till Wildrose Canyon and hiked till Wildrose Peak (about 2 hours one way). At the top of the mountain, there was still some snow remaining! At the bottom of it, some stone huts used for storage where still remaining. I quit the Valley through Panamint Spring. The landscapes after the town are again incredible: you drive in mountains with wide views of the surroudings. After 4 days in the desert, I went south till Lake Isabella. The landscapes changed from desert area to mountains area with still some desert plants and then to some grasslands (and water!). Lake Isabella region has also nice lanscapes: a big lake with rocky and green hills on the surrouding. I stayed at a Motel (typical cheap Motel I guess! - 50 $), owned by some strange Chinese guy.


Day 5: LAKE ISABELLA - SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK

I started that day by using a road that turned out to be closed in the winter season (but provided some nice landscapes), "losing" 1 hour and a half. The road to the north and sequoia park was again great (yet with many curves). I drove through Exeter which looked to me like a typical nice small American town, with nicely cut lawn in front of the houses. I arrived to the park by 3:00 PM. The attraction are the sequoia, but also the snow at this season! Fortunately, some nice but crowded trail among the sequoia was still full of snow so I was the only one using it. Unfortunately, many trails and roads were still closed (opening by Mid May). Another great view is Moro Rock, a granite rock where you can reach the summit and have great 360° views of the park and the Sierra Nevada. I initially planned to stay at Lodgepole, but as the marketplace had already closed, I went till Grant Grove (with better infrastructures: campgrounds opened all year long, restaurants, hotels, marketplace, visitor center) and slept there. At each campground, there is a "bear resistant box" to put all odorant food and goods as soon as arrived. It seems that the hungry bears can even destroy a car to get the food in it! And many bears are living in the park. That night was the most chilling...


Day 6: SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK - BIG SUR

I started that sixth day by going to Hume Lake, in the direction of Kings CAnyon park (closed in winter), to this Christian Camp around the lake. I did the hike aroud the lakes with some nice landscapes. I drove down to the King Canyon till the roads ended, then went back and headed to the West and the Ocean, till the Big Sur region, with great cliffs view. I spent the night in a campground you access by driving on a flooded bridge, near the Big Sur river.


Day 7: BIG SUR - LOS ANGELES

I went to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, famous for a 15m high waterfall falling directly on the beach, then did a small forest hiking in the park. I ate at Lucia in a restaurant with view on the ocean. Menu was home-made hamburger! Then I drove back to LA following the ocean. A last night in Motel 8 (70 $), then back to Japan, already planning to go back next year!