• Natasha van Leeuwen

Canada & USA

Sebuah petualangan yang berakhiran terbuka oleh Natasha Baca selengkapnya
  • Awal trip
    3 Maret 2024

    Baseball Game

    26 September 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    After our day of site seeing, Scott and I grabbed a salad from Safeway for dinner, before getting ready and grabbing an Uber to the Baseball. The baseball was held at Oracle Park which was a 30 minute drive away. As we entered the stadium we found the merchandise shop and both bought a San Francisco Giants hat.

    I wasn’t sure where our seats were so we asked someone and they said we had Club seats and to catch the elevator to the third floor. We headed up and realised that we were in a much more fancier area. When I googled what a club member was it just meant better seats, food and drinks and less crowded than the general public area.

    Scott and I grabbed a cider to share and made it to our seats a few minutes before the game started. The game was against the St Louis Cardinals. Scott and I didn’t know the rules of baseball but we soon picked it up. The game was a bit boring at times especially as there weren’t many home runs. However, we realised that if a ball landed in the crowd the person who caught it got to keep it. A lot of the crowd had baseball gloves on waiting for their chance to catch the ball.

    The game went for 9 innings and the first half was a lot more entertaining with multiple home runs for both teams. However, in the second half of the game there were no home runs from either team and it got a bit boring.

    The game ended with the St Louis Cardinals winning 6-3. We left the stadium and walked about 10 minutes before catching an Uber back to the accomodation. We were both exhausted after a long day.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Melbourne to San Francisco

    26 September 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Scott and I had set the alarm for 5am as I wanted to make sure I was tired when boarding the plane to ensure I slept. We decided to take Lou for a walk along the beach before quickly organising our bags and leaving. After our walk Dad said he would drive us to the airport. At 7:30am we left for the airport and arrived an hour later. The queue to check in our bags was really long, and the couple in front of us said that the United Airlines systems weren’t working and they had to check in everyone manually.

    The line took at least an hour, and once through passport control, there was only 10 minutes before our flight boarded. We quickly walked through Duty Free before finding our gate and waited to board.

    We sat down in our seats, Scott in the aisle and I was in the middle. The plane flight went quite well, Scott and I snoozed at the start and after dinner we made sure to try and sleep. Throughout the flight I watched the second and third Bad Boys movies and The Idea of You to pass the time.

    We arrived on time in San Francisco, went through customs and then grabbed our bags. We headed to the Uber terminal and caught an Uber to the hotel.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Golden Gate Bridge

    26 September 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We arrived at our hotel to check in and they advised us our room was ready. Scott and I were really happy as we were expecting to just leave our bags until check in. We went up to our room and showered and got ready. We decided we would go to the Golden Gate Bridge.

    We found a diner called Mel’s Diner and decided to order a coffee each and some sweet potato fries. The latte’s were massive, and definitely not like a Melbourne coffee. The bus timetable was quite confusing so we caught an Uber to the Golden Gate Bridge. The fog had cleared slightly from earlier so we took some photos and then decided to walk across the bridge which is 1.7 miles long.

    As we started walking over the bridge, thick fog rolled in, and the city and Alcatraz were soon hidden. As we made it to the other side of the bridge it cleared up and we were able to see seals in the water. We walked to the viewpoint before returning to walk back across the bridge. The fog had cleared surely but it was still very thick. We headed into the information and gift area to learn about the history of the bridge and the colour ‘International Orange’ was chosen for the bridge to provide visibility to ships in foggy conditions. The bridge also has to be repainted every year due to the salt that erodes the paint.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Golden Gate Park

    26 September 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    After visiting the Golden Gate Bridge we headed over to the Golden Gate Park, which we had been told was very beautiful. The hotel reception had said to visit the Japanese Tea Gardens and the Conservatory. I noticed we could purchase a pass for the three gardens and when I looked at the times I thought we had enough time to visit all three.

    We went into the Japanese Tea Garden which were quite beautiful with native Japanese plants such as Cherry Blossoms and Bonsai, and koi ponds filled with fish. There was also 2 temples, however they were off limits to the public.

    We were both hungry so decided to sit in the cafe and we ordered Green Tea, Mochi and Edamame. The waitress said to watch out for the squirrel which kept trying to jump onto tables and steal food. It eventually was successful in stealing some food.

    I had misread the opening times for the other places so we had to quickly walk to the conservatory before it closed. We still had 45 minutes to walk through it but we probably could have spent longer. The conservatory is known for its rare and exotic plants, and it was divided into different sections such as aquatic plants, tropical plants and potted plants. There were many flowers and plants we had seen before but I found the Carnivorous plants the most interesting, especially as I had never seen them before. I also really liked the Dracula Orchid.

    We then walked to the Botanical Gardens which were split according to the plants origin. The first area had Australian plants, and then we walked through the various other countries plants. I really liked the Protea section and the succulent section.

    It was getting quite late and Scott and I were exhausted after a full day of travel and site seeing. We got an Uber back to the accomodation and stopped by Safeway to buy a salad for dinner and have an early night.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Alcatraz Island

    27 September 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We had set the alarm for 7am as we were going to Alcatraz Island today. We had breakfast and then walked to Pier 33 which was a 45 minute walk away. We decided to grab a coffee from the cafe next to the Pier and because of tax and a tip it cost $25 AUD for two coffees! We were advised to arrived 30 minutes before our boarding time of 9:40am, so we started queuing for the boat. It wasn’t long before we boarded the boat. We decided to head to the top deck but there were a lot of people and not much room to take photos so we headed down to the bottom of the boat at the very front.

    We had beautiful views of the city and of the Golden Gate Bridge. We could also see seals and dolphins on the way over to the island.

    Upon arrival we were given a short briefing about the island before we walked up to the prison. The island was originally used as an army fort to keep San Francisco safe from invaders, before a military prison was run on the island from 1850 to 1933.

