Yosemite

Trip Start Sep 03, 2007
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Trip End Jun 17, 2009


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Flag of United States  , California,
Friday, November 2, 2007

A bright and sunny but cool November morning. We now left the coast and turned NE heading for the 'Yosemite National Park'. Paso Robles, Fresno and eventually Yosemite. This was a steady run and it was getting late afternoon as we reached the Park.

We had been slowly climbing for most of the day but we now had some serious twisty hills as we entered the Park proper. Huge forests covered most of the area and at one stage we came out of a long tunnel and saw the canyon area. WOW. These are enormous granite cliffs with several features such as 'El Capitan' (3593 feet from base to summit), 'Half Dome' ( 8842 feet high and is 87 million years old ) and the "Bridalveil Falls', a 620 foot drop which still had a whispery stream of water cascading off the edge even in this dry season. I think this was just as spectacular as the spring snow melt. We drove to the 'Yosemite Lodge' by the main falls, which were dry at this time of year Tunnel through mountain on approach to Yosemite
Tunnel through mountain on approach to Yosemite
 . They were full, where do all these blooming tourists come from ? Plan B, we drove back up the road, which bordered a serious cliff edge, some 20 miles to the Wawona Hotel, an 1870's place that was one of the first hotels in the park. Big balconies and a great Victorian old world charm. After a serious warning about bears in the area from the check-in clerk, we got a room in the main annexe that was Victorian but clean and comfortable, complete with claw foot bath tubs and brass fixtures. A good meal in the restaurant was followed by entertainment from a pianist in the lounge. We walked cautiously back to the annexe, some 100 yards away and saw 2 large deer grazing in the moonlight just under the verandah. We crept closer and watched them for ages whilst a screech owl scared the daylights out of anything that moved in the small wood that spread to the forests around us.

A restful sleep until the cast iron victorian plumbing sprang, or rather shrieked to life at 4am in the morning. It sounded like the Titanic breaking apart but I suppose that adds to the realism of the place !! Norah thought it was a bear trying to get in !!

Distance driven  270 miles
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