Napa Valley was everything and more then I expected!! The scenery speaks for itself and was similar to the wine regions in France I have visited and the weather was indeed glorious! I was very impressed with the quality of the wines they produce here, my favourite being the Chardonnay, and am always amazed by the skill and effort which goes into producing these fine wines. I definitely got a sense of the passion of the people working at the vineyards! There was also some fantastic restaurants and bars in the area which I would have loved to have visited if only there was more time and a lot more cash for some of them, like the French Laundry which you would need to book well in advance and need about $400 per person with wine!!!
It is difficult to find words to describe the scenery of Yosemite National Park, I only hope the pictures can give some credit to its real size and beauty, it was truly breath-taking!!! Definitely felt at one with nature here! The landscape was varied between huge granite monoliths and cascading waterfalls to serene meadows, great lakes and flowing rivers. I am guessing this place has remained fairly unchanged for thousands of years and hope it will for many more years to come. A great place to take some time out from the rat race and camp out under the stars!!!
Sequoia National Park has its own majestic charm, different from Yosemite, with its grand trees which can be up to 3000 years old, made me feel kind of humble in front of their great beauty and continued struggle for survival against all the odds. Only very few of these trees survive until maturity, and I found it kind of bizarre that the forest fires contribute greatly to helping with this as they clear the forest floor from debris and release the seeds for new growth to take place.
I then took a hike up Moro Rock which was worth the climb for some great views across the Sierra Nevada and surrounding valleys.
After spending some time amongst all this great space it was time to head back to LA to catch my flight home, which is where I am now heading, sitting on the plane and going through some of the worst turbulence I have ever experienced in my life!!! Will never be so happy to see England as I am now. Looking forward to seeing all my friends again and having the chance to say farewell before we head off to India to start our round the world trip in 2 weeks time! 1st stop Delhi!!!
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