West USA Road Trip August 2022

Leaving Williams to head to Bryce Canyon, going back through the Grand Canyon on the east side, then Page—I missed Horseshoe Bend like an idiot, stopped at Lake Powell, and hit the road, my friend.

We hit the road again to head to Bryce Canyon. The drive is beautiful and pleasant with a few stops for photos.

Once we arrived, the crowd of tourists was definitely there. It was like a factory. The room was okay in a building separate from the main one, but the pool was so busy that I skipped swimming. The souvenir shops had everything a tourist could want—at US prices.

The only upside was a liquor store where I picked up a bottle of Prosecco for my wife’s birthday. Breakfast was also a real obstacle course. Oh well, everyone deserves a vacation.

The next day, we explored Bryce Canyon. The trick is to get up early, grab breakfast, and head to the Sunset Point parking lot. It’s super easy to find a spot if you get up early and eat quickly.

Once there, it was definitely the highlight of the trip. After some thought, we decided to go down into the canyon despite my lack of athletic training—we took the Navajo Trail and came back up via Wall Street. The sun wasn’t too strong yet, and everything went smoothly. The climb back up was a bit tougher for me, but it was manageable. On the way up, we saw some tourists doing dumb stuff, like that cute Asian girl hiking the trail in flip-flops. Pretty dangerous, if you ask me.

After that, we did the Rim Trail to Sunrise Point.

When we got back to the car, the parking lot was packed. A park ranger told us it’s best to come very early in the morning or late in the afternoon to find a spot. We took his advice and came back in the afternoon to visit Bryce Point.

Bryce Canyon really stole our hearts.

Left Bryce with a bit of regret to rejoin civilization—Las Vegas.

Hotel on the Strip with guaranteed parking.

I’ll be clear from the start: I really didn’t like Las Vegas. It’s maybe worth seeing once, but otherwise, it’s a city unfortunately filled with homeless people, constant smells of weed, exhibitionism, noise—everything I don’t enjoy, actually.

Our first day in Vegas was dedicated to renewing our wedding vows (exactly 50 years!) at the Elvis Chapel! They pick you up and drop you off in a limousine. Everything’s taken care of! The King’s lookalike is almost perfect, and the officiant was great (a former crew member from the *France* ocean liner). The only slight downside was the total cost of the evening. With dinner at Mon Ami Gabi, we were close to 1000 € all included! Well, once every 50 years, it’s acceptable.

Nighttime stroll on the Strip and back to the hotel. The next day, we visited some casinos and air-conditioned shopping centers, then took a taxi to Fremont Street. For those of us who, like me, suffer from misophonia, this is definitely not a place to recommend. It’s an ultra-noisy mess. A zipline in a covered shopping street—I still don’t get the point. Too many homeless people, unfortunately. Not to mention the dancers and everything else. In short, I wouldn’t recommend spending an entire evening there.

Took a taxi back to the Strip at night before heading to bed.

On this beautiful August morning, we left Las Vegas without any regrets.

Heading toward Death Valley and beyond to Mammoth Lake. Except—well, due to the heavy storms in Death Valley, all the roads were closed. So, we had to take a longer route between the park entrance and Mammoth Lake. I checked the road conditions daily on the park’s app, but nothing changed. They were still closed.

And of course, I didn’t check on the day of departure. Was I being silly? Yep! The road had just opened.

Once at the Area 51 gift shop in Amargosa Valley, I took the wrong turn without realizing it. Next thing I knew, I was on a road heading north through Death Valley to reach Mammoth Lake. Long story short, a bit of a hassle, but nothing too difficult. The road was beautiful, and the landscapes were amazing. What can I say?

After arriving at Mammoth Lake and checking into the hotel (meh), we relaxed by the pool, had dinner at a restaurant, and called it a night!

We had to adjust our plans, though. We weren’t about to miss Death Valley after all. And the next day, Sunday, we drove 600 kilometers round trip just to visit Furnace Creek. Turns out, it was a really nice day out.

We set off after a good night’s recovery for Tioga Road and Yosemite. That was actually the original plan. Given the schedule changes, we’re heading up to Bodie this morning before diving onto Tioga Road.

A quick stop by Mono Lake and the Clint Eastwood movie landscapes, and we arrive at the abandoned mining village. The place is nice, and the morning walk puts us in a great mood.

