Wonder Valley Ranch, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park

Day 1

Enjoy the ride to the Sports Leisure office this morning, then travel via LUX motorcoach to Wonder Valley Ranch, your gateway to fun. After departing Sacramento, your first stop is for lunch, then continue to Fresno where you take a left turn and head into the Sierra foothills. It’s spring so the hills should still be green from winter rains. Once known as a refuge for Hollywood stars in the 1950s, your resort-style hotel rooms at The Ranch offer classic accommodations for every guest, including complimentary Wi-Fi and in-room coffee service. There's lots to do, as you'll find out this afternoon as optional horseback riding or learning to shoot a bow and arrow is offered. Or perhaps you would prefer just relaxing by the lake. Whatever you choose, the springtime beauty of Wonder Valley awaits. Wonder Valley Ranch – 3 nights (L, D)

Day 2

Today is a full day of discovery. With a knowledgeable step-on guide, experience the sights and sounds of two exceptional national parks. We will visit Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park, followed by lunch at scenic Hume Lake. Our adventure continues into Seqouia National Park to see the famous General Sherman Tree. Of course, there will be plenty of scenic photo stops, and time for the Visitor Centers and gift shops. We will return to Wonder Valley for cocktail hour, dinner and a campfire under the stars. Truly a day of beauty and discovery. (FB, L, D)

Day 3

After breakfast, depart for Project Survival’s Cat Haven, an innovative park dedicated to the preservation of wild cats. It specializes in education and is engaged in both captive and range-country cat conservation. Protecting cats in their native habitat makes their work especially important as increasing external forces encroach on their habitat and populations. This docent-led walking tour and private “Cat Chat” presentation will bring us up-close and personal with these beautiful cats as we learn about their journey, and the dedication and services that Cat Haven provides. We return to Wonder Valley in time for lunch. The afternoon is free for you to enjoy the many activities the Ranch has to offer. Our last evening will be filled with food and fun. A farewell cocktail hour and dinner are followed by evening ranch activities and star gazing. (FB, L, D)

Day 4

After breakfast there’s time for one last activity at the ranch before we depart. The first stop is at the Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno. These gardens are a unique and fascinating network of subterranean rooms, courtyards and passageways, hand-built by Baldassare Forestiere, a Sicilian immigrant over a period of 40 years from 1906 to 1946. Our last stop is Hilmar Cheese Factory where a tour and lunch await. You’ll arrive back in Sacramento in the late afternoon. (FB, L)