day trips – Josh Trips

Fresno, located in California’s Central Valley, is a city that is not on a lot people’s radar. With its growing population (it’s the 5th-most populous city in California!) and a federal courthouse, I’ve had friends relocate there recently and have noticed a lack of information on fun places to visit while there.

With a central location, Fresno has some really incredible day trips within your reach (if you aren’t afraid of some time in the car!). Here are 5 great day trips you can take from Fresno.

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is one of the beautiful places on the planet and located about 2 hours away from Fresno. Be sure to arrive early to take advantage of some truly amazing hiking trails and bring your camera too.

Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park, which is adjacent to to Kings Canyon National Park, is home to Hume Lake and some amazing sights. While only Hume Lake is reachable for a day trip, it’s a great getaway if you’re looking for some boating fun.

San Luis Obispo County

Whether it’s wine tasting in Paso Robles or exploring the Hearst Castle, the rolling hills of San Luis Obispo County make for an awesome day trip, especially if you want to get some sun.

Kings Canyon National Park

If you want to get out in the mountains, check out Kings Canyon National Park, which is located on the southern end of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. There are some amazing hikes in Kings Canyon, including part of the John Muir Trail.

Monterey

Boasting a beautiful harbor and one of the best aquariums in California, Monterey makes for an amazing day trip. Though slightly long (you can make it in a little over 2 hours if you get lucky with traffic), you won’t regret checking out this amazing coastal town.

If these day trips aren’t enough for you, you can always check out these homes for sale in Fresno, CA and think about making it your permanent base.

Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities in the world. Through circumstance and choice, I usually end up visiting at the end of November. I love Hong Kong in November and part of the reason is that, for me, the weather is perfect around that time – with moderate daytime temperatures (around 65 -70 degrees Fahrenheit this trip) and generally sunny skies. I love walking around in shorts, without the oppressive heat, and seeing the Christmas decorations next to palm trees.

Whenever I visit Hong Kong, I always make grand plans to explore areas outside of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, such as Macau or its beaches. But, like clockwork, every time I visit I end up enjoying the city so much that I never leave its grips.

hong-kong-peak — Victoria Peak, Hong Kong

That all changed this last trip to Hong Kong, when I made it for a day trip to Stanley Beach after spending Thanksgiving in Palawan.

It started, like most great stories, on Grindr. I met an American also visiting from the U.S. alone, who was in Hong Kong for the first time. He wanted to explore the city and because my hotel was right by Victoria Peak, I mentioned that we should go up it. It had been a few years since I had visited, so I didn’t mind revisiting and taking in the city views. After taking in the view and walking around a bit, he mentioned wanting to go to Stanley’s Main Beach on the south-side of Hong Kong Island, and after Googling it and seeing pictures, I agreed.

We decided to order an Uber. It was hard finding a place for the driver to pick us up, and we walked around trying to find a hotel to call from. We had no luck though, so found a store with an address on the front, and put that location in a map. The Uber driver arrived in a gorgeous, new Mercedes Benz, spoke perfect English, and whisked us away on a roughly 20 minute and $15 drive to Stanley Beach.

I was instantly struck by how calm and laid back the vibe was there. In fact, I couldn’t believe I was still in Hong Kong – it felt like the Gold Coast in Australia! Being that it was the end of November and not quite swimming weather, it was fairly empty, though definitely warm enough to tan (I didn’t bring a bathing suit, though, and was unsure of Hong Kong laws on nudity).

There were a plethora of restaurants – from Italian to Thai to Pizza – and there was an amazing beach vibe. It’s definitely family-friendly, as there were a lot of kids with their parents and even a fun race going on, where participants were racing in wheelbarrows.

The beach is fairly small, and I felt as though spending 2-3 hours there was plenty. However, if you like to shop, there is a great market there, with lots of clothes, art, and food that could make it worth a longer stay.

Stanley is worth checking out, particularly if you need to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

Tag: day trips

5 great day trips from Fresno

A day trip to the beach in Stanley, Hong Kong