Bodie is such a cool village. Not too many tourists this morning. There were adults exploring and teens who couldn’t care less, just sitting on the steps of the buildings, eyes and fingers glued to their smartphones.

We hit the road again for Tioga Road. It’s true—it’s a pretty remarkable drive. Our next stop is Mariposa. A small town near Mariposa Grove, which I decided to visit without going any farther. Too much driving to get to Sequoia Park.

So, Tioga Road!

Tioga Road is absolutely stunning. I just can’t resist sharing a little more about it.

We arrive in Mariposa after skipping Yosemite Valley.

Time to settle in, a dip in the pool, and a light meal on-site. Breakfast will be the same as what was served in all the hotels we’ve stayed at so far—getting a bit tired of it, I’d say.

The next day, up early as usual for breakfast, then heading to the Mariposa Grove parking lot. Good thing we got there early—on the way back from exploring, it was packed. We caught one of the first shuttles before reaching Mariposa Grove.

Once there, we let everyone else go ahead while my wife headed to the restroom (classic) and I chatted with the rangers about the wildfires that had swept through the area. By the time we returned, the shuttle was much busier.

One last series from Mariposa Grove for fun!

Back to the hotel for a short nap interrupted by fire truck sirens.

When I open the curtains in my room, I see a thick dark brown plume of smoke—a sign of a good fire developing. I grab my Panasonic and head over there. I’m stopped by the Police and explain that I’m a Veteran! In the States, the word "Veteran" is an absolute free pass.

We chat with the police officer, who, between blocking vehicles, tells me about her job and shows me her car with the onboard camera and all the gear.

A great moment.

The next day, we set off at dawn after a so-so breakfast and hit the road toward Yosemite Valley.

When we arrived, half the parking lots were closed for construction, Glacier Point Road was closed for construction, and smoke was reducing visibility. The wildfires were still active. We’d make do.

For the famous waterfall, it’s August, so there’s no water. Bummer.

Since I'm in a good mood, here's one last series from Yosemite.

Before heading back to the hotel to prepare for our next departure, we made a stop at Wawona and its historic village. A short walk to honor this part of America’s memory.

Hello everyone!

Last day in Yosemite. A meal (heavy, as usual) at a great restaurant in Mariposa, and we're heading to SFO. The drive will undoubtedly be beautiful.

We reach the village of Castle on Highway 99. There’s an Aviation Museum, we’re early, and I decide to make a stop. The museum is next to an old US B52 base. It’s well-stocked but outdoors, which wears down the planes, and there’s a project to build a giant hangar to shelter the aircraft, like at Dulles Airport.

There are some amazing planes.

During my visit to Castle Museum, I see a CalFire truck and guys in orange jumpsuits. I’m not clueless—I know I’ve just stumbled upon CalFire’s program (California’s state firefighters with a budget that’s, wow, massive...) for probationers. They’re at Castle cleaning and maintaining the site. The prisoners are managed by CalFire. This aspect is really important.

Quietly, I approach and strike up a conversation with the firefighter who’s the detachment chief for the prisoners. I introduce myself and mention my veteran status, and boom—it works like a charm! The guy announces to the "orange jumpsuits" that I’m a veteran, and without coming closer, they all clap or just applaud my status.

We end up having a great moment. The guys in orange are inmates serving sentences of less than 7 years, with no violent or sexual crimes. Each year of probation with CalFire counts as 6 months off their sentence.

I ask the CalFire guy where his gun is. He tells me he doesn’t need one. If even one of them pulls a NOC (no-obey charge), their sentence automatically doubles, and they go straight back to prison—for 7 years or more.

I’d heard of the concept but never got this close before. Once back in France, I thought: why not here? Just to remind you, Mr. Dupont-Moretti is the Minister of Justice. I’m a co-founder of a Facebook group focused on civil security missions and wildfires, which includes high-ranking retired firefighters and a few sane civilians.

I pitch my idea of creating a similar unit in France, and we have the connections to reach the minister and quite a few people. Ah, networks beyond social media... [;)]

Anyway, skipping the details, there came a day when I was at a party with a friend of my son’s who works in the prison administration (the friend, not my son). She tells me: "Michel, your project is top-notch, but the unions will NEVER accept losing even an ounce of power or control over the issue."