    We both got an audio set and started the walk around. We entered the Dining Room and were advised that a talk would be starting soon on Prisoners who escaped Alcatraz. We listened to the talk and learnt that only 3 people had ever escaped, most who attempted to escape were caught on the Island and some were found in the waters surrounding Alcatraz.

    In 1962, John and Clarence Anglin escaped from Alcatraz. They planned their escape for over a year, creating a raft from raincoats and dummy heads to deceive guards - which they had recreated in a cell. They exited through ventilation ducts, climbed to the roof, and launched their raft into the bay. Although there were extensive searches, the men were never found, leading to an assumption that they likely drowned in the bay.

    The cells the prisoners were living in were tiny, and apart from a couple of hours per day for meals and exercise they were in their cells. There was a nicer area of the prison and the prisoners were given books, radios or musical instruments, however overall it was a place you wouldn’t want to be in.

    We walked around the outside of the prison through the gardens and to the lighthouse, before catching the ferry back to San Francisco.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Pier 39, Cable Cars & Zig-Zag Rd

    27 September 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    After we departed the ferry we walked to Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39. We were both quite hungry so we decided to stop at the Hard Rock Cafe. They had a Gluten Free menu so we decided to share a chicken sandwich and Scott got a beer while I had a lemonade with strawberries and mint which was so refreshing. The food was delicious and just enough for lunch.

    We walked through Fisherman’s Whatf, but apart from shops there wasn’t much to do. Scott wanted to go on the Cable Cars so we walked a couple of blocks. We purchased the day ticket so we could ride up and down the street. We waited for about 30 minutes until it was our turn. Scott wanted to hang onto the outside of the cable car so he stood at the front and I was behind him. It was really fun going up the street hanging onto the cable car, especially as some of the streets were really steep. We arrived at our destination and walked through the Cable Car museum, before catching the Cable Car to the Zig Zag Road.

    The road was built in 1922 by the residents who lived on the street to reduce its steep 27% grade, and now attracted up to 1 million visitors every year. Scott and I walked up and down the road trying to take photos to show the zig zags but without a drone it was difficult to see.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Sonoma Valley - Wine Region

    28 September 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Scott and I set the alarm at 7am this morning. We both got up and had yoghurt for breakfast and packed our bags. We headed to Thrifty the car rental place near the airport where we were hiring our car for the next part of the trip. We arrived at 9am and it was a seamless process collecting our car. By 9:30am we were on the road headed for Sonoma Valley for some wine tasting.

    I drove first as Scott was a bit nervous about driving on the opposite side of the road. We headed onto the freeway and through San Francisco before heading over the Golden Gate Bridge. I was hoping it wouldn’t be foggy so we could grab some more photos but there was thick fog covering the bridge. We drove over and headed towards Sonoma Valley. Scott had googled a few wineries that didn’t require reservations so we headed towards Viansa winery. We arrived around 11:30am and walked in.

    We were advised we could complete a tasting from the bar and sit anywhere outside that didn’t have reserved on the table. We collected our first tasting and relaxed in the courtyard overlooking the vineyards and valley. All the tables were reserved on the courtyard so we were quite lucky to grab the last one. We sat there for over an hour enjoying the view and our tastings and we also bought a bowl of green olives which were delicious. Scott asked one of the servers if they had any recommendations for other wineries and they mentioned Klunde winery was their sister winery and also allowed walk ins.

    We had brought lunch with us so we made some sandwiches and ate them as we drove to the next winery. The next winery was in the valley and had beautiful views overlooking the vineyards. We sat down and asked for the wine tastings, which included 6 different wines. We relaxed and tried the 6 wines before relaxing on some arm chairs in front of a fountain.

    Scott had found a few other wineries and we thought we could squeeze one more in before most closed at 5pm. We drove to Little Vineyards, which was a small family run winery. The family had moved in 1996 and planted 17.5 acres of vineyards, before starting to make wine in 2002. We tried 4 tastings all red and we were also given a rose to start the tasting off with. Scott and I really enjoyed the wines. The Sonoma Valley is known for producing red wines, especially Zinfandel, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

    We started talking to the couple on the table next to us and they said the valley usually fills with fog in the morning from San Francisco. We were surprised the fog would travel so far. They also mentioned that if we were heading to Muir Woods in the morning it would also be covered in fog. They gave us some suggestions, before we headed back to Santa Rosa.

    Scott and I were both exhausted from the early days so we decided to grab a salad for dinner and relaxed at the hotel, before having an early night.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Muir Woods

    29 September 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    This morning we woke up at 6:30am and quickly had breakfast and got ready. We had noticed the night before our fridge wasn’t working so we packed up our fridge items and handed them to reception. The receptionist said that night shift had a note down that they would fix the fridge that day.

    It was a 1 hour trip to Muir Woods, so we left around 7:30am. Scott was driving and I found a Starbucks about halfway we thought we would stop at to buy a coffee. We decided to try the Pumpkin Latte which is commonly made around Halloween. Scott really liked it but I found it a bit sweet and couldn’t finish it.

    We arrived at Muir Woods and decided we would complete the longer walk which took you along the Canopy View Trail to Panorama View Point and would take 2 - 3 hours. We stopped at the first information stop and learnt that the majority of the trees are 600 - 800 years old and up to 80 metres tall with the oldest trees in this forest over 1,200 years old.

    The woods were beautiful, and as we walked off the main trail there weren’t as many people. There were redwood trees everywhere and we kept stopping to take photos, although the photos don’t show the true size of the trees. We walked to Panorama Lookout and unfortunately due to the fog there wasn’t much to see. We were told on a clear day you could see the bay.

    We walked back to the main trail and walked past the different bridges before entering a section of the trail called Cathedral Grove. In this section of the trail it said we had to be silent, which most people respected. There was information about how the woods become a national monument in this grove.

