Exploring The Golden State

August 26, 2020

Mohammed Abahussain

The United States is pretty much the perfect country for photographers. A variety of destinations to choose from. One of the many reasons I loved traveling in California is a variety of landscapes. In a day, you can be in the mountains and then drive to the beach. Another day, you can be around the hills of oaks and then head to some wonderful desert landscapes.

I spent around a month planning for this trip while I was studying at San Diego State University. It was the first time I’ve taken a trip as a full-time photography trip. Two weeks was enough for me to explore most of the locations around the golden state of California and the states around it.

Sequoia National Park is home to the largest tree species in the world, the Sequoia Trees, also the park contains the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, which is Mount Whitney. Some cabins that we found on our way.

On our way, we passed by the Hume Lake. A beautiful lake not far from the west entrance to Kings Canyon National Park. It is accessible from California Route 180, via Forest Service Road 30, and is about 50 mi (80km) east of Fresno.

The Grant Grove is one of the top draws in Kings Canyon National Park, containing the park’s most important sequoia, the General Grant Tree. The General Grant Tree is the second-largest tree in the world, standing 267 feet tall, and nearly 29 feet wide at the base, is a 3,000-year-old wonder and the centerpiece of Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park.

A demonstration on how big these trees are, I asked my friend to stand inside one of the tree’s trunk. I was shocked by the size of these trunks. This is the first time I see something like this.

After driving around the forest, we decided to return to the cabin to catch the sunset on the way down. We took the Three Rivers route, the route was unbelievable and it gives us a panoramic view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We had one of the best sunsets we have seen on the whole trip. As you can see, the whole Sierra Mountains during the sunset time.

As we get the end of the road, the sun was almost set, we stopped by this view and we took some images.

After spending a couple of days day exploring Sequoia National Park, we headed for our next destination, Yosemite National Park. The clouds were all around the road. We had the best weather conditions in Yosemite. Here is an image that I took on my eay to the valley.

Yosemite is, without doubt, one of my favorite places in the entire United States. It’s a wonder of nature, a photographer’s paradise. I heard a lot about this place and how wonderful it is. We spent three days exploring the whole valley and we get so lucky with the weather the entire time in Yosemite.

The first day we decided to explore the down valley. Here are some images from the first day.

The next day, we woke up early to catch the sunrise, and we blown away by the color of the sky.

After photographing the sunrise from Tunnel View, which is one of the most popular places in Yosemite, we decided to walk around the Yosemite village as we already early. Here are some images from the down of the valley.

By the end of this day, we visited the Ansel Adams Gallery. We have the opportunity to learn his story in the valley and get motivated by his work.

On the last day in the Yosemite, we woke up early to shoot the sunrise, and we got blown away by the amount of the fog. We got here before the sunrise. Suddenly, a big cloud came from nowhere, and the whole valley was completely covered under the clouds for about an hour. The view was breathtaking. Here are images from the Tunnel View over the valley.

That morning was properly one of the best moments in my entire US experience. After that, the clouds continue for the whole day.

Here are the images from that day.

Perhaps the most recognized rock formations in Yosemite. Half Dome is a Yosemite icon and a great challenge for many hikers.

After breakfast, we grabbed our stuff and hit the road to our next destination. As part of a road trip to explore California, we had to pass by, Kirkwood. We had a great time, perfect conditions. Kirkwood has some of the best snow and terrain in the greater Lake Tahoe area. Some images from Kirkwood.

Caples Lake, what a beautiful area in the California Sierra mountains. This place is great for fishing, hiking, or water sports. It is located on Highway 88 between Lake Tahoe and Kirkwood. The atmosphere is pretty. Some photos from the lake

After spending some time in Kirkwood, we headed to Lake Tahoe. One of the most attractive places in California. The deep, clear-water alpine lake is almost a mile high, and it was worth every single minute. Some images along the way.

We visited the popular Emerald Bay, which is located in Emerald Bay State Park, in Lake Tahoe, which is a beautiful National Landmark. The park is easily accessible by driving on California State Route 89. Here are some photos of this beautiful area.

San Francisco is one of the most eclectic cities in the United States. It’s a magical place and one of my favorite places to visit. Every neighborhood is so unique. We spent three days exploring some of the landmarks of the city.

One of the most iconic structural monuments in San Francisco is the stunning Golden Gate Bridge. It is the most photographed bridge in the whole world.

One of my favorite views of all of the Bay Area! We came right before sunset, and we were awarded by the amazing light and the clouds hovering on all of the city

One of the most photographed locations in San Francisco, The Painted Ladies, known as “Postcard Row” or the “Seven Sisters” They’re symbolic of the famous California Gold Rush. These houses were built between 1849 and 1915 are painted in all different pastel colors.

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