June 23, 2026 Sausalito is a small waterfront town just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. With its Victorian buildings, laid back vibe and location across the harbor from a large city, it reminded us quite a lot of Devonport in Auckland. With its slight shabbiness and surrounding steep hills it also hadContinue reading “Sausalito, California, USA”
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Houseboats, Sausalito, California, USA
June 23, 26 Just north of Sausalito, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, are about 500 houseboats lining about ten docks. Each home is individually designed, so no two are exactly alike. The community traces its roots back more than a century, but it really flourished after World War II. When the nearbyContinue reading “Houseboats, Sausalito, California, USA”
Mission San Francisco Solano, Sonoma, California, USA
June 23, 2026 As our regular readers will know, we are on a quest to visit all of the historic missions in California. Mission San Francisco Solano was the last of the 21 missions to be built. It is also the farthest north and was founded in 1823, two years after Mexico gained its independence.Continue reading “Mission San Francisco Solano, Sonoma, California, USA”
St. Helena and Yountville, California, USA
June 22, 2026 Driving through Napa Valley we passed numerous wineries. They were built in a variety of styles. Many looked as if they would be at home in France or Italy or Spain. Some were modern. But they were all immaculate and tidy as the rows of grapes surrounding them. We stopped briefly inContinue reading “St. Helena and Yountville, California, USA”
Calistoga, California, USA
June 22, 2026 Next stop on our California tour was Napa Valley, home to over 400 wineries. Neither of us are wine people, so why Christopher and Carla headed out to various vineyards for tastings, we explored the local towns. First up was Calistoga. The town is known for its geothermal pools and volcanic ashContinue reading “Calistoga, California, USA”
Groveland, California, USA
June 21, 2026 Good question. Where indeed is Groveland? It is, in fact, a small historic town just outside Yosemite National Park. It was originally a gold mining camp, known as Garrote (execution by strangling). According to local tradition, the name came after a suspected thief was lynched by being strangled with a rope—a grimContinue reading “Groveland, California, USA”
Half Dome, Yosemite, California, USA
June 19-20, 2026 In homage to Japanese printmaker, Katsushika Hokusai and American photographer, Ansel Adams, we offer Ten Views of Half Dome.
Mariposa Grove, Yosemite, California, USA
June 20, 2026 Mariposa Grove is the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite and is home to more than 500 mature trees, many of which are over 2,000 years old. They are the largest species of tree by volume, meaning no other tree species in the world contains as much wood in a singleContinue reading “Mariposa Grove, Yosemite, California, USA”
Tioga Road, Yosemite, California, USA
June 20, 2026 Yosemite is notorious for the crowds it attracts in summer. Having faced ever-increasing crowds the day before, we decided to go for a drive along Tioga Road, a spectacular mountain road which is still in the Park but farther away from the maddening crowds. Our first stop was Olmsted Point. The overlookContinue reading “Tioga Road, Yosemite, California, USA”
Glacier Point, Yosemite, California, USA
June 19, 2026 Half Dome is one of the most famous granite formations in the world and the iconic symbol of Yosemite National Park. It is visible from all over the park but one of the most dramatic places to view it is at Glacier Point at sunset.
Mal and Lauren 