    In 1905, the land now know as Muir Woods was purchased by politician William Kent to protect it from logging and later donated it to the federal government. On January 9, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt designated Muir Woods as a national monument, honoring naturalist John Muir's legacy.

    We continued walking along the main trail and stopped by a tree right near the entrance that no one seemed to be walking over to. A park ranger walked over and said it was his favourite tree in the park and usually a quiet spot as most visitors miss the tree.

    We headed back to the car and into Mill’s Valley where we stopped at Safeway to grab a few items for lunch before driving to Napa Valley.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Castello di Amorosa - Napa Valley

    29 September 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We left Mill Valley and it was a 90 minute drive to Castello di Amorosa in the Napa Valley where we had booked a wine tasting and a tour of the castle. The drive out of Mill Valley was beautiful with view of hills all around us. The fog was also starting to clear and it turning into a beautiful day.

    We reached the edge of the Napa Valley, and drove towards Saint Helena and active volcano. The landscape was very dry and rocky with mountain ranges on either side of the valley. We drove past vineyard after vineyard and it was really beautiful.

    We arrived at the vineyard and showed the concierge our tickets before driving up to the top of the hill where the Castle overlooked the valley. We were dressed in our hiking clothes still so we quickly changed into our casual clothes before heading in. The first part of our wine tasting and tour was a tour underground and through the different floors before a wine tasting.

    The guide mentioned that the Castle was built in 1994 by Dario Sattui, and is a 14th-century Tuscan-style castle. The owner spent $40 million dollars designing the castle with 8 floors to reflect something that would have been made in Tuscany. The castle features a moat, drawbridge, and 107 unique rooms, including a grand barrel room and a torture chamber.

    We started the tour in the dining area which features walls and roofs painted in designs seen in Tuscany. The guide then discussed the wine making process and why high quality wine grows in the Napa region. He explained that the valley’s climate is important as there are usually warm days and cool nights, and the lack of rain in the region allowed the grapes to thicken there skin which is required in the wine making process. Our guide also mentioned that Napa Valley has 16 AVAs which means viticulture areas and this is due to the different microclimates within the valley that allow for a wide range of grape varieties to thrive, contributing to diverse wine styles.

    We then headed underground through multiple tunnels filled with barrels and wine. We had a tasting out of a barrel that still had not aged. It was a 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon that still required another couple of years in the barrel. We then walked to the Armoury Room which was filled with suits of armour and different weapons that dated back hundreds of years. We then headed to the Torture Chamber which included an an original Iron Maiden used previously in europe. These rooms were meant to show the authenticity of the castle.

    We then walked into the tasting room where we tried 5 wines each. I tried the Dolcino a sweet white wine, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Serata which was a sweet red wine. The tasting were delicious but we didn’t think the wine was any better compared to the other wines we had in Sonoma Valley.

    We headed back the accommodation and decided we would grab some salads for dinner. When we entered our room we noted that our fridge had still not been fixed and we had cold items to store. We spoke with reception and they transferred us into a new room. Thankfully most of our items were already packed so it was quite seamless moving. We had dinner and a cider before heading to sleep.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • San Francisco to El Portal

    30 September 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    This morning we didn’t set an alarm to wake up to. Scott woke me up at around 9am and we both realised we had slept in quite late. We had breakfast and packed up our items and checked out of the accomodation around 10:30am. We stopped by Starbucks and both got a coffee each, before deciding to grab an iced coffee on the way to Yosemite National Park.

    The drive was a bit over 4 hours, and we also wanted to stop in a town a bit closer to Yosemite to complete some shopping. We got onto the freeway and headed towards San Francisco before crossing over a bridge towards the mountains. The views over the bay were beautiful, and thankfully it was a nice sunny day.

    After about 2 hours of driving we stopped in Manteca for a break and went to Walmart to complete our shopping for the week. Scott also wanted to buy a hat that covered his face but they only sold women’s hats. Once we had stocked up on all our food items we headed back on the freeway towards Yosemite.

    Once we left the freeway and started driving on Highway 140 the landscape changed dramatically to a very dry area and hills in the distance. We drove through a lot of farming area before we started climbing up and over the foothills of the mountains.

    After a full day of driving we finally arrived at our accomodation in El Portal just outside Yosemite National Park at 6pm. We walked along the river before having salads for dinner and having an early night. We set our alarms for 5am to ensure we were ready for our first day of hiking.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Vernal and Nevada Falls

    1 Oktober 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    The alarm went off this morning at 5am and we both quickly packed our bags for the day. After a slow start we were ready to go at 5:45am. It was about a 40 minute drive into Yosemite Valley, and we were still not quite sure if we needed to buy a permit to enter the park as there was conflicting information on the internet. We drove into the park entrance and the park booth was closed so we continued through.

    It was still dark as we drove through the valley and we could just make out towering walls of rock above us. We stopped at the visitor centre which was closed but we took some photos of the interactive maps. We were hoping to grab some maps to decide where to walk. I had downloaded some maps on AllTrails the night before so I said to Scott let’s do an easier hike first to Vernal Falls.

    We drove to the trailhead parking and got out our day bags. There were signs everywhere saying that Bears frequented the area and not to leave any food in the car. We had brought all our food for the day and didn’t want to bring everything with us. We asked a girl who was also doing the same trail as us and she said that Bears can open doors and she wouldn’t leave anything in her car. There were also bear boxes to store food in so we decided to bring everything with us.

    I had downloaded a walk to Vernal Falls which was meant to take a few hours and would be about 8km so I thought it would be a moderate walk to start us off with. It was a 1km walk to the trailhead along a well pathed track. We then started on the John Muir trail which almost started going up immediately through a forested area. It was quite steep in sections and was quite strenuous. We made it to the river and there was a stop to fill up our water bottles. We had a rest and decided we would keep walking until there was a nicer lookout.

