Wonder road: California

A car moves down a road along the Central Coast, California. The road trip is one of the most popular travel options to enjoy the natural landscape. / Korea Times photos by Chung Ah-young

Four best places not to be missed for traveling by car

By Chung Ah-young

CALIFORNIA — From the neon lights of Las Vegas to natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon and Death Valley, the western United States is one of the most sought-after destinations for travelers.

The vast, endless and seemingly empty landmass makes travelers realize that we are just specks in this marvelous world and universe.

To explore some of the most telling examples of the scenic landscape, we took a road trip from San Francisco in California via Monterey and Bakersfield to Las Vegas in Nevada.

From Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito

Flying on Delta Airlines for about 13 hours from Seoul, we finally landed in San Francisco, northern California. The City by the Bay, with its sparkling bay area and charming hills, was the perfect starting point for our road trip.

We began our journey on the Golden Gate Bridge, which rises 227 meters into the sky and stretch 1,300 meters across the Golden Gate strait. The structure was simply a sight to behold.

It was more common to cross the bridge with a bike, but it was also enjoyable to walk from Fisherman’s Wharf to the end of the bridge.

Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

With the windy and sunny weather, walking through the bay area was one of our most unforgettable experiences in this lovely city.

It took us approximately three-and-half hours to walk from Fisherman’s Wharf, where Hotel Zephyr (www.hotelzephyrsf.com) was located, to the historic Fort Point, which was completed in 1861 as a military outpost to protect the gate before the bridge was built.

After a few hours of sweating, we were rewarded at our idyllic destinations, such as Sausalito in neighboring Marin County. Sausalito is known for its shoreline, hillsides and pretty gift shops and cafes.

Riding a bike is a less strenuous way to explore these sites. Blazing Saddles (www.blazingsaddles.com) offers bikes for rent at $8 per hour (plus an optional $5 in bike insurance) and optional ferry tickets at $11.50 each for the journey back.

Back from Sausalito, the ferry ride was a preferable option to sightsee the glittering landscape of the bay on which yachts floated along with the gliders.

We took the ferry from Sausalito to San Francisco’s famous Pier 1. Also known for the Ferry Building, Pier 1 has a food hall at the terminal for the ferries that travel across the San Francisco Bay.

After looking at a wide variety of food, wine and kitchen utensils at the pier, we went to the city’s hills to take a cable car.

On the cable car, we saw the hilly part of the city from Chinatown to Fisherman’s Wharf. The cable car ride offers a stunning view of the sunset against the city skyline.

Monterey

After renting a car from Hertz (www.hertz.co.kr) in San Francisco, we headed for Monterey, which has a number of notable attractions, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium (www.montereybayaquarium.org) and Cannery Row.

The aquarium, which was founded in 1984 on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row, is an amazing, must-visit tourist spot. Tickets cost $39.95 each for adults, $34.95 for students aged 13-17 and $24.95 for children aged 3-12.

This aquarium, while not the biggest, features more than 600 marine species, including sea otters, jellyfish and stingrays. The jellyfish, for us, were simply the most spectacular creatures at the aquarium.

Cannery Row in Monterey

Cannery Row, the waterfront just outside the aquarium, has various historic sites. The street is named after novelist John Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row” (1948). As the novel describes, the street provokes so much nostalgia because of its rich history. The canneries failed after the collapse of the fishing industry in Monterey Bay in the mid-1950s due to unfavorable marine conditions.

After touring this waterfront street, we moved on to Carmel by the Sea, a town known for its shopping and its famous civil servant, the Honorable Mayor Clint Eastwood. The small, romantic town features art galleries, cottages straight out of fairytales, boutiques and restaurants that span the hills that lead to the breathtaking view of the wonderful beach. From the beachside, we could see the sunsets against the vast ocean.

In contrast to its fanciful landscape, the town interestingly keeps a “no high-heel shoes” policy without a permit to prevent lawsuits by people who trip owing to the uneven pavement.

As our day in Monterey drew to a close, we retired in a cozy and comfortable room at Hilton Garden Inn Monterey (www.hiltonmonterey.com).

17-Mile Drive to Big Sur

One of the most famous scenic drives in the world, 17-Mile Drive, a 27-kilometer-long road through Pebble Beach on Monterey, with cypress trees overlooking the shore, was the highlight of our road trip.

It took us some two hours to drive the course and take photos of the natural wonders. And the best was yet to come. More scenic and breathtaking views unfolded before us on the way to Big Sur along the Central Coast, which is known for its multi-layered ocean colors.

Bixby Creek Bridge, a magnificent concrete arch bridge, is one of the most photographed bridges along the coast and is definitely a must-visit spot.

While driving along Big Sur, we had a sandwich and a hamburger at Nepenthe Restaurant (www.nepenthebigsur.com), little indulgences during our road trip.

Death Valley: final leg before Las Vegas

Located in the southern part of Central Valley, Bakersfield, a calm city, was a wonderful outpost for relaxing before traveling to Death Valley, the lowest, driest and hottest area in North America.

After emerging from the Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center (www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bflmc-bakersfield-marriott-at-the-convention-center), we drove to the desert valley for some four hours.

Zabriskie Point in Death Valley

When we arrived at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, the temperature hovered at 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). Usually, October is the best time to tour the valley, but when we went here, it was hotter than usual.

The valley was so named in 1849 during the California Gold Rush by people who crossed the valley on their way to the gold fields for its droughts and extreme temperatures. The name is considered synonymous with the “path to hell.”

Suitable for its historic origin, the 49’er Cafe in Furnace Creek Resort offered a temporary shelter like an oasis. Following our short break there, we went to Devil’s Golf Course, a large salt pan on the floor of the valley. Once there, we realized where the name came from; “only the devil could play golf in the area,” as its surface has cracks and salt under the scorching heat.

Similar to Devil’s Golf Course, Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, with an elevation of 85 meters below sea level, was barren and dry. With just a small amount of water left, the basin is covered with the salt that accumulated from the surrounding area. Needless to say, the water in the basin is undrinkable, hence the name. The basin area is also exotic and interesting because of its hexagonal-shaped crusts.

Zabriskie Point is another interesting destination in the valley because of its eroded landscape made up of sediments from Furnace Creek Lake, which dried up five million years ago before Death Valley was formed. The area shows a panoramic view of weirdly shaped rock formations in contrasting colors, which made us admire its natural wonder once again.

Overwhelmed with awe and wonder at Zabriskie Point, we drove toward the state border of Nevada to reach Las Vegas for our final destination.

For more information on traveling to California, visit www.visitcalifornia.co.kr by Visit California, www.discoveramerica.co.kr by Brand USA and www.sanfrancisco.travel by the San Francisco Travel Association.