Last year, we featured then-Congressional candidate Doug Heckman's visit to Alaska with his oldest child, Danny. This year, Doug visited Yosemite National Park and the San Francisco area.
Text and Photos By Doug Heckman
Special to Men's Traveler
Last year I started a family tradition where I take my son/daughter on a one week one-on-one trip somewhere exciting. The theory is that the summer between their junior and senior year of high school is the best time for this trip. The summer after they graduate, they are focused on going to college. Dan and I went to Alaska last year. This year Tommy and I went to northern California.
We flew into San Francisco in June and immediately got our rental car. We drove four hours across California to Yosemite National Park. The climb into the park was fast and the change in vegetation was amazing. We went from dry grassland to the fertile San Joaquin valley to the mighty forest in the California Sierra Mountains. After stopping at a grocery store for water and snacks, we checked into the Wawona Hotel on the southern edge of the park. The hotel has a rich history. Tommy and I were impressed with pictures of a stagecoach parked in front of the hotel in the late 1800s. The hotel has a semi-rustic feel. Our bathroom was located down the hall, 10 doors on the left from our guest room.
On our first day at Yosemite, we took a hike to the base of the waterfalls next to the sheer granite face called El Capitan. The hike was mostly straight up via switchbacks. I guess that is why the map called it a “strenuous” hike. Tommy flew up while my tired muscles screamed, “You are getting too old for this!” The views here are breathtaking. We saw a brown bear. By the end we could feel the cooling mist from the waterfalls.
The following day we took in a stand of about 500 Sequoia redwood trees. They are amazingly big when standing next to them. Additionally, we drove to a spot called Glacier Point. You can see snow-covered mountains and glaciers far in the distance in panoramic glory. We hiked to the top of Sentinel Rock. It reminded me of Stone Mountain, Georgia.
The following morning, we drove back across the state toward Monterrey and Pebble Beach. We did the “17 mile Drive” and saw sea lions and a lot of other marine life. Pebble Beach seemed subdued with the poor economy, but seeing the famous venue was fun for Tommy. I remember being “trapped” there on 9/11. Rough. Our final stop on this leg was in Monterrey. The aquarium there is pretty special. My favorite exhibit includes the various jellyfish.
We then drove through Silicon Valley to San Francisco. We dropped the car at the airport and took a taxi in. Hotels charge about $50 a day to park and it pays to take taxis or public transportation. We took in a baseball game at AT&T Park. The views of the bay are fantastic! You always hear how rainy or foggy the weather is in SF. All I know is that it is sunny 90% of the time I travel there. We ate a lot of seafood and Boudin sourdough bread. No trip to this is complete without a trip to Alcatraz. Tommy and I rented bicycles on our last day in the city on the bay and rode the four miles to the Golden Gate Bridge. We rode half way out on the bridge to great views!
Our Yosemite/San Fran journey was another trip to remember. My only worry/challenge is what my daughter and I will do in three years. The boys love the outdoors and adventure. Sammy has different interests and our future trip will be very different.
Wawona Hotel
Doug Heckman was a candidate for U.S. Congress in 2008. Colonel Heckman is currently on another tour of duty in Iraq.
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