    The next section of the hike zigzagged all the way up the hill to Clark Point. As we climbed higher in elevation we could see more of the valley and even glimpses of the Half Dome. It was absolutely stunning and we kept stopping for short breaks to take photos.

    We made it to Clark Point and decided to stop for breakfast. The view over the valley and to half dome was beautiful. I noticed a sign that said it was about 2 miles to Nevada Falls so we thought we would head there first. The hike to Nevada Falls wasn’t to much higher in elevation and the falls were beautiful. We crossed the river and walked down a track next to the falls. We continued to Emerald Pool before arriving at the top of Vernal Falls.

    The lookout at the top of the falls wasn’t the best as we couldn’t get to the bottom of the falls due to track maintenance. We started walking back up to Clark Point and we were in the full sun and it was really hot. There were a few other lookouts on the track with views of the falls before we made it to Clark Point. We continued down to the drink station, filled up our water bottles and had lunch next to the river. There were heaps of people coming up the trail now and it was quite crowded, we continued to the bottom of the track before walking to the carpark.

    We both really enjoyed the hike with amazing views of the waterfalls and the Half Dome. In total we walked 18.38km with an elevation gain of 802m.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Lower Yosemite Falls & El Capitan

    1 Oktober 2024, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    After our hike we headed to the visitor centre. We spoke to a ranger at the information centre who gave us a map and some recommendations for hikes and places to go to for the rest of the week. The weather forecast was also showing the next couple days as 35 degrees Celsius, so very warm for hiking.

    We decided to walked to Lower Yosemite Falls which was about a 20 minute walk from the visitor centre. Unfortunately, as it was the end of summer the falls were only just trickling over the edge. We walked back to the visitor centre and stopped in at the art gallery. The art gallery had lots of paints and photos of different views of Yosemite Valley with the Half Dome featuring in many.

    We then decided to drive to El Capitan which was on the way out of the park. We pulled over in a carpark and walked to a viewing area. El Capitan is a 1,000 metre vertical granite face, and we could see a few rock climbers climbing up. Seeing the rock face in real life we couldn’t believe people would free solo up the face.

    We then headed out of the Valley back towards El Portal. The ranger had advised us they were could pay as we left the park for a day pass, but we were just waved through. We arrived back at the accommodation and relaxed and had dinner. We started watching Free Solo before heading off to sleep.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, Taft Point

    2 Oktober 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    We set the alarm at 5am and quickly got ready. We had prepared all our food for the day the night before so we didn’t have much to organise. We were on the road by 5:30am and had a 1 hour drive to Glacier Point. We made it to the park entrance and were happy to see that we didn’t have to pay to enter again.

    We drove through a long tunnel which was pretty cool, before making our way up the mountain. It was getting much lighter and the views over the valley were beautiful. We arrived at Glacier Point about 10 minutes before the sunrise, so we decided to stay and watch it rise. We had a beautiful view of mountains and the half dome, as the sun rose.

    We then found the trailhead and started the incline towards Sentinel Dome. We were walking through a forest with little views until we reached the base of Sentinel Dome. We walked to the top of the granite dome and there were views down the valley of El Capitan. We had breakfast on top of the dome.

    We then continued towards Taft Point which was a mainly downhill trail through a forest. We arrived at the end of the forest and walked over many fissires on the edge of a cliff. You had to watch where you were walking in places and make sure you weren’t about to walk off an edge. We walked up to the lookout, and we were essentially on the cliff edge except for this one point that had a fence around it. Scott said he had tingly hands and feet from standing so close to the edge. We could see views of El Capitan and into the valley.

    After a short break we walked back up to Sentinel Dome, with views looking out over the valley, before making our way back to Glacier Point. We walked to Glacier Point where there were information boards about how Yosemite was created during the ice age. In total we walked 13.6km with a total of 541m elevation.

    We had lunch at Glacier Point before heading back to Yosemite Village.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Bridalveil Falls & Yosemite Museum

    2 Oktober 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    After lunch we headed back down the mountain towards Bridalveil Falls. The visitor centre had recommended these falls and said they were flowing. When we arrived the carpark was nearly full and there were people everywhere.

    We could already see the falls from the carpark and it was only an 800m walk. We walked to the falls which was on a wide and mostly flat path to the two lookouts. The waterfall kept blowing in the wind to look like a veil. It was quite beautiful and I’m sure during full flow after winter would be quite spectacular.

    We decided we would complete the walk to Mirror Lake, but unfortunately due to road works we weren’t able to park in the carpark. We thought we could catch the shuttle bus to the trailhead, but after looking at the reviews it would be a 2 hour walk. We decided to head to the village and buy a few supplies and salad for dinner for the last couple of nights.

    We then walked to the Yosemite museum. Outside the museum was a Giant Sequioa Cross section of a tree that had fallen over. The sequoia was cut 30 feet from the base of a tree that fell in the Mariposa Grove in 1919. Annual rings show the tree's age to be 996 years old, but at the base of the tree, where the diameter was 14 feet, the age was found to be 1,100 years.

    We then entered the museum which explained the history of the Native Indian tribe the Ahwahnechee people who lived in Yosemite prior to the white settlement. The museum contained different artifacts and many baskets which were made from different materials in Yosemite. The collection was really interesting although there wasn’t much information on what happened when the white people settled in Yosemite.

    We headed back to our accommodation and spent the afternoon by the pool relaxing. The pool was absolutely freezing but it was really good for our aching muscles. We had dinner before watching the rest of Free Solo and heading to bed early.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Cathedral Lakes

    3 Oktober 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ 🌙 7 °C

    We woke up at 5am and quickly got ready. We were going to head up to Tioga Road to complete the e Cathedral Lakes Trail which was a 90 minute drive to get there. We left soon after 5:30am and drove towards the national park. We were happy to see once again we didn’t have to pay to enter as we arrived early enough.

