This is a Journal of what it is like to see the California Coast, Yosemite, and Wine Country with Edgerton's Group Travel
By Charlie Adams, Speaker and Group Travel Host
This trip took place starting in mid September and went for 10 days.
To view the video of the trip, click below:
http://stokethefirewithin.com/video/california-coast.html
We boarded a motor coach for the morning drive to O’Hare Airport. Trisha O'Hanlon was the Manager of this trip. I have worked several trips with Trish and she does a tremendous job! As host, I welcomed everyone to what would become a very special trip! I can’t wait to tell you everything that happened! Let’s go!
1) Approach donkey (problems) from all sides (jump on, hop on, hold on, lay on…whatever it takes!)
2) Success isn’t guaranteed but the risk is worth the effort. How many times did you fall off that donkey! The good news is you NEVER QUIT!
3) NEVER QUIT!
4) Get up, get on with it!
Thank you, Pam, for those valuable insights. They are so true! Well, we arrived in
We were whisked to our hotel for the next two nights, the Crowne Plaza of Beverly Hills. Some travelers got out and made the walk to
After breakfast the next morning, we were off for a tour of
We walked the route the movie stars take to the Kodak Theater for the Academy Awards and got a great view of the famous
Next was a trip to the
The next day we began our journey north from
On the motor coach I often told jokes and shared inspirational stories. We all laughed as we journeyed up the highway. As host, I bring a lot of material along to share. My goal is to make sure people are entertained and they can take away some positive inspirational stories that they can apply in their own lives.
This trip just kept getting better. By late morning we were in the charming Danish
From there we headed north along the beautiful coast towards San Simeon. By late afternoon our motor coach had pulled into the BW Cavalier Hotel, located on a cliff overlooking the
That night we had prime rib that was mouth watering . . . and big! We walked the beach. They had roaring bonfires for guests to sit around and listen to the ocean at night. What a place to stay!
We were up bright and early for a delicious breakfast (14 meals were provided by Edgerton’s on this particular trip) and the short trip to the
We toured the 2700 square foot room that served as somewhat of a cocktail hour area for his guests. Winston Churchill, Howard Hughes, and Amelia Earhart had been in that very room. Then it was on to the dining room and the lengthy table. Hearst would sit at the middle. He loved hearing stories. If you were good, you stayed across from him at dinner. After awhile, though, you got seated towards the end. That was a sign it was time to go. Cary Grant had that routine down. He never overstayed a visit and was invited back over 40 times.
We saw the tennis courts where Charlie Chaplin used to play, walked through the guest houses, and saw where he kept polar bears and all kinds of animals. Afterwards, we were all inspired to go out and live opulent lifestyles!!
Upon leaving San Simeon we stopped on Highway 1 to see Elephant Seals lounging on the beach. This was remarkable. We got within 20 feet of them. Then, it was on towards
From there we made the famous 17 mile drive at
The next day would see us begin the exciting journey to…Yosemite! At lunch I talked with Barb Watkins and Nancy Raudman, who were traveling together as friends. Both are cancer survivors and inspirations to us all. There are so many special people that are a part of Travels with Charlie. I never cease to marvel at their life stories. As we journeyed towards Yosemite we couldn’t get over the landscape of California. There was never a dull moment. David Thompson and his wife Mary Ann couldn’t get over how hilly California was as a state. David thought it was flatter.
Our arrival to the Yosemite View Lodge was met with tremendous excitement. Again, another gem of a place to stay. Our travelers almost walked on air as they came out of their rooms talking about the beautiful river views. The rooms were gorgeous and spacious, with fireplaces and leather chairs. The Lodge was tucked into the mountains just two miles from the Park entrance. Ulla and Christine darted off for a quick swim at one of the three swimming pools. Bob and Thelma and their good friends Ed and Terri Yanke journey down a stream to watch fly fishermen in action. Later, over 25 of us gathered for drinks and conversation before going off to dinner.
The Lodge provided a hearty breakfast for us. Then we hopped into the motor coach and made the drive into Yosemite National Park! It was breathtaking. Over 1200 square miles of God’s incredible work were on display right before our very eyes. We drove south towards Mariposa Grove and the massive sequoias we had heard so much about. Upon arrival we hopped out and began a one mile walk into the forest. We passed Fallen Monarch, which was incredible. Then, we caught up with a park guide who shared fascinating insights on the trees. These sequoias, which sometimes lived to be almost 3000 years old, were massive. She told us they came from a seed the size of an oatmeal grain. As we hiked deeper, we came across Grizzly Giant! It was enormous. The branches were bigger than all of the other non sequoia trees nearby! Frances Dickson and her husband Regie stood in awe. “It just makes you want to say, ‘Thank you, Lord’ when you stand before something as awesome as this,” said Frances as her jaw dropped.
