California Dazzling: A Roadtrip Vacation Spectacular - Last Update and Final Thoughts 11/8

[PrincessInOz]

We walked the Mist trail many years ago. There was a heap of water then....your pictures show how dry it has gotten.

It's a stunning walk, isn't it?

 

[GoofyFan1515]

This day I got up relatively early to go on a hike. Michael had decided to opt out of any hiking. The problem was that during our days there, there was a real heatwave happening. The temperatures were in the high 90s every day. And this kind of weather is really not conducive for mountain climbing. Unless you have a really early start – mornings were quite bearable as it cooled down nicely during the night. I guess, you all will see where Michael’s problem with that scenario was.

Hmmm.......that's a toughie.

And I think splitting up was the smart thing to do. This way, I could start as early as I wanted instead of being annoyed that Michael was not moving as early as I would have wanted, which would then have resulted in both of us being grumpy (one because of the early morning, the other because the morning was not early enough) and then having to hike in the hot weather.

My plan was to hike to Vernal Fall. The official description of this trail is:

Top of Vernal Fall
Distance: 2.4 mi (3.9 km) round trip (via Mist Trail)
Elevation gain: 1000 ft (300 m)
Difficulty: Strenuous
Time: 3 hours

Sounds a little like my run this morning with my youngest DS. 3.2 miles.....one way, 1000 ft. elevation gain, and only considered Moderately Strenuous???

On the way to the shuttle bus I saw a very pretty bird:

Female Blue Jay???

Until there the trail was quite steep, but still a very nice paved trail. You could push a stroller up to this point, but it would be quite some work because of how much it ws uphill.

But then the stairs started!

Paved??? Hmpf........... Oh wait.......you said STAIRS???

And soon I got a view of the waterfall:

Well there you go.........the big reward!

As you can see, there are people on the trail, but it was not a constant row of people. That would change later!

Uh oh..........

I don’t understand people who litter along the trail, but here I came across the most bizarre piece of garbage left on the side of the trail:

I've heard of people walking out of their shoes, but this..........???

As you can see, there is not a lot of water, but there is still a decent amount of water in this waterfall!

Compared to the other falls you posted about earlier............

And the other one was to make my way over to the John Muir Trail that would then lead me back to the valley, so this would be a loop then instead of climbing down all those stairs. I like loop trails. I never really approve of hiking back the same way that I came. Also, the other trail supposedly was less steep and I really was not looking forward to climbing down all those stairs.

Sounds like a good choice!

And then I started to become more and more aware of the fact that while it had been really busy on that other trail, no one else was using this trail!! I was totally on my own. At first it did not bother me, but then I started to think of bears and mountain lions and I got really scared!!

I have known anyone who has ever been injured or killed by a bear or mountain lion, so you would have been the first. In other words, I think you were very safe.

Oh good..........not sure where you were going with that comment to start with. Now if she had insisted you get up early and join her.............

So, I turned around. By now, I was really really scared! I kept making noises on my own, hoping that if any bear was around that that would scare them away. Most likely I was not nearly noisy enough though. You should have used your scary sounds on the ceiling fan!

Or attract them............

And then I started to see the real masses!! So many people on that trail. And so many of them totally not equipped for even that easy part of the trail. I saw so many people with flip flops!! Who would ever think about any kind of trail in the countryside that should be walked in flip flops????

Flip flops? Really???

I made my way down and was so happy about my morning walk and felt great! But I was also hot and sweaty now and was looking forward to some lunch!

That was pretty much the same for me this morning too............

We decided to get some lunch at the food court. I went for a Caesar Salad:

Okay, since I hadn't had breakfast my choice was an omelet. But your salad looks pretty good too!

Michael found a place to climb down to the river and sat there a little while to put his feet into the water. He came back and told me that his feet are now very happy – and that’s how this place became Happy Feets instead of Happy Isles!

Shouldn't that pic of my Happy Feet be here?

The big reveal.............