    I decided to drive this morning and it was quite a long and windy drive. On the way we stopped at Olmsted Point which had views of the half dome as the sun was starting to rise.

    We arrived at the trailhead carpark and packed up all our items we needed for the day. The first kilometre of the trail was flat until we turned onto the trail and we started the climb uphill. The track was essentially all uphill to the lakes and then all downhill on the way back. We walked through a forest and it was very sandy which was a nice change from walking up rocks. We entered a clearing and could see the large rock formations above us and views of other mountains in the distance. It was a really nice walk up to the turn off even though it was quite steep in sections.

    When we reached the turn off we decided to go to the Lower Cathedral Lake first. It was 800m down to the lake. There was very little wind and there were reflections of the surrounding mountains in the lake. We had breakfast at the lake edge and then walked around the lake which was about 1km. From every point of the lake we could see different views and reflections of the mountains.

    We then walked back to the turnoff and headed towards Upper Cathedral Lake which was about 1km away. I was watching the route on AllTrails as there was no signage to get to this lake. We entered a clearing and then saw a path leading towards the lake. This lake was smaller but it was still really beautiful seeing the reflections of the mountains in the water. There was no track around the lake on the map, however people had clearly made their own trail and we managed to walk the full distance around and scramble over a few rocks.

    We started to head back to the turnoff and then uphill before reaching the point where it was all downhill to the carpark. It was quite exhausting after a while and the sun was quite warm as well. We made it back to the car and decided we would drive to a lookout to have lunch. In total we walked 19.4km and went up 534m in elevation.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Tenaya & May Lake

    3 Oktober 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We drove towards Tenaya Lake and found a nice area on the foreshore to relax and have lunch. There were a few people canoeing in the lake and a couple were even swimming. The lake water was quite cold and due to the elevation it wasn’t super hot.

    After lunch we headed towards May Lake. As we turned off the main road we went a couple of kilometres up a bitumen road with potholes everywhere! We made it to the carpark and it said the lake was about 2km away. The lake was all uphill on a fairly exposed track. My legs were aching a bit from the 20km walk already but we made it to the top. The views of the lake with mountains surrounding it were beautiful and definitely worth the uphill walk to get there. We relaxed by the waters edge before heading back down the trail.

    It was a 90 minute drive back to the accommodation which we took slowly while taking in the views. We pulled over at a lookout which had views looking towards half dome.

    We arrived back at the accommodation at 6:30pm and were quite exhausted from the long day. We relaxed and ate salad for dinner before heading to sleep.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Chilnualna Falls

    4 Oktober 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    We left the Welcome Centre and decided we would go to a viewpoint or picnic area for lunch. I had looked at Chilnualna Falls as a potential afternoon walk so we drove through the town of Mariposa towards the start of the walk. We drove past it and decided to stop at the river. We walked down onto the rocks and ate lunch. We thought they really should have a picnic area on the river back so people didn’t have to sit on the rocks.

    We then drove a couple of hundred metres and parked near the trailhead for Chilnualna Falls. The track was quite narrow and all uphill to the falls. Our legs were a bit sore and we were both quite exhausted as it was also really hot. We arrived at the base of the falls and I noticed we could climb a bit higher. We continued up until we found a large rock and we lay on it for about another 20 minutes, before heading back to the start of the trail.

    We then drove back to the accomodation which was over an hour to get back. In the way we drove past El Capitan where heaps of people were parked on the side of the road taking photos and most had binoculars looking for climbers. At the park entrance we stopped to take a photo and someone pulled over and took a photo for us which was really nice.

    As soon as we got back to the accommodation we put our bathers on and headed for the pool. We jumped in the spa which was so hot and then into the cold pool a couple of times before relaxing with our books. We had salad for dinner and then starting packing our items as we would be up early the next morning to drive to San Francisco airport. I was exhausted and fell asleep while Scott helped tidy a few items so we had a quicker start in the morning.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias

    4 Oktober 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    This morning our alarm went off at 5am and we were both feeling a bit tired after the multiple early morning starts. We left a bit lately than we wanted at 5:45am but thankfully once again we made it through the park without having to pay. We were pretty happy that we had made it into the park everyday without paying.

    It was a bit over an hour to get to Mariposa Grove Visitor Centre. We took the road that leads towards Glacier Point before we drove past the Glacier Point turn off and down towards Mariposa.

    We arrived at the Welcome Centre and were one of the first cars in the parking lot. We decided that as we would be finished the walk before lunch we would leave some food in the car. There were a few bear boxes to store food in but no signs about bears frequenting the area so we thought we would be okay.

    It was a 3.5km walk to the start of the Sequoia trail, and we were walking at quite a fast pace. My legs weren’t feeling too sore even in the uphill sections. We arrived at the start of Mariposa Trail and took some photos next to the sign. We reviewed the map at the start of the trail and decided we would walk to Wawona Point along the Mariposa Grove Trail which was a 11.3km round trip, which also went past all the Sequoia trees of significance.

    Giant sequoias are among the world's rarest trees. Scientists estimate there are fewer than 20,000 naturally-occurring giant sequoias left that have a diameter greater than 3 m. Within the Mariposa Grove there are over 400 Giant Sequioas. These trees only grow within a 14.5 km wide, 402 km long portion of the Sierra Nevada. Giant sequoias can measure more than 11 m in diameter, and 30 m in circumference. They can live more than 3,000 years and grow as tall as 91 m.