We continued on a short distance to the California Tunnel Tree. A hole had been cut out in 1895 for stage coaches to go through the tree. Then we went to the Yosemite Visitor Center to see the award winning Spirit of Yosemite short movie. Tour Manager Trish then gave everyone several hours to tour the Park. Several of us went to eat lunch at The Ahwahnee Hotel, which is nestled between Glacier Point, Half Dome and Yosemite Falls. Katherine Hepburn and the Queen of England were among those to have dined there. Ulla and Christine went on a nine mile bike ride. I broke off for brisk and challenging hike up a mountain to get an awesome view of the monolith Half Dome. We all met at 6 to go back to the Lodge. Ed, Terri, Bob and Thelma stayed for an evening meal at The Ahwahnee Hotel.
Yosemite was a remarkable experience, but the next day we were headed through the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the fertile San Joaquin Valley on our way to Napa Valley. We couldn’t get over how winding and high the road was coming out of Yosemite. Our driver, Jimmy, did a remarkable job of navigating us. We stopped in the charming town of Sonora for lunch. When I looked up I saw Nancy McLaughlin leading her husband Bill on a shopping excursion. Nancy is a professional shopper who is always focused and on a mission!
The afternoon saw us travel through Stockton and see the headquarters of Jelly Belly, the famous jelly beans. We arrived in Napa at the Napa River Inn. It is built within the walls of the historic 1884 Napa Mill. The rooms were beautiful. Paul and Marlene had three wings to their room. Bakeries and shops were connected to the Inn. Many of us headed out to nearby downtown Napa for dinner. Tuscany was the choice of about 20 in our group. It had an open exhibition kitchen with a wood fired pizza oven.
Tremendous anticipation greeted us the next day as Edgertons had us ready to go on the famous Napa Wine Train. We arrived and had a Wine Tasting and then it was “All Aboard” for a trip back to a gracious era of elegant rail travel. The rail car reserved for Edgerton’s was luxurious. Everyone settled into comfortable seats and peaceful views of vineyard after vineyard. The Train went 18 miles out and 18 miles back over three hours. The appetizers were delicious during the first half of the trip. The second half saw us escorted into the Dining Car. Oh, what a meal. I had the Grilled Salmon with Pappardelle Pasta and Sautéed Spinach in champagne ginger cream. I thought to myself that a glass of Miner Viognier 2006 would go well with that particular dish. No, I am not that smart or sophisticated. That’s what the menu suggested. The Wine Train was everything it had been built up to be. It was really interesting to see the different vineyards, including the one owned by director Francis Ford Coppolla. Our host said he bought that with money from the successful Godfather movies.
Our day wasn’t done. After departing the train we went on a private group tour of the Madonna Estate and Vineyard. It was named after the original Madonna, not the singer. It was created in 1922 during Prohibition of all times! They named it after Madonna thinking the catholic churches would want to buy wine from there, and they were right. We got to walk through the rows of vines and look at the grapes up close. We were told a healthy vine could live up to 100 years but usually lost its best zip after thirty years. Our host, who bore a striking resemblance to WNDU TV's Jeff Jeffers, took us into the buildings where we saw oak barrels from France that cost $1000 each to store wine. Inside we had our second wine tasting of the day (!) and a demonstration of a unique wine bottle opener. Pam Walz of Walkerton gave it a very good shot at opening a bottle with the device. Our tasting included a 2002 Estate Cabaret Sauvignon, which had dark fruity flavors with spicy and earth tones – a great selection to go with Cioppino!
From Napa we got on our motor coach and headed towards San Francisco! First, we had a stop at Muir Woods, which is about 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. We took two shuttle buses up the winding road to the entrance. Our driver, Rick, shared stories of having driven Clint Eastwood and Robin Williams on separate occasions. When told by studio executives not to ask Clint for his autograph, Rick said that was fine “as long as Clint didn’t ask for his autograph!”