Well, he came to regret this… Yes, he did. He is starting to be more assertive in this relationship. Let's see how she likes it. If her next trip report is being co-authored by Bucky, you'll know the answer!

Well, @nodnol is already co-authoring a trip report with me, it just seems to have difficulty to get started even though the trip that is being reported on predates this...

Oh THAT should never happen............ BTW, where HAS Katharina been lately???

And then we became suspicious. Even the wildlife expert had to admit that it was unlikely that all the bears in the region used this specific trail as their bathroom. And I also spotted something that looked very much like a horseshoe imprint in the sand…

So, yes, it was caused by horses, not bears!

It was pretty miserable. It wouldn't have been a great hike in summer period. No lake. Extreme heat. Dust. But add the fact that you are following a dozen defecating horses that are covering the train in their waste and you are wearing sandals and ... again, this may be an E-Ticket experience in say Delaware, but for me it was getting an F.

Oh come on Michael............you think they have something that high class in Delaware???

Shortly thereafter we made it to Mirror Lake, but we did not feel very peaceful at all. Looking at the pictures now, it was pretty though.

Made that walk to Mirror Lake when I was there........but in reflection, it seems there was a lot more water then.

We quickly got on a shuttle to our hotel and cleaned up. We had to get pretty as we had dinner plans tonight! We had made a reservation for dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel dining room.

You BOTH had to get pretty before dinner...........

This were the choices:

That looks like a really good list of choices!

The prime rib wasn't bad. It was actually good. But not very good or exceptional. I sorta talked myself, with some help from M, into ordering it when my preferences were either a steak or a chicken dish (they also had a noodle bowl/veggie dish that sounded delicious, but also sounded like something you have on your sixth meal here and not your first.)

I considered the Prime Rib from that menu, but then thought the steak and chicken might be a better choice too! As for the noodle bowl/veggie dish, I agree it sounds like a sixth meal choice......for a five day stay!

While I had trouble deciding between a pork dish and a fish that was called steelhead. I had never heard of that fish, so I asked. Our server told me that it was a local fish and it was similar to trout as well as to salmon. I like both of these, so I decided to try this.

The Steelhead sounded like a good choice too! Glad you ended up really happy with it.

We then looked at the dessert menu and had a hard time deciding, so we asked our server for a recommendation and she recommended the crème brulee.

I don't think you can ever go wrong with créme brulee.

Great update Magdalene!! Please find Michael's Happy Feet!!I really want to see them !!

Okay Ms. Torpedo............

I AM!!!!!!

Just kidding Sweetie

 

[englishrose47]

Okay Ms. Torpedo............

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

This day I got up relatively early to go on a hike. Michael had decided to opt out of any hiking. The problem was that during our days there, there was a real heatwave happening. The temperatures were in the high 90s every day. And this kind of weather is really not conducive for mountain climbing.

Try it with a 30-lb. baby strapped to your back!

There were plenty of people setting out for the same hike, but it was not too crowded yet. It was also pleasantly cool still!

Rope Drop for the win!

You could push a stroller up to this point, but it would be quite some work because of how much it ws uphill.

I don't even want to imagine pushing a stroller on that trail.

I don’t understand people who litter along the trail, but here I came across the most bizarre piece of garbage left on the side of the trail:

After that was done and they had started to move again, I heard that they were actually talking German to each other. That was funny as we had spoken English the whole time!

The area up there was very beautiful!

It looks beautiful! I bet the waterfall is spectacular in the spring.

I like loop trails. I never really approve of hiking back the same way that I came.

Me too. Loop trails make it more interesting.

The trail was beautiful, but it was strange that it continued to climb up – it did not go down.

That's annoying.

By now, I was really really scared! I kept making noises on my own, hoping that if any bear was around that that would scare them away. Most likely I was not nearly noisy enough though. You should have used your scary sounds on the ceiling fan!

Do you have any audio recordings? This could be entertaining.

I saw so many people with flip flops!! Who would ever think about any kind of trail in the countryside that should be walked in flip flops????