    As we started walking along the trail a bus load of people arrived as you could take a shuttle from the Welcome Centre to the start of trail. I said to Scott to hurry up and walk quickly but he wanted to read the signs along the way. We arrived at the first tree the Fallen Monarch a tree that had fallen over a couple of hundred years ago and showed the massive root system. We walked to the Grizzly Giant which is one of Mariposa Grove's most notable trees, with a height of 63.7 m tall, a diameter of 8.5 m and 29 m in circumference at its base. We continued along our track and quickly lost the people behind us who didn’t seem to be walking to Wawona Point.

    Along the way it was a steady uphill climb and we stopped to take photos of the different trees which included the Bachelor and Three Graces, a group of 4 trees with there roots intertwined, the Clothespin tree which had a shape like a clothespin at the base, the Columbia tree which is one of the tallest trees at 87m, the Faithful couple which are two trees at the base which have joined together, and the California Tunnel Tree which has a man made tunnel created through the trunk.

    Along the way we also saw a few deer, they didn’t seem to concerned that we were talking past but we stopped and looked at them so we didn’t scare them. We also saw lots of chickarees running up and down trees and eating pinecones.

    We made it to Wawona Point and were the only ones there. We ate breakfast and took in the beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. It was all downhill back to the Mariposa Grove centre and it wasn’t long before we were walking around crowds of people who had only done the short 2km walk.

    We continued through to the Welcome Centre where our car was parked and arrived back around 1:30pm. In total we walked 20.65km and ascended 585m.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Yosemite to Banff

    5 Oktober 2024, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    We set the alarm for 5am as we wanted to be on the road by about 5:30am so we would arrive at the airport by about 9am. I quickly packed up my bag and thankfully most of my clothes had dried that night so they were ready to pack. Scott made us coffee, and the drip coffee was awful with no flavour.

    We were on the road by about 5:40am, with an expected arrival at the Car Rental Drop Off area at 9am. On the way we decided we would pull over to get a coffee from Starbucks. I found a town called Modesto that was about halfway. As we started turning off the highway into the town people were walking along the highway and sleeping. As we entered the town it looked very baron. I googled the turn and it said it had one of the highest crime rates in California. We still decided to stop but thought we should be quick. We grabbed our coffee and quickly ate breakfast in the car.

    We continued on the freeway and we both thought the coffee was awful. I couldn’t drink mine. We crossed over a few bridges and could see the bay and San Francisco. We arrived at the car rental drop off at 9:15am, and there was a line of cars being dropped off. They said to just leave the keys in the car and would send the receipt. I asked for a printed copy for our records to ensure they didn’t charge us any extra.

    We then went up the stairs and hopped on the AirTrain to the international terminal. We found WestJet and checked in, before walking through Duty Free and looking at the different items they had. We bought some popcorn and veggies and hummus for an early lunch as our flight departed at 12:50pm. We relaxed by the gate before boarding the flight.

    I was on the window seat and we could see the mountains as we came closer to Calgary. Not long into the flight, Scott and I could smell a sweet peach smell. I thought someone had a lip gloss in front of us, and then we realised the guy next to Scott was vaping! Scott asked him to stop and he then went to the bathroom to do it.

    The flight was 2.5 hours and we arrived in Calgary at 4:30. We went through customs and collected our bags before finding the Car Rental place. There was no queue so it was quite easy to get the car. This time we were given a Jeep Compass which was slightly smaller than the RAV4.

    We left the airport and it was 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to Banff. We stopped off at a Walmart on the way and grabbed some supplies for the next week. We had a kitchenette at the place in Banff so we bought some items we could cook. The drive was quite beautiful with mountains in the distance. We arrived in the National Park and paid the feee for the week, and the ranger suggested we go to Larch Valley which is really beautiful this time of year.

    After a long day we finally arrived at the accommodation at 8:30pm. We checked in and had a salad with chicken for dinner, before falling asleep by 9:30pm.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Banff & Surrounds

    6 Oktober 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    This morning I woke up at 9am. I was quite surprised I had slept in so late. Scott was already awake and said that I was fast asleep so had let me rest. We ate yoghurt for breakfast and made a coffee which was much nicer than the coffee at the hotel in Yosemite.

    We decided we would head into Banff and stop by the visitor centre. I had also forgotten to bring my hiking pants so I wanted to buy a pair. It was also a lot colder than we realised with a dusting of snow in the mountains surrounding Banff, so we thought we should also buy some gloves.

    We drove the 5 minutes into town and parked near the visitor centre. We paid for 2 hours of parking. We walked into the visitor centre and we were given some maps and a day hiking pamphlet around Banff. The guide said that to do the walks around Lake Louise and Lake Moraine we would need ice cleats as there was snow. He said we could hire them and gave us some recommendations of where to go.

    We walked around the town and went to a store recommended to go to to hire ice cleats but the salesperson didn’t think we needed them. We went to Mountain Wearhouse and looked at some pants and gloves before heading to Columbia to buy gloves and hiking pants for me. We then walked to grab a coffee, which was absolutely delicious.

    It was after midday so we thought we should head back to the accommodation for lunch and then decided what to do for the afternoon. We looked at the Gondola tickets and thought we could head up there for sunset so purchased some tickets.

    We drove out to Lake Minnewanka which is the largest lake in Banff and walked around the foreshore while taking photos of the mountains surrounding the lake. We then headed to Two Jack Lake which was a smaller lake but still quite beautiful.

    We decided that with the whether rolling in and rain around it probably wasn’t the best time to get the Gondola to the top of Mt Sulfur. As it was close to the reservation time I couldn’t cancel so we drove up to the Gondola parking area and saw someone is person to change our day to Tuesday which was supposed to be a sunnier day.

    While there we stopped by the Banff Hot Springs only to read that they were closed for maintenance! We were quite disappointed as they were supposed to be really nice. We drove to Mt Norquay ski resort which had views over Banff from the lookout and could see a dear in the clearing.

