Sequoias, Wine & Wonder Valley Ranch

Day 1 – Welcome to the Wonder Valley Ranch! (Monday, May 11)

From our departure points this morning we’ll travel by deluxe motorcoach into California’s Central Valley, making a morning rest stop and a stop for lunch on your own. This afternoon we’ll continue into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and arrive at the Wonder Valley Ranch Resort, the 75-acre all-inclusive, western-style guest ranch located in the scenic Wonder Valley east of Sanger. While enjoying a three-night leisure stay at California’s oldest guest ranch, we’ll appreciate the modern accommodations, paved walkways with antique lamps, gorgeous grounds and the attentive service. Upon arrival, we’ll enjoy a guided historic tour of the ranch followed by a nightly hosted “happy hour. ” Following a scrumptious ranch buffet dinner, we’ll gather around the campfire and recall memories of warm family gatherings while sipping hot cider or cocoa amongst the good company of our fellow travelers. Enjoy a horse-drawn hayride for spectacular views of the night sky (weather permitting) and a magic show. (Dinner)

Day 2 – Kings Canyon National Park (Tuesday, May 12)

After an included breakfast at the ranch, we’ll be joined by our resort guide and travel east into Kings Canyon National Park. The dramatic landscape here testifies to nature’s size, beauty, and diversity – huge mountains, rugged foothills and the world’s largest trees! The Kings Canyon Visitor Center and its informative displays about the trinity of treasures will provide the perfect introduction to the Park. We’ll follow Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, the iconic road carved into granite that descends into Kings Canyon, traversing an extraordinary cross section of geographical terrain and provides progressively more stunning views of Kings Canyon. As we make our way to the glaciated canyon floor, you’ll find yourself suddenly feeling quite small and understand why John Muir once called this valley “a rival to Yosemite.” One of the deepest canyons in North America, Kings Canyon offers a massive panorama of scenery that is above and beyond. After an included picnic lunch, this afternoon we’ll take a leisurely stroll through the General Grant Grove (elevation 6,600 feet) along the paved General Grant Tree Trail. Protected by the federal government as part of General Grant National Park in 1890 – one of our nation’s first national parks – this grove later became part of Kings Canyon National Park. We’ll stand in awe as we walk amongst this mixed conifer and sequoia forest with giant sequoia trees that are 3,000 years old with trunks weighing 1,400 tons! The grove’s most famous and largest tree is The General Grant Tree. The third largest tree in the world at nearly 50,000 cubic feet, this goliath measures 107 feet in circumference – that’s the same width as three lanes of traffic! The tree is almost 300 feet tall and has the largest base diameter of any tree in the world at more than 40 feet! We’ll return to the resort late this afternoon, followed by evening festivities to include a hosted “happy hour,” included dinner and original entertainment. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 3 – San Joaquin Valley Wine Tasting (Wednesday, May 13)

This morning we’ll enjoy the morning at leisure to relax or take advantage of the resort’s amenities and activities which include a swimming pool, hot tub, a lake for fishing and canoeing, tennis, horseshoe pits, a game pavilion with ping pong, foosball and pool tables, horseback riding (additional fee) and much more! After an included lunch at the ranch, we’ll board the motorcoach with our resort guide for a San Joaquin Valley wine tasting experience. Located in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada, the San Joaquin Valley is blessed with the perfect combination of sun, fertile soil, and water for making wine grapes. In fact, it is California’s largest wine region, producing 70% of the state’s grapes for wine. We’ll visit three award-winning, locally owned wineries that craft rare and eclectic wine varietals. While tasting artisan wine at each winery, we’ll learn about their history, their traditional and hand-crafted methods, successes and challenges in the wine industry. We’ll return to the resort to enjoy the hosted “happy hour,” included dinner and original entertainment this evening. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 4 – Journey Home (Thursday, May 14)

Following a surprise activity at the resort, we’ll begin our journey home, making rest stops and a stop for lunch on your own along the way. We’ll return to our drop-off points this evening with many fond memories of our time exploring the Sequoias, wine tasting in the San Joaquin Valley and the fun we had at the Wonder Valley Ranch Resort. (Breakfast)

If you prefer additional time at the Wonder Valley Ranch Resort to take full advantage of the amenities and activities, you may stay back at the resort on days 2 and/or 3 (though there is no discount for this option).

While we make every effort to operate our tours as outlined in the itinerary, we ask for your patience, understanding and flexibility and to retain a sense of adventure while traveling with us. Situations may arise that necessitate changes to the itinerary. Should we need to adjust the itinerary either prior to or while on tour, these changes will be communicated to you and only done when absolutely necessary.