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Author: Roger Deng

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Photographs and article are copyright of Roger Deng

Introduction

If you have not been to the US or have not really done any sort of drive trip in US, hopefully this article can help as a guide.

My trip was done during 2006, Sept to Oct period. It was a ‘balanced’ trip for me and wife as she loves shopping while I love nature and landscapes. According to my Budget Rent-A-Car final transaction record, I have driven a total of 3694 miles in 2 weeks. If I am not wrong, that is the distance between Singapore and Tokyo. We have covered San Francisco, Yosemite, Gilroy, Monterey County, Los Angeles, Desert Hill, Las Vegas and Grand Canyon during this trip.

My air ticket was booked way in advance (6 months before trip) from United Airlines. While rental car was booked with a discount coupon with Budget rent a car. I found my discount coupons in this website – http://www.fatwallet.ord/forums . I also got some other lodging discount for Las Vegas hotels from here.

San Francisco

Touched down in San Francisco and proceeded to tour the city even with massive jet jag.

Taken from the Alcatraz Island showing the San Francisco Bay Bridge(left) and its business district(right)

Jail cells in Alcatraz. One of these cells here once houses Al Capone, a notorious mafia.
The Palace of Fine Arts

Lombard Street is best known for in which the roadway has eight sharp turns

View from the other side of Lombard Street.

The Cliff House during sunset overseeing the birdrock.

Taken from this hilltop called the Twin Peaks.

Before you start your driving journey, a few basic items must be with you. A good detailed road map, food, a crate of mineral water, tire fixer in case of punctures, money for tolls, PDA (optional), a working mobile phone. A PDA will be good if you could download all the road directions taken from Mapquest(http://www.mapquest.com/) in it for road directions.

Yosemite

So, I collected my full sized car from Budget and I started my first maiden day trip to Yosemite.

Views you get when I was driving above 4000ft elevation in Yosemite.

Pines, mountains, rocks, etc … you name it, they have it!

Water falls and streams are big attractions in Yosemite park

Rock Squirrel

The Half Dome is a granite dome which rises more than 1,440 m above the Valley floor.

Birding in Monterey

at the 17 mile drive.

This place is about an 2 hours from San Francisco city. You do need to pay to enter but trust me, if you are a bird lover, this is all worth it. I only had about 1 hour of shooting time at the coast but I could easily spot as many as 7-10 species. This place is wonderful for some coastal landscapes.
The infamous Bird Rock in the 17 mile drive. The rocks in the background are where a large number of Pelicans, Cormorants, Seals, etc, gathered to rest and perhaps do some business (which explains the white colour of the rock). The rock in the foreground houses somewhat the small sized species.
Sanderling

Black Oystercatcher

Heerman’s Gull

Black Turnstone

Brown Pelican

Waders

As I continued my journey, these are the rest of the places and things I see and visit on the way.

Something I see along the highway.
Plenty of powerlines along the way

The California Adventure Park

Red Rock Canyon

Grand Canyon

Thanks for viewing.

Cheers.
Photographs and article are copyright of Roger Deng