    We headed into Banff to buy some cider with dinner and I noticed a rental ski shop next to our park. We headed in to ask about Ice Cleats which could be rented from the shop. Unfortunately they didn’t have any to purchase so we headed back to Mountain Warehouse, who recommended the shop next door. We finally found some to buy and two of the salespeople recommended we buy some for where we were walking. I

    We headed back to the accommodation and made taco bowls for dinner, before organising ourselves for the next day.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Lake Louise Hike

    7 Oktober 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    We woke up this morning at 5am, as we were heading to Lake Louise which was 45 minutes drive away. We had both read that parking at Lake Louise was limited and to ensure you got a park you needed to be there before 8am, which was sunrise. As soon as we stepped out of the apartment we were staying in we could feel how cold it was, at only a couple of degrees. A lot colder than when we were in Yosemite. I decided to take my thermals with me, although I wasn’t sure if I would need them.

    We hopped in the car and were on our way by around 5:45am, and we took the freeway to Lake Louise. We noticed that everyone goes about 20km/h over the speed limit of 90 km/h. I said to Scott to slow down as I was concerned we would get a speeding ticket but then everyone overtook us anyway so we decided to just go the speed everyone else was driving at.

    We arrived at the carpark and found a park fairly easily. We both put on our thermals as it was about 0 degrees and very cold. We walked down to the lake and watched the sunrise, which started to light up the mountains surrounding the lake. We had quite a big day ahead of us, around 20km so we started walking at 8am towards Lake Agnes. The track was all uphill but it wasn’t to steep as we zig zagged up to Mirror Lake. As we were at the end of the Summer season there wasn’t much water in the lake but we could see the Big Beehive behind the lake. It looked massive and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it up. We continued on to Lake Agnes where there is a teahouse and had breakfast. It was only a short stop as it was really cold.

    We started around the lake and put on our ice cleats immediately as there was snow and ice and we didn’t want to slip over. We started on the uphill switchbacks towards the Beehive and were watching people behind us try to stay on the track while on hands and knees while we powered off with our ice cleats on. We arrived at the top and met another group who said they were climbing Devil’s Thumb, we thought we would give that a go after walking to the lookout. The views from the lookout were beautiful looking over the mountains and valley.

    As we walked back to the turn off to Devil’s Thumb we met the group who said they didn’t get far as you had to rock climb and the trail was very narrow. We thought we would give it a go and found the short rockclimb section and continued. We didn’t think it was too difficult until we reached a steep, wet and slippery slope, covered in snow. I had also forgotten my sunglasses so the snow was blinding in the sun. I was also struggling up the slope on hands and knees in some sections. We stopped a few times debating whether the views would be worth it as it was taking us a long time to get to the top. We continued and at the top the views were magnificent with the mountains in the background and views of Lake Agnes and Lake Louise.

    We had wasted a lot of time climbing Devil’s Thumb, so we slowly made our way down the slippery section, and to the turn off towards the Plain of Six Glaciers. We had some snacks and continued to the next teahouse which was 5km away but we thought we could stop there for lunch. As we walked downhill to the next teahouse we picked up our pace, and could see views of the Glaciers in front of us. We finally arrived at the next teahouse a bit after 2pm, and relaxed and had lunch. It was a 2km walk to the Plain of Six Glaciers viewpoint and mostly flat. We continued to the viewpoint which had a beautiful view down to Lake Louise and surrounding by Glaciers.

    We then headed back to Lake Louise and on the way we even passed some big white Mountain Goats that were on the edge of the rock walls. At first we were sure what they were until couple said Sheep have brown wool so they would be Mountain Goats. We continued on the track until the edge of Lake Louise and finally made it back to the car just after 5pm. I drove on the way back to the hotel, and as soon as we arrived we quickly changed into our bathers and headed to the Hot Tub which was really nice on our sore muscles. In total we had walked 22km with a total ascent of 1,100m.

    For dinner we had a Gluten Free Pepperoni Pizza which we had bought from Walmart with a salad before heading off to bed.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Lake Bow, Lake Emerald & Takakkaw Falls

    8 Oktober 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    We woke up at 6am this morning with the aim of leaving by 6:30am as we would be driving to Bow Lake. Bow Lake is the first stop on the Icefields Parkway and we thought we would do it today to allow us to stop somewhere else when we drove to the Columbia Ice field.

    We left at 6:45am later than we had planned and had a drive of over 1 hour to Bow Lake. The traffic was a bit heavier on the freeway and soon enough we had arrived. We arrived close to sunrise and there were pink colours in the sky which was quite beautiful. We parked in the carpark and found the trailhead.

    The trail took us around the lake before we walked uphill and could see the waterfall in the distance we were walking towards. There was also a glacier above us and mountains surrounding us. We continued to walk towards the waterfall and realised where we were walking would have once been a glacier. It was quite cold but we stopped for breakfast on a rock where we were slightly sheltered. On the return to the car we stopped at the river which was a beautiful blue and very clear, to take some photos.

    We made it to the car and drove towards Yoho National Park, where we were going to stop at Emerald Lake for lunch. We noticed a number of cars had pulled over at a stop so we also stopped. We realised everyone was waiting for the train to appear which was so long that it almost formed a figure 8 going through the mountain tunnels. We decided not to wait for the train so continued on.

    We arrived at Emerald Lake which was a beautiful green colour with mountains surrounding the lake. We found a chair on the lake edge and stopped for lunch with a beautiful view in front of us. After lunch we walked to Hamilton Falls which was a 30 minute round trip. As it was the end of summer the waterfall wasn’t that spectacular.

    We then got back in the car and drove to Takakkaw Falls. As we turned off the highway it was a really windy road up to the falls which even included a switchback with a very tight u-turn as we headed up the side of the hill. We arrived at the waterfall which was spectacular, and is the second tallest waterfall in Canada with a vertical drop of nearly 400 metres. We spent about half an hour taking photos of the waterfall and the river which was a beautiful crystal blue colour, before we hopped back in the car and drove back towards Banff.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Banff Gondola

    8 Oktober 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We had booked the Banff Gondola for 4:30pm and we had just enough time to get from Takakkaw Falls to the Gondola. The views were beautiful as we drove back to Banff and we both marvelled at the mountains surrounding us.

