One day in Fresno, let's have fun!

November 25, 2009 8:49 AM

How should I spend my afternoon in/near Fresno next weekend?

I'll be in Fresno for about 7 hours next Saturday and I'm looking for something to occupy myself. My usual fallback activity is browsing yarn shops and drinking coffee, but I'm open to other types of stuff, including a driving tour or something. Is Sequoia National Park too far away? What else would you suggest?

posted by cabingirl to travel & transportation (11 comments total)

Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon are both at least 2 hours drive from Fresno (and involve lots of turns and slow areas).
posted by Burhanistan at 8:57 AM on November 25, 2009

Kings Canyon is beautiful and the last half of the drive is quite scenic besides, I'm pretty sure four hours in the car is preferable to four hours in Fresno.
posted by foodgeek at 9:26 AM on November 25, 2009

Fresno grotto aka Forestiere Underground Gardens.
posted by hortense at 9:36 AM on November 25, 2009 [1 favorite]

Ahhh, the Underground Gardens are closed in December. If by next Saturday you mean the 5th then you're out of luck. Which is a shame, because they're absolutely lovely and fascinating.
posted by elsietheeel at 9:44 AM on November 25, 2009

Oops, yes, I mean December 5. That's too bad.
posted by cabingirl at 9:47 AM on November 25, 2009

Definitely head out of town and go to one of the state parks or even Yosemite.
posted by jadepearl at 10:28 AM on November 25, 2009

Kings Canyon is closed for the winter. I recommend Grant Grove over Sequoia for you. Shorter straighter road.
posted by notned at 10:39 AM on November 25, 2009

notned not sure what your talking about Kings Canyon and Sequoia National forest are open 365 days.
posted by pianomover at 1:16 PM on November 25, 2009

It's confusion with the names. The actual Kings Canyon is at the end of a long drive that is indeed very scenic. Grant Grove is a part of Kings Canyon park that is as you say open 365 days.
posted by notned at 5:12 PM on November 25, 2009

Meant to say the long drive to the actual Kings Canyon is on Hwy 180. If you check Caltrans road conditions, you'll see the closure.
posted by notned at 5:17 PM on November 25, 2009

I ended up first driving to Grant's Grove in Kings Canyon NP. The ride was nice and scenic, it took maybe 90 minutes. Then I still had about 4 hours to kill so I bit the bullet and drove down the General's Highway to Sequoia NP, then took 198/99 back to Fresno. That was cool except for the last winding parts after it got dark (white-knuckled at times). I made it back to the airport just in time. If I had it to do over I would have budgeted enough time to stop at In-N-Out Burger.

Thanks all!
posted by cabingirl at 9:36 AM on December 7, 2009