Leave the fog and the cable cars behind for two days in the high country, where San Francisco gives way to some of California’s most legendary scenery. You head east into Yosemite National Park for an afternoon among sheer granite walls, thundering waterfalls, and quiet meadows, with classic sights like El Capitan and Half Dome rising overhead. After a comfortable overnight stay, day two carries you south to Kings Canyon National Park, where giant sequoias tower over deep, glacier-cut canyons in the southern Sierra Nevada. It is a refreshing reset of fresh mountain air, big trees, and bigger views before the easy drive back to the Bay.