    As we drove through Banff we realised the power was off as police and rangers were directing traffic at the lights. We were hoping that the Gondola was still working and that we didn’t have to reschedule the visit. We arrived at the parking lot and we were advised the Gondola was still operating but the cafe at the top was closed. This was fine as we were not planning on getting any snacks.

    We hopped into the Gondola and it was just the two of us in a 4 person Gondola. The views were beautiful as we made our way to the top. The ride was 8 minutes to the top of Mt Sulfur. It was quite cold at the top and really windy. We decided to walk along the boardwalk to the top of the mountain first and then go through the indoor museum.

    The boardwalk was really accessible with beautiful views overlooking Banff and the surrounding mountains. We arrived at Sanson Peak which is the highest point of the mountain. There were information boards at the top which showed the different peaks surrounding Banff. We then walked back to the main building and went into the Above Banff Interpretive Centre which had information on the geology of the Canadian Rockies, history and ecology, with information on the different animals found in the Rockies.

    We walked through the gift store before joining the short queue and going back down the mountain in the Gondola. It was after 6pm when we arrived back in the parking lot. We headed back to the accommodation and went to the hut tub where we relaxed before making dinner and heading to sleep.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Lake Moraine & Consolation Lake

    9 Oktober 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    We woke up at 5am as we were going to Lake Moraine. I had booked tickets for the 6:30am time slot for the shuttle, so we wanted to make sure we had enough time to park and check in. We organised all our items for the day and packed extra layers as it was quite cold.

    We arrived in the parking lot and started sorting out our bags for the day when Scott realised we forgot the food bag! I couldn’t believe it as I had been holding it when we left the accommodation. We checked everywhere….and we had definitely left it behind. We checked the backpacks and noticed we had a handful of nuts, 2 bruised apples and 2 kiwi fruit. We hoped it would be enough food for the day!

    We checked into the shuttle and got on the bus. It had started to drizzle, so I checked the weather and the forecast was expecting 0.3mm of rain, and to clear up later in the morning. It took 30 minutes to drive to Lake Moraine, and the sunrise was at 8am. We walked up to the Rockpile and waited for the sunrise. The rain got heavier and heavier and we couldn’t see much but clouds surrounding the lake and there was no sunrise!

    At 8am we started on our walk, and we had only walked about 200m when we decided it probably wasn’t worth it as if we walked to Sentinel Pass we probably wouldn’t see anything with the rain. We decided to walk to Consolation Lake first and see if the weather cleared. It was 3km to Consolation Lake, and at times it seemed the rain was clearing only for it to start again.

    We arrived at the lake, and unfortunately the mountains were covered in clouds. We had to scramble over slippery rocks to get close to the waters edge. We were both cold, and had also forgotten our l wet weather over-pants so my legs were started to soak through the hiking pants. I was feeling quite miserable and with the weather not clearing we walked back along the trail and decided to get the shuttle back to the car.

    When we got on the bus, the driver said that a grizzly bear had been sighted on some rocks near the road na to keep a look out. The whole bus was looking and the driver slowed down, but unfortunately we couldn’t see it. Scott thought he saw something brown but wasn’t sure if it was a bear. We arrived back at the parking lot and grabbed a coffee from the Lake Louise Ski Resort. We were both cold so the coffee warmed us up.

    We decided to head back to our accommodation in Banff to change into dry clothes and warm up. We arrived back at 12:30pm and had lunch. We both relaxed and read our books before napping in the afternoon. We were thinking of driving to Radium Hot Springs but it was 1.5 hours away and the reviews were it wasn’t very warm and it was like a public pool. We decided to use the hot tub at the accommodation which was outside and really warm instead.

    We organised dinner which was butter chicken and quinoa before ensuring all our food was ready for the next day. We had an early night as we would be getting up early again the next day.
    Baca selengkapnya

  • Peyto Lake

    10 Oktober 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ -4 °C

    We woke up at 6am and quickly packed our bags for the day. We made sure to pack our rain jackets and double checked we had all the food for the day. We would be driving up the Icefields Parkway today with our first stop being Peyto Lake.

    It was about 1.5 hours to get to the lake and it was freezing outside. The car was all frosted over so Scott turned on the heater and heated seats for 10 minutes prior to getting in the car. The car said it was negative 5 degrees outside.

    We arrived at Peyto Lake at sunrise and there were a few snowflakes falling around us. It also looked like there had been fresh snow last night or yesterday when it rained at Lake Moraine.

    We walked to the Peyto Lake viewpoint where we could see the lake and the surrounding mountains. We could see the glacier and there was information about where the glacier used to be over 100 years ago. It had receded a lot!

    We were walking to Bow Lake summit and shortly after leaving the Peyto Lake viewpoint we put on our ice cleats as it was very early. We could see snow falling in the distance and thought we should walk quickly to the top before the bag weather comes in so we can see the views. The walk was 3.5km to the top and it was really nice with snow capped mountains surrounding us. The last 500m we were walking through ankle deep snow and even deeper in some areas and we were the first to make the tracks in the snow to the top.

    We stopped for breakfast at the summit with views of the surrounding mountains and Bow Lake. It was a short stop as it was absolutely freezing. On the way back to the carpark we passed a family who appeared from the bushes. They said to follow there tracks to a beautiful view of Peyto Lake. It only took a couple of minutes to the viewpoint and we could see a much better view of Peyto Lake.

    We continued back to the carpark and noticed the storm had actually bypassed us which we were a bit disappointed about as we were hoping to see snow falling!
    Baca selengkapnya