Oh, what a peaceful place Muir Woods turned out to be. We got out and had a leisurely stroll through the deep, lush woods. We walked right by powerful coast redwoods that soared up towards the sky! Muir Woods was declared a national monument in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt, so we were seeing it during the 100 year celebration. Large Douglas Firs also impressed us as we continued our walk. Three deer grazed just ten feet off our trail. We got back to the gift shop for a lunch of soup and sandwiches before making the trip to San Francisco.
It took just minutes and we got an incredible view of the City by the Bay. Our motor coach went across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a gorgeous day. September is a great time to visit because of Indian Summer. Edgerton’s arranged for a San Francisco expert guide to join us and she shared all kinds of insights with us. I thought the Cliff House above the beach was very interesting. The beach was massive. We got some great pictures from the Cliff House area. Below, a couple was getting married while surfers challenged the waves. We went through parks and up and down city streets. After three hours we arrived at our hotel. It was the Argonaut, part of the elite Kimpton Group of hotels. Again, Edgerton’s did a remarkable job of arranging a very special place to stay. We were on Fisherman’s Wharf, just around the corner from Ghiradelli Square.
Many of our travelers got on cable cars to go up and down city streets. The famous “worlds crookedest street” was six blocks above us on Lombard. Alcatraz was nearby. Pier 39 and its many seals was down the street. What a place to stay!
This was a free day for travelers so folks did different things all over the city. As a motivational speaker, I delivered a midday talk at The Commonwealth Club on Market Street. For over 100 years they have provided speaking events for their members. As I spoke in one room, former Secretary of State George Schultz spoke in another room. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was speaking there that particular week as well as actor Alec Baldwin. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered his New Deal speech at the Club. VP Dan Quayle delivered his famous Murphy Brown speech to the group. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice presented her new policy initiatives before her 2005 tour of the Mideast. Other speakers have included Walter Cronkite, Al Gore and Katie Couric. I spoke about my 2008 book “Stoke the Fire Within” (Corby Publishing) and insights from peak performers I covered during my 23 years in TV News and Sports. I also have a passion for speaking on the college athletics recruiting process and educating families on how to navigate the recruiting trails. As a Senior Speaker for the National Collegiate Scouting Association of Chicago, I speak all over on this subject. You can go to ncsasports.org for more information.
Edgerton’s arranged an unforgettable Farewell Dinner for our final night. We had private tours of Chinatown. We stopped for group tea at Vital Tea Leaf and then it was onto Four Seas Restaurant for Chinese food that was delicious. And, man, was there plenty of it!!
On the final day we had time for a leisurely breakfast at the Argonaut and then it was time to head to the airport. Our gracious motor coach driver Jimmy told us how much he had enjoyed driving us around California for the week. Trish’s husband Bob did his famous Irish Jig in front of the hotel. Bob does a better job when he has a Manhattan! Since Notre Dame had defeated Purdue, traveler David Thompson – a Purdue alum – made good on his wager and sang the Notre Dame Fight Song with Bob in front of everyone. What a good sport! We drove to the airport and a nice flight back on United. Edgerton’s had a motor coach waiting at the airport and we made the drive back home, stopping in LaPorte, South Bend – Mishawaka, Elkhart and Fort Wayne for travelers to get off.
Oh, what a trip this turned out to be. It very well could have been my favorite trip of all the Travels with Charlie that I have hosted. I told Tom Edgerton that we have got to do this trip again, and initial plans are to have it every two years. I can’t wait to do this trip again. If you would like the information sent to you, contact your local Edgerton’s office today to make sure you get it as sure as it is made available.
Of course, one of the traditions of Travels with Charlie is that everyone gets a DVD of the trip that I produce along the way. In my 23 years of TV News I learned a lot about producing Specials on TV, so I take those lessons and apply them to the DVD. I capture every step of the trip so travelers can have special memories of the sights and sounds of the trip. Also, we have a Group Reunion Party at my home in Mishawaka 3 to 4 weeks after the trip. It’s a great way for everyone to visit again and talk about future Edgerton’s trips! If you ever need to contact me about any trips, email me at charlie@edgertonstravel.com
To view the video of this trip, click below:
http://stokethefirewithin.com/video/california-coast.html
You can always go to the Group Travel area of this site to see all of the trips that Edgerton's has arranged!
Charlie Adams
Speaker and Group Travel Host, Edgerton's Travel