The West Coast of USA is for me and for lot of people I’ve talked about it not about big cities at all. LA – give me a break, San Francisco, nice to see Golden gate, Alcatraz is a gem, but after two days is about the time to go countryside. Put your hiking boots on, pick any of numerous National or State Parks and start exploring on foot. This give you completely different perspective then the usual angle in the USA, from automobile. Don’t worry about not being fit, not used to hike, or afraid to be cold at night in a tent. The bears won’t eat you and in the heart of wilderness you will be much safer and perhaps even a lot happier then in the city jungle. What have you experienced and seen with your own eyes will pay you thousandfold every blister, sunburn or insect bite you may and will encounter.
Yosemite, or Yosemite Valley is very special, even between all California and West Coast parks.
I know a place, where silver peaks embrace a clear blue sky, where I grow tall with redwoods rooted in rock, lift branches to the sun that dries my tears, while cooling breezes stir among the pines and through my hair, and my heart beats quietly with birdsong. Tioga Pass, Lenore Horowitz