CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' - YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

One of the appeals of heading out to California was the possibility of fitting into our trip a quick jaunt out to Yosemite National Park.  Jason has always wanted to see Half Dome and really, no trip to California would be complete without an excursion to Yosemite.  We had just less than 24 hours to get there, soak in the beauty of it all, and make it back to San Francisco (our original starting point), hopefully missing the Labor Day traffic. It was about a five hour drive (each way) but it was scenic, for the most part, and there were plenty of opportunities to stop at road-side veggie, nut, and fruit stands all along the way.  As we had already found out, the freshness of the vegetables and fruits and nuts was amazing.  I think I had the most delicious and biggest strawberries I have ever had!  I couldn't resist a quick snapshot.  (many more pics of fruits and veggies to come from our trip to San Francisco) 

Click on the picture and then zoom in for a better look!

Once at Yosemite and after our initial marvel at Half Dome we were entertained (and a little freaked out) by a huge rock slide right behind us at the outdoor cafe.  One of the Rangers said it was very infrequent to see them this time of year and he confirmed it was a big one.  It sounded as you might think it would...VERY LOUD!  It wouldn't be the first one we heard but it was the only one we actually witnessed.  I, being a pretty light sleeper, (although to me it was a sound that could wake the dead!) counted about five more rock slides through out the night. 

We took our little compact rental car up one of the trails (I can't remember the elevation but we were up there!) and got to see a great view of the park and valley.  We also got to see a mamma bear and her cubs foraging for an evening snack.  The weather was perfect and the crowds were very manageable.  

The Awanee Hotel is a landmark in the National Park system and although we couldn't get in for dinner (no jeans allowed and reservations required) we did have a nice dinner at the hotel's other restaurant and then made reservations for breakfast at the Awanee.  The lodge was absolutely gorgeous and a must-see for anyone staying at Yosemite.  We only dined there as we had reserved a framed canvas tent for the night.  This was another unforgettable part of our trip.  

Click on the picture and then zoom in for a better look!

Our stay at Yosemite was short but truly wonderful.  It was one of our better decisions deciding to leave Yosemite before Labor Day as the traffic we passed heading out was incredible.  But seeing RV and camper and boat after boat wind up the roads leading to the park was quite entertaining.  It helped distract me from constantly looking down over the rim of the perilously narrow and winding and curving roads that we were on for what seemed like hours.  Jason couldn't drive slow enough for my taste!