I don't understand people sometimes.

Michael wanted a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich after he saw them being prepared yesterday when we had our hotdogs.

I'm always nervous about ordering a Philly cheesesteak outside of the greater Philly area.

I will update here and post it on the thread, so that you know what his happy feet look like!

We will await with bated breath.

We started out on the trail and very quickly it turned into a very sandy trail. This was not so good as we both were wearing sandals.

Well, at least they weren't flip flops.

So, yes, it was caused by horses, not bears! And lots of it!

It was pretty miserable. It wouldn't have been a great hike in summer period. No lake. Extreme heat. Dust. But add the fact that you are following a dozen defecating horses that are covering the train in their waste and you are wearing sandals and ... again, this may be an E-Ticket experience in say Delaware, but for me it was getting an F.

The Delawareans are smart enough to get up early and do the fun hikes before it gets too hot.

Overall we had a lovely meal! The whole atmosphere of the place was wonderful. They have a dress code and people definitely followed the dress code, even though they were in a National Park. There was someone playing on a grand piano. There were candles on the tables, the service was excellent, the food was very good. We had so many fantastic meals during this trip, but this definitely belongs in the top 5.

Sounds like a nice place for a dinner!

It was a perfect evening!

 

[Flossbolna]

Great update Magdalene!! Please find Michael's Happy Feet!!I really want to see them !!

I will try to get him to find it for me! I promise!

Conditioner is this curly haired girl best friend.

Exactly!! I sometimes think that my teenage years would have been far happier if I had already known the hair routine that I have now.

New Orleans. But we usually swap More East Coast for More West Coast. So maybe next year!

Sounds great! I would love to visit New Orleans!

We say a blind Squirrel finds a nut now and then.

Yes, the same!

 

[Flossbolna]

That does not sound like pleasant hiking weather at all.

It was ok, if you got an early start!

Despite there not being a lot of water, this still looks stunning.

I would love to see it in May though!

What a shame. Glad that it was only the battery.

I have had bad luck with cameras during vacations. Once I lost one (I was reunited with it later on) and another time I destroyed my camera by hitting a wall with it while it was dangling from my wrist.

That looks really pretty. What a shame that it was such a pain to get there.

We will try again on our next visit to Yosemite!

Dinner looked lovely.

It was wonderful!

What an update!
Love all the photos and your hiking along the trails - better you than me.
No, it sounds like an awesome day, even though I would not have your stamina and do all that walking. And I agree with Rosie, we need to see that photo of Michael's "Happy Feet"!

But then you have all the mountains around you to train on! Will try to get the picture from Michael!

 

[Flossbolna]

Yikes! did you get your feet wet or jump across on stepping stones?

Oh, no!! This picture was taking from the bridge across the stream. I guess I should have mentioned it.

OK that's where I would turn around.

The first part of the walk was a bit steep, but really manageable. And in the spring one would have a nice view from there.

I find that the more I turn my camera on and off, the more that it's batteries go dead faster. I don't know if that helps, plus if you've had the camera for a while the battery just may not hold a charge as long as it did when it was new.

I think the problem was that it did not charge properly when I charged it the previous evening. But I can definitely tell that the battery is not as good as it used to be.

I wouldn't worry about lions or bear, but I would worry about slipping and falling down a cliff with no one around to notify authorities

That was definitely another consideration. But I have done quite a bit of hiking on trails like this and felt fairly confident. But then, things can always happen.

Again rope drop is always a good strategy.

Definitely!

I could tell that was horse poop from the moment I saw it. Where I grew up, lots of people had horses up in the hills and many of my friends had their own ponies.

I should have realized this, too...

They really don't. I guess pollution was really bad when they stopped letting people drive around themselves.

I think it is also a question of congestion and they don't want to build a four lane highway through the valley.

The choices for dinner looked very nice! Although I don't agree with you that this was enough to share!

Oh, it was a fairly large soup plate...

I'm glad that people actually followed the dress code. On our last trip they had a very easy dress code. No jeans, T-shirts, tennis shoes or shorts in the main dining room at dinner. There were still some low lifes who wore jeans and T-shirts to dinner. I mean how hard is it to put on a pair of slacks and a polo shirt? They sold the shirts in the gift shop. I hate when people think they are "above" the requests of the establishment and then the establishment doesn't enforce their policies.

I sometimes wonder if dress codes really make sense. To me someone in clothes that follow the rules can look worse than someone who does not follow them. For example, black, dressy jeans can often look better on a man than some old khakis. I believe more in dressing for the occasion than following a specific dress code. But then it becomes very arbitrary and depends on personal taste. Here in Germany dress codes are more or less non existent and often Germans would dress more casual than Americans for similar activities. But then on the other hand, Germans tend to not dress down as much as Americans on other occasions.

 

[Flossbolna]

Interesting. I guess you never caught up with then to speak German with them?

No, and even if I had, I would most likely not have said anything. We Germans rarely bond over being from the same country when abroad...

Yeah I would be bothered by being out there all alone too. Yup the thought of being off a cliff and left to die would cause me to turn around.

That's what Alison said, too. But to me this was the least of my fears.

Glad Michael's feet got to be happy.

I really need to get him to find this picture. He currently needs to be reminded of happy moments...

Not a fan of sandy sandals.

Yes, then the feet definitely were not happy!

Oohhh Now I am past a little NOT happy....

Yes, Michael felt exactly like this little guy!! I found it more amusing...

Sounds nice - and great pictures.

Dinner was lovely!

An overall great day with some really fantastic pictures.

Yes, I think for me this was one of the best days of the whole vacation!

 

[Flossbolna]

We walked the Mist trail many years ago. There was a heap of water then....your pictures show how dry it has gotten.

It's a stunning walk, isn't it?

Maybe you did it earlier in the year? It always dries up to a large degree during the summer. It is one of the few waterfalls that still are around in the summer, but much smaller than during spring.

 

[Flossbolna]

Sounds a little like my run this morning with my youngest DS. 3.2 miles.....one way, 1000 ft. elevation gain, and only considered Moderately Strenuous???

Wow, that sounds like a scary run!! Do you do those runs often?

Female Blue Jay???

I have no clue. I can tell you the same names of some German birds but we have no birds like this here.

Well there you go.........the big reward!

It really felt like a great reward to see those spectacular sights!

I've heard of people walking out of their shoes, but this..........???

There was a little pool below the waterfall where I later saw some people swimming. I guess someone went skinny dipping and forgot to add all the layers of clothing again afterwards.

Compared to the other falls you posted about earlier............

Yes, I was happy!

Oh good..........not sure where you were going with that comment to start with. Now if she had insisted you get up early and join her.............

I am sure Michael would not have been a great protection against lions and bears...

Flip flops? Really???

Yes.

Oh THAT should never happen............ BTW, where HAS Katharina been lately???

Katharina has been very busy with some big volunteering project and other things. I really hope that we will see her back here soon! She still insists that she will finish our trip report from the Norway cruise that only just started...

Oh come on Michael............you think they have something that high class in Delaware???

Made that walk to Mirror Lake when I was there........but in reflection, it seems there was a lot more water then.

I guess you visited earlier in the season...

You BOTH had to get pretty before dinner...........

I only added a tiny bit of prettiness of course as I already have loads!

I considered the Prime Rib from that menu, but then thought the steak and chicken might be a better choice too! As for the noodle bowl/veggie dish, I agree it sounds like a sixth meal choice......for a five day stay!

The Steelhead sounded like a good choice too! Glad you ended up really happy with it.

I was sold when she told me that it was local. I like to eat local food when on vacation.

Just kidding Sweetie

Oh, I am relieved!!!

 

[Flossbolna]

Try it with a 30-lb. baby strapped to your back!

No, thank you, I would rather not.

Rope Drop for the win!

Exactly!

I don't even want to imagine pushing a stroller on that trail.

One group did, but I think they had like five adults taking turns.

It looks beautiful! I bet the waterfall is spectacular in the spring.

For sure. I think I need to plan a return to Yosemite for May...

Me too. Loop trails make it more interesting.

Do you have any audio recordings? This could be entertaining.

No, it is not nearly as interesting as you might think...

I don't understand people sometimes.

I am sure that you saw your share of irresponsible behavior on your NP visits, too.

I'm always nervous about ordering a Philly cheesesteak outside of the greater Philly area.

NEVER order one on a DCL ship! Michael had a horrible one there. It had an unmelted slice of plastic cheese on top.

We will await with bated breath.

I will try my best to get the picture as soon as possible!! I think he understands what an attraction such a picture is for people form Delaware!

Well, at least they weren't flip flops.

That's true...

The Delawareans are smart enough to get up early and do the fun hikes before it gets too hot.

Sounds like a nice place for a dinner!

It was very special!

 

[Flossbolna]

Hello everyone! Sorry for another lengthy phase of silence. But I do have a few more updates ready to go. I will even post two of them at once as the second one of them has some personal news from Michael in it. The first update has been ready to go for some time, that's why he added his comments into the second update that I just sent to him last week. So, plenty of reading material for you!

 

[Flossbolna]

Michael finds his Paradise

August 21: Swimming in the Merced River

Today was going to be a lazy day. With temperatures in the high 90s still and knowing that tomorrow would be a day with a lot of driving, Michael requested that we don’t go out and explore, but instead go and swim in the river. This is something he loves to do in Yosemite. And the weather was definitely the right kind of weather to hang out at the river.

Actually this was more like a demand. Whenever I take a summer or early fall visit to Yosemite or Sequoia, I always devote either one full afternoon or part of two to simply swimming and sunning in the cold mountain waters. It is one of my zen experiences. I am glad M chose to join me, but if she had wanted to do something else, then I would have told her to do so and enjoy and we'd meet back at the hotel. I likes my mountain swimming and soaking.

Michael had also decided that we would return to Happy Feet (aka Happy Isles Nature Center) to go and swim there.

Since there was no reason for starting early, we slept in and I got up at some point to get some overpriced coffee from the food court and worked on my trip notes and read a little.

At some point I threw Michael out of bed and we packed our stuff. Considering how much he weighed back then, did you injure yourself while throwing? We had picked up beach towels at Target in Anaheim actually Garden Grove to be exact for precisely things like that. It ended up being the only occasion that we used them, but Michael got two nice new towels out of it. We also brought our little cooler with drinks.

At the shuttle bus stop I took a picture of the info about the shuttle system there:

The bus stop is quite scenic:

Our first stop was again the deli in Yosemite Village to pick up some sandwiches to take with us. Then we continued on the Happy Isles. Unfortunately on a very crowded bus. All those people wanted to hike up to Vernal Falls at 11:30 a.m.! They were crazy! But we were very happy that nobody came into our nice Happy Isles area.

By the time we got there we decided that we were hungry enough to eat our sandwiches immediately, so we found a bench to sit on and enjoyed our lunch.

Michael had the same sandwich as two days ago, an Italian sandwich. I had turkey and swiss:

Today's sandwich was not as good as the one two days ago. It had extra meat and the meat was sorta chewy. I got the feeling that it was near the end of its use by period and that's why I had extra. It still was OK, but that is it.

We then walked a little upstream to find an area to get into the river and settle in.

And this is where we ended up:

A nice view upstream:

And downstream:

The water was really cold and I could not stay in there for too long. But it was so refreshing on a hot day!! So I alternated between sitting outside in the shade on a nice warm rock and then cooling off a little in the water. Michael however just loved it! I think I have very rarely seen him as happy as when he was sitting in the ice cold water in the sunshine!

Remember I had my own personal natural jacuzzi once I crossed most of the stream? It is so incredibly relaxing. The water is cool, but not frigid. I would guess somewhere in the 60 degree range. But when it is 98 outside with sunshine, it just feels wonderful. When you got too cold, you (or me) simply got out on to one of the big rocks and sunned like a lost manatee. Someone may have to explain what manatees are to folks not familiar with FL wildlife ... or (say it with me) simply from Delaware.

I seemed to look pretty happy myself:

We stayed there until after 4 p.m. It was such a relaxing day! By the time we got to the bus stop, the masses who had attempted the hike up to Vernal Falls were trying to get on the bus as well. Luckily by the time we got to Yosemite Village, the bus emptied out. We could have changed buses there as the loop goes first all the way to the Ahwahnee and then back to the Village. But we were tired and the bus was empty now, so we just stayed put and took the scenic route. I even got a decent picture of Half Dome from the bus window:

On the bus ride to the Ahwahnee we had a rather bizarre experience however. In the village a young family boarded the bus, mother, father and a toddler, about 18 months old. The toddler was wearing a onesie. But the buttons at the bottom of the onesie were open, so the flap down there was just hanging around. And everything else was just hanging, too, as the little boy did not wear any diapers. The kid then proceeded to climb over all the seats in the area where the family was sitting, sliding over them with his bare butt…. It was one of those moments that just make you wonder…

I'd love to blame this on foreigners, but these parents were next gen hippies from CA. You know the type, vote liberal, have all sorts of causes they support, shop at Whole Foods, rail against capitalism ... and live off trust funds and/or hipster jobs in Silicon Valley. I may have looked like a perv, but I kept staring in hopes Mommy or Daddy would realize that they weren't being appropriate. But they never did and it simply becomes a footnote in some crazy folks' trip report on a Disney fan forum. Such is life.

Back at the hotel we got ourselves cleaned up and I enjoyed the last of my local craft beers that I had bought:

They were all very tasty, but I think my overall favourite was the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Pale Ale (not Indian, just plain pale).

We were torn what to do for dinner this evening as the options were mainly the food court or the sit down restaurant at our hotel again. And the sit down restaurant won out.

This time the table we got was not nearly as nice as last time and our server was not as good either. It is interesting how such small differences can affect your meal. We still had a very nice meal there, but it was not as memorable as our first visit there.

We got some lovely bread:

And Michael got a chicken dish:

I loved my dinner. I just remember they made chicken sing -- and it doesn't normally do that unless you are drunk or high or watching an animated film (Or if you ride Splash Mountain.) -- and it had capers and artichoke and was sooooo good. I am getting hungry thinking back to it.

I orderd pork ribs that came with backed mac and cheese.

This was good, but way too much food. I had thought about getting a salad and in hindsight I was thinking that that would have been the better choice.

I am regretting we passed on dessert now ...

When we left the restaurant we saw that they were showing a movie about Ansel Adams in the amphitheater at our hotel.

Ansel Adams was a photographer whose pictures of Yosemite became famous and who used this to promote the preservation of nature. The film was quite fascinating as he was talking about how he was always looking for new challenges and new ways of taking beautiful pictures and one thing kind of stuck with me. They were interviewing a very old Ansel Adams (he died in 1984) and he was talking about how the future of photography was electronic and how exciting this will be to experience all kind of new possibilities this will open up and what future generations will create with it. I found it so interesting as there seems to be some debate about whether all these effects that you add onto your digital pictures destroy them or make them better. And thinking of this photographer who is known for his amazing black and white pictures of beautiful landscapes being excited that people will use the possibilities of digital photography to their fullest long after his death, kind showed me that art really is never limited.

So, the evening ended on quite a philosophical note.

For you maybe. For me it ended with Jimmy Kimmel.

Up Next: Gold!!

 

[Flossbolna]

Gold!!

August 22: Leaving Yosemite, Driving through the Gold Country, Columbia State Historic Park, Dinner with my Aunt

Today was going to be a travel day and we had to cover quite some distance. But the only plans we had at our destination was to meet my aunt for dinner and so we were in no big rush to get out very quickly.

