sunset/sunrise locations Bay Area

[Khurram]

I'm going to be going to San Jose for work for about two months (dec-jan), wanted to know some good suggestions for sunrise/sunset in and around san jose.

on the weekends i plan to go out to carmel,  big sur, yosemite, point reyes. and the golden gate area.

Again, would appreciate some advice on sunset/sunrise "golden light" locations in htese locales.

any other suggestions?

How far is death valley?

[Jack Flesher]

any other suggestions?

How far is death valley?
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hi Kurram:

First off, in winter the only way to get to DV is to go somewhere else first -- in fact it's not much better in the summer   You will either have to go south on HWY 5 or 99 to Bakersfield then across to Mojave then back North to DV, or go NorthEast to Tahoe/HWY 50 or Reno/HWY 80 and then South on HWY395 to DV.  Tahoe/Reno is a bit longer, but has the advantage of more interesting scenery getting there IMO; you go directly through Bishop and can take a day to photograph at the Alabama hills.  Going the southern route, I can make DV in about 10 hours.

As for sunrise/sunset, are you wanting into or away from the sun at those times?  Unfortunately, there are not many locations I woudl say are great.  Mt. Hamilton has possibility, but it takes almost 2 hours to hoof it up there from the valley floor -- narrow winding road -- and IMO the view is not that spectacular. Here is a link to the Lick Observatory web cam: [a href=\"http://www.rdcrisp.darkhorizons.org/Lick_cam_page.htm]http://www.rdcrisp.darkhorizons.org/Lick_cam_page.htm[/url]

Probably you will be better off along the coast somewhere for SR/SS.

Also, don't rule out the Napa Valley as a possile destination.

Cheers,

[Paul Sumi]

Here's a good source for Monterey/Big Sur information:

http://jrabold.net/bigsur/

As an alternative to Jack's 10 hour drive to Death Valley, it's faster to fly to Las Vegas, and drive to DV from there.  You can take Southwest Airlines (http://www.southwest.com/) or other carrier from San Jose International.  Flight time non-stop less than 90 minutes, drive time to DV about 3 hours:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/location...th_valley.shtml

Paul

[Khurram]

Jack/Paul,
thanks for the information.

I didn't realize Death valley were that far out. I'm only going to be able to get away on weekends - going to san jose for work.

so i think i'll probably stick to montery/big sur, point reyes and wine country for my exploring.

[Lisa Nikodym]

so i think i'll probably stick to montery/big sur, point reyes and wine country for my exploring.

Death Valley may be a long way, but Yosemite is closer, about 3-1/2 hours from the Bay Area, and well worth it.  It works well for a weekend trip.  You might have trouble getting reservations in the Valley on short notice, but you can usually find rooms at El Portal, a town just outside the park boundaries and about 1/2 hour from the Valley.

Also, not so good for sunrise or sunset, but don't miss one of the redwoods parks while you're in the area.  The greatest of them is Big Basin State Park, but there are lesser ones too just a very short drive from San Jose.

Lisa

[Paul Sumi]

A couple more thoughts:

Check out the Marin Headlands in Golden Gate National Recreation Area:

http://www.nps.gov/goga/mahe/

If you get up to Mendocino, there's the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens:

http://www.gardenbythesea.org/

Paul

[GregP]

Some idease for cityscapes - San Francisco.

Sunrise:
Golden Gate bridge from Fort Point
City skyline and/or bridge from Crissy Field
Marine Headlands
Palace of fine arts (early AM)

Sunset:
Golden Gate bridge from Baker beach
Marine headlands
The bridge from Battery Cranston
Coit tower from Hyde Street
Alamo Square

[Khurram]

Some idease for cityscapes - San Francisco.

Sunrise:
Golden Gate bridge from Fort Point
City skyline and/or bridge from Crissy Field
Marine Headlands
Palace of fine arts (early AM)

Sunset:
Golden Gate bridge from Baker beach
Marine headlands
The bridge from Battery Cranston
Coit tower from Hyde Street
Alamo Square
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=51980\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I'd like to thank everyone for their suggestions. I'm off to Big Sur tomorrwo, next week i'll try to hit some of the SF cityscapes, by then i should have my 1DmkIIN and will hit Yosemite.  i'm hoping to make the most of the weekends during my 2 1/2 month business trip here at san jose. should be fun

[danmitch]

Early posters are right about the distance and routes to Death Valley. I enjoy going via the Central Valley/Mojave route and then returning up the east side of the Sierra Nevada via Hiway 395. The eastern Sierra is spectacular almost any time, but winter is something special.

Regarding San Jose area sunset/sunrise, don't forget that you are only about a half hour or so (OK, a bit longer than that) from the Pacific Ocean. The whole coastal area between San Francisco and Big Sur is within day driving distance.

I enjoy the dry coastal hills south of San Jose this time of year. I'm partial to hiking at New Almaden Quicksilver County Park and Calero County Park, but there are many other areas with similar vistas of grassland (dry but starting to become green during your visit) and oaks.

DAn

[Jonathan Wienke]

If you have GPS and a 4-wheel drive vehicle, there's an embarrassment of riches in this area:



To approach from the east, take 505 north from 80, then 16 west. Look for signs for the Cache Creek Casino to get you into the general area. To approach from the west, take 505 north, then go west to Lake Berryessa. Go around the west side of the lake past Spanish Flats then follow Knoxville Road north toward Clear Lake. If the weather has been wet, the east and west approaches may be flooded, and you'll need to take 16 past this area until you reach Cear Lake, then go south from Clear Lake to Knoxville road, then enter from the west. The scenery is spectacular throughout most of the area. Just make sure you have emergency supplies in case you get stuck.

BTW, all of the markings on the map point to excellent photo spots. I've been to each one, and guarantee you won't be disappointed.

[andyfrazer]

I don't know if you're still in the Bay Area (it's January, now) or not. But here's my thoughts on your request...

December and, especially, January are not usually goods months for sunsets along the coast in northern  California. Even on a clear day, the western sky tends to cloud up very quickly as the sun goes down.

Having said that, two of the best sunset locations that I've come across are 1). Sutro Baths in San Francisco (next to the Cliff House restaurant), and 2). the Marin Headlands (especially Battery Mendel and Rodeo Beach). Here's on from Rodeo Beach

If it is clear on the evening that you'd like to shoot, there's a restaurant with a large parking lot on Hwy 17 just south of Summit Road, halfway between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz. That spot has a spectacular vista of Half Moon Bay all the way south to Monterrey (on a clear day).

During those months, you might really want to focus on sunrises, I'm afraid.

Good luck,

Andy Frazer
Andy's Night Photos

[bobtowery]

Do you think you could post a few photos from your spots around Clear Lake?

TIA, Bob.