We dropped the whole thing. But what an amazing encounter. We all know we’ve got next to no chance of becoming President of the Republic. But an inmate? That’s easier. [;)]

Arrived at SFO Airport to drop off the rental car, then took a taxi (watch out for scammers) to get to our hotel for 4 nights. I’d picked the hotel for the view of the Golden Gate, but bad luck—or just habit—the daily fog hid the bridge from us until the last day.

Since I don’t remember the exact days we went exploring, I’m posting the photos of what we visited in no particular order.

One thing’s for sure: we visited Alcatraz on the first day, right when the ferry opened, to avoid the crowds. Obviously, it’s a must-see.

While Alcatraz is a must-see, the cable car is too! Starting from the Port of SFO to Union Square makes for a pretty nice ride. The wait time is fairly short, we squeeze in, and off we go!

The old-timers here remember the TV series "Streets of San Francisco" or Clint’s movies like "Dirty Harry." We just had to check out those legendary streets, right?

Let's Go!!

And the famous Chinatown? Well, it’s still in the same place and pretty fun to explore. Safety isn’t an issue here. Lots of colors—great for photos.

We spent a morning in the Mission District. I’d read somewhere that the neighborhood was worth visiting for its tags and other graffiti. Let’s just say it was nice, but the experience didn’t last long because we didn’t feel safe. Not safe at all, as the locals would say.

I was really behind, but what a pleasure to read your travel journal! Thanks! [;)]

I’m a bit worried about the crowds this year since I couldn’t avoid traveling starting the last week of August. Even though I won’t be spending much time in the national parks, I was planning to head up to Crater Lake, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton at the beginning of my trip to take advantage of the still-pleasant weather... We’ll see. I know myself—if it’s too crowded, I’ll go play hermit in the middle of nowhere!

I was really behind, but what a pleasure to read your travel journal! Thanks! [;)] Even though I’ll only visit a few national parks, I was planning to head up to Crater Lake, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton at the start of my trip to enjoy the still-pleasant weather... We’ll see. I know myself—if it’s too crowded, I’ll go play hermit in the middle of nowhere!

Thanks for your message. For Yellowstone and Grand Teton, maybe by late August you’ll have fewer crowds with back-to-school season starting. Something to think about, really.

This Sunday, we’re taking a stroll through Golden Gate Park in SFO. It’s such a peaceful spot. And luckily, the GG Bridge is clear with no fog at all. We’ll stop on the way back.

The park is huge, and we’re starting in a magical place: the Japanese Garden. Even quieter there.

Just a stone's throw away, we find the Botanical Garden. Here too, we'll have some peace and quiet. It's true that it's still early and it's Sunday.

To wrap up this visit to Golden Gate Park, there’s still one beautiful spot left to explore: the Conservatory of Flowers. I’m passionate about flowers, but unfortunately, I don’t have a green thumb. So, all I can do is take photos. A lovely stroll among the flowers—Mimi was happy!

On the way back from this Sunday outing, we stopped by the Golden Gate Bridge because at least it was visible. That wasn’t the case the other days.

Before leaving SFO, a few last shots of the city and its iconic spots.

End of the stay in the West—time to head back to CDG by plane. So many people at the security checkpoints in SFO! Crazy!

During the flight, some nice spots and the massive wildfires in Canada.

And that’s a wrap. My travel journal ends here.

Favorite spots in the West?

In order: Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Canyonlands NP, Forrest Gump Point, Yosemite...

Disappointments: SFO, and places that were too crowded, like Monument Valley or Arches.

The worst: Las Vegas.

Next trips? August 2025: Middle East (if everything’s okay) and August 2026: Either Denver, Glacier NP, Oregon, and a stop at Yellowstone, or New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. The lady gets to choose.

Burning Man! ... I'm thinking of passing by nearby this year to try and capture some drone footage...

The moon in San Francisco has gotten so much bigger

I'm a bit like you when it comes to crowds. I can handle them less and less, especially in national parks, which are packed these days. I'm so glad I visited a large part of the USA 30 years ago, when tourism was much less developed. Same for Las Vegas. I don’t find the same charm there anymore—it’s just too much! ...

Anyway, what a magnificent trip! Thanks for sharing! Can’t wait to hit the road again. [;)]