Growing up in the 1980s, one of my favourite forms of escapism was movies. I spent countless hours glued to the television, completely absorbed in Hollywood blockbusters and iconic TV shows, imagining a life far removed from my reality. In my head, I was being swept off my feet by someone who looked like actor Richard Gere in the movie Pretty Woman, living somewhere glamorous like Beverly Hills, Hollywood or along Sunset Boulevard. Then, of course, I’d wake up.
So, when an invitation for a road trip with Visit California landed in my inbox, my response was immediate: Yes. California had always been a bucket list destination in my imagination and now becoming a reality. I realised I needed to brush up on my geography. This is a state of enormous contrasts – movie-star glamour, dramatic coastlines, endless highways and some of the best road-trip scenery in the world.
Los Angeles
My first stop was Los Angeles before driving north through Central California to San Francisco. At 11 hours direct from Dublin, LA feels excitingly far away. Tip: when you land at LAX, follow the green signs to LAX-it (pronounced LA-Exit) for quick and efficient Uber, Lyft and taxi pick-ups. I stayed at The Shay Hotel in Culver City, a stylish and relaxed hotel about 15 minutes from the airport, with a rooftop pool and bar, excellent restaurants and a great base for exploring Los Angeles.
For first-time visitors, LA can feel overwhelming. There’s the golden beach at Santa Monica, the glamour of Beverly Hills, the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the designer shops of Rodeo Drive – yes, where Julia Roberts bought her dress in Pretty Woman – and then there are those iconic views from the Hollywood Sign. One minute you’re in movie-land, the next you are strolling the promenade from Santa Monica to Venice Beach.
You can do it yourself, but for a first trip I found it much easier to join a 3–5-hour tour with Hollywood Bus Tours from Santa Monica. Five hours sounds like a lot, but between celebrity homes, famous landmarks and breathtaking views, it flew by.
Death Valley National Park
The next day we began our road trip (around a 5-hour drive); first stop Death Valley. Death Valley National Park lives up to its name for sure and I can see why it welcomes over a million visitors annually. A geological paradise and scientist’s dream destination, it was created by volcanic activity and became a national park in 1994. The landscape is a movie director’s paradise; Top Gun and Star Wars were filmed here. I could envisage fight scenes with hovering space ships with Han Solo, Chewbacca and Darth Vader. The landscape is like nothing you have ever seen. Floods in this region happen in 7–14-year cycles which changes the land considerably and also the flora and fauna. During COVID, there was a renewal of interest in this park with many Californians flocking to escape the COVID restrictions. Most visitors drive in campervans or you can also hire a jeep from The Oasis Hotel (Farrabee Jeep Tours) and go off the beaten tracks to find spectacular viewpoints like Aguereberry Point and across the valley to Emigrant Canyon and hear the stories behind these unique places. The names of places here are generally after people who discovered them or what they actually look like or phonetically sound like. Names like Devil’s Cornfield, Ubehebe Crater, The Charcoal Kilns, Stove Pipe Wells, Furnace Creek etc. Our guide shared stories of sand dunes created from walled sandstorms and flash floods.
Where do you stay in such a barren landscape? The Oasis Hotel is a popular location and they have a sister hotel called The Ranch at Death Valley. It is the quirkiest place I have ever seen. They actually have a saloon and I could imagine a cowboy entering the batwing doors looking for a place to stay for the night while the horse was tied up outside. The accommodation is a mix of cottages and hotel rooms by the pool, they even have a golf course, a general store, post office and great dining experiences. Activities here also include stargazing and line dancing lessons.
Popular areas to visit in Death Valley include the Mesquite Flat Sand dunes (watch out for holes in the ground and under the bushes, a sign of rattlesnakes) Mosaic Canyon is like a scene from the movie ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ and is both eerie and beautiful. As you hike further into the smooth mountain pathways and discover even more magical places, you can envision the valley full of rivers thousands of years ago and the remnants of this past are visibly etched into the mountains. Just like tree rings, the canyons have their own age lines visible to visitors who hike here.
You will also see bright white areas of salt through the park and a must-visit is Badwater Basin salt flats which is the hottest place on earth. If you are brave enough to walk out far on these salt flats (so hot even in May) it is just mind-blowing. It reminded me of white sand stretching out to the ocean but with no ocean at the end.
A short scenic loop drive and you will see the magnificent Artist’s Palette where the rock formations are a mix of colours including reds, greens and orange because of the variety of minerals in the rocks. Drive on to see the viewpoint at Zabriskie Point and another beautiful spot to take in this diverse and stunning landscape. It really takes your breath away.
Visalia & Sequoia National Park
Our next stop was a six-hour drive to Visalia, a laid-back Central Valley town best known as the gateway to Sequoia National Park and nearby Kings Canyon National Park. Visalia is surrounded by some of the most productive farmland in California, it is well known for its fresh produce, relaxed small-town charm and a refreshingly authentic feel. We sampled local fruit and vegetables at Woodlake Botanical Garden, a hidden foodie gem created by husband and wife Olga and Manual Jimenez. The garden gives you a real sense of how abundant this region is.
Downtown Visalia has beautifully restored historic buildings and a relaxed energy that makes you want to stay longer than planned. We also stopped at a local beer distillery – Soccer City 1852 – to sample some beers with brewmaster, Mat Bolden. You can also dine here; they have a variety of food trucks and also two indoor soccer pitches; a perfect location for a glimpse of local life. The variety of restaurant/café options in Visalia is superb including Bravo Farms (huge portions), Scoops ice cream and The Vintage Press Restaurant to name a few.
But the real draw, of course, is the giant sequoia trees in nearby Sequoia National Park. Nothing prepares you for your first sight of these extraordinary trees. They are simply on another scale altogether. The most famous is the General Sherman Tree, estimated to be around 2,800 years old and widely regarded as the largest tree on Earth. Getting to the hiking trails is part of the adventure. From the visitor centre, the road climbs steeply through a series of twisty roads that are definitely not for nervous passengers. The day we visited, the mist was so thick it felt as though we were driving through the clouds.
Once on the trails, our Naturalist guide, Isaac Kim was a wealth of knowledge and his passion about the park was so engaging. It’s impossible not to stop every few minutes just to stare upward in disbelief. Keep an eye out for bear tracks too. I was told that if you ever do encounter one, don’t run and try to make yourself look bigger. Thankfully, I never had to test that advice. Sequoia National Park is just one of several spectacular parks in this part of California, so if you’re planning to visit more than one park, it’s worth buying an annual Park Pass, which offers excellent value and covers entry to hundreds of sites across the United States.
The Darling Hotel, our accommodation for two nights is located in the heart of Visalia and was originally the town courthouse, now an art deco hotel. I could envisage Bonny and Clyde hiding out here while making their getaway out the back. It’s a quirky mix of 1920’s chic and a perfect resting place on a road trip. They also have superb dining options at their rooftop restaurant, Elderwood which also has amazing rooftop views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and downtown Visalia.
Mariposa & Yosemite National Park
The final part of my road trip was a visit to the infamous Yosemite National Park – to find Yogi Bear. Leaving the city of Visalia behind, we drove on to the charming, original town of Mariposa (a two-hour drive). Refuelling at the Grizzly Gas station set the tone for this next experience – we were now in bear territory. The quirky shops on the high street will take about 10 mins to walk by but going inside is like Aladdin’s cave full of trinkets, clothes, local handcrafted jewellery, wine tasting and you might just find the Hide-Out Saloon tucked away around the corner. I did!
A must-visit in this town is the Climbing Association Museum, founded by Ken Yager. He is a local, living legend full of adrenaline-fueled stories of climbing peaks, including the infamous El Capitan (estimated 65 times) and the Half Dome. The museum is full of donated memorabilia from renowned climbers and Ken is a natural storyteller who needs to write a book! In Mariposa you can wander around or if you like farms, particularly goat farms – The Happy Goat Farm will be open to the public this year. Matty Elliott is the head shepherd here and Jessie Fouch assists Matty around the farm and is also co-founder of Happy Goat. They are a regenerative not-for-profit farm and a huge asset to their community.
Dinner at Fredrick’s at Savoury’s on the main street in Mariposa was the perfect end to the day – excellent food and warm, friendly service. Our base for the next two nights was Yosemite View Lodge, just outside Yosemite National Park. We arrived after dark and could hear the river rushing below, but couldn’t see it. Opening the balcony door the next morning revealed one of those views you never forget – sunshine, towering mountains and the river right beneath me.
We explored Yosemite National Park with Ranger Scott, who has worked there for 36 years and kept us entertained with stories – including the fact that Oprah Winfrey once stayed there in a camper van. Our first stop was Tunnel View, with its jaw-dropping panorama of Bridalveil Fall, El Capitan and Half Dome. We also visited Mariposa Grove, home to some of the park’s oldest giant sequoias and the historic Wawona village (make sure to visit the Chinese Laundry Museum here). At Glacier Point (bring a packed lunch here, as you will be gazing at its beauty with your mouth open) We were also lucky enough to spot a mother bear and her two cubs in the wild. Down in Yosemite Valley, there are shops, restaurants, the Indian Village of the Ahwahnee, Yosemite Cemetery and easy walks, including the trail to Lower Yosemite Fall. This is only a glimpse of what Yosemite has to offer. If you’re planning a California road trip, give it at least 10 days – you will need every one of them and good walking shoes.
From the bright lights of Los Angeles to the giant sequoias of Sequoia National Park, the granite cliffs of Yosemite National Park and the quaint towns we stopped at along the way – I realised California needs more than one visit. What stayed with me most were the unexpected details: the scale of the landscapes, the warmth of the people and the sheer diversity of experiences packed into one extraordinary state. And sometimes, when you finally get to the destinations you have been imagining for decades, they turn out to be even more magical than the movies.
Travel Facts
Flights – Aer Lingus Fly direct to Los Angeles and San Francisco from €720+ (depending on season)
Hotels – The Shay Hotel, Los Angeles: €300 per night (depending on season)
The Ranch, Death Valley: Low Season (summer) – approx. €130 / night High season (winter/spring) – approx. €260/night
The Darling Hotel, Visalia: From €190 per night for a Standard King Room
Yosemite View Lodge, Yosemite Valley: River View room from €215 (low season)
National Park Entrance Fees –
Death Valley National Park: €25 per vehicle (valid for 7 days) or €12 per person on foot/bike.
Sequoia National Park & Kings Canyon National Park: €30 per vehicle (valid for 7 days) or €17 per person on foot/bike. Non-residents over 16 also pay an additional €85 fee.
Yosemite National Park: €30 per vehicle (valid for 7 days) or €17 per person on foot/bike. Non-residents over 16 also pay an additional €85 fee.
If you purchase ‘America the Beautiful’ Annual Pass, you can save considerably – €215 per person, valid for 12 months, covering entry to all U.S. national parks and thousands of federal recreation sites.
For further information, check out www.VisitCalifornia.com
Yvonne was a guest of Visit California
Published in the Irish Daily Mail July 6th 2026
