Disney 2024: Disney California Adventure

We visited Disneyland in California last year, and Disney World in Florida in April this year… so of course when back in California we visited the Disney parks again. We seem to be somewhat Disney adults.

This time, we only spent one day in each of the two parks, starting with Disney California Adventure.

We visited in October, when the parks had Halloween decorations:

Entrance with Halloween decorations

Halloween decorations

Fancy churros:

Fancy churros

We spent most of our time in our favorite area, Cars Land:

Cars Land

We did the Radiator Springs Racers ride:

Radiator Springs Racers

Halloween decorations

Spiderman:

Spiderman

Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout ride:

Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout

Pym Test Kitchen for lunch:

Pym Test Kitchen

The San Francisco area has been rebranded as San Fransokyo:

San Fransokyo

San Fransokyo:

San Fransokyo

Back out of the park, where there were long lines waiting for an evening event:

Entrance with Halloween decorations

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park

We visited Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park in Santa Clarita, California, about 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles. (Wikipedia info.)

Being so close to Hollywood, it has long been a popular filming spot; you may recognize it from TV and films such as Star Trek and many more (see the Wikipedia page for a list).

Entrance sign

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Star Trek diorama:

Star Trek diorama

Snakes:

Snake

Map:

Map

Some movie usage:

Some movie usage

Movies

Vasquez Rocks:

Vasquez Rocks

Distinctive.

Channel Islands National Park visitor center

We visited the Channel Islands National Park visitor center in Ventura, California. This was actually our second visit here; we previously visited back in 2022, including a boat tour to near the islands.

This second visit was mainly so Jenn could get a stamp in her National Parks passport book; something she hadn’t started on our first visit. We also watched the park film.

Visitor center

Exhibits:

Exhibits

Store:

Store

Relief maps:

Relief map

Relief maps

Sequoia National Park: southern side

We visited Sequoia National Park in California, including the Foothills Visitor Center, the Tunnel Rock, the Giant Forest Museum, Moro Rock, and Tunnel Log.

An interactive map of our route:

Sequoia National Park historic sign:

Sequoia National Park historic sign

Kaweah River:

Kaweah River

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Tunnel Rock:

Tunnel Rock

A very twisty route:

Twisty route

Interesting rocks:

Interesting rock

Interesting rocks

Big trees:

Big trees

Giant Forest Museum:

Giant Forest Museum

Auto Log:

Auto Log

Moro Rock:

Moro Rock

Trees and hills:

Trees and hills

Driving through Tunnel Log:

Tunnel Log

Our truck under Tunnel Log:

Tunnel Log

Tall trees:

Tall trees

Sequoia National Park: northern side

We visited Sequoia National Park in California, including the Lodgepole Visitor Center and Grill, and the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world by volume. And saw a couple of bears in a tree.

An interactive map of our route:

Relief map in the visitor center:

Relief map

Visitor center

General Sherman Tree trail, a half mile (each way) path from the parking lot to the tree, through the Giant Forest sequoia grove:

Sherman Tree trail

Footprint of Sherman Tree:

Footprint of Sherman Tree

Path and steps:

Path and steps

General Sherman tree, the largest tree in the world by volume:

General Sherman tree

Other big trees:

Another tree

Tree cross section:

Tree cross section

On the way back up the path, we saw a couple of black bears in a tree (not very close, fortunately):

Bears in tree

Kings Canyon National Park

We visited Kings Canyon National Park in California, including the Kings Canyon Visitor Center, General Grant Tree, and a scenic drive through the canyon.

An interactive map of our route:

Relief map of the canyon:

Relief map of canyon

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Gift store:

Gift store

Sequoias:

Sequoias

The General Grant tree, the third largest tree in the world by volume:

General Grant tree

Gamlin Cabin:

Gamlin Cabin

Kings Canyon National Park is split in two parts, separated by Sequoia National Forest, which has some rather nice scenery:

Sequoia National Forest

Back into Kings Canyon National Park:

Kings Canyon National Park

And on the return trip, back into Sequoia National Forest:

Kings Canyon National Park

Sequoia National Forest

A small waterfall (at this time of year):

Sequoia National Forest

Yosemite National Park: Tuolumne Meadows and Tenaya Lake

We took another drive into Yosemite National Park, to head along Tioga Road to the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center, with a brief stops by Tenaya Lake and Olmsted Point on the way back, which featured the other side of Half Dome.

Pywiack Dome:

Pywiack Dome

Lembert Dome:

Lembert Dome

Tuolumne Meadow and a rainbow:

Tuolumne Meadow and a rainbow

Pothole Dome:

Pothole Dome

Tenaya Lake:

Tenaya Lake

Interesting rocks

The other side of Half Dome:

Half Dome

Rock

Rocks

Tree

Half Dome

Yosemite National Park: Wawona and Glacier Point

We took a drive into Yosemite National Park to visit the Wawona Visitor Center and Yosemite History Center, then on to Glacier Point, with a nice view of Half Dome.

On the way, a stop at the Tunnel View point:

Tunnel view point

Selfie

Wawona Hotel:

Wawona Hotel

Pioneer History Center, with stagecoaches:

Stagecoaches

A covered bridge:

Covered bridge

Pioneer history center

Glacier Point:

Glacier Point

Washburn Point:

Washburn Point

Sunset over Yosemite valley:

Sunset

Yosemite National Park: Hetch Hetchy

We took a drive into Yosemite National Park to visit the Hetch Hetchy reservoir.

Hetch Hetchy dam

Yosemite National Park: Yosemite Valley

After arriving at Thousand Trails Yosemite Lakes, we took a drive into Yosemite National Park to visit the Yosemite Valley Welcome Center, and take some photos of some interesting rocks.

Yosemite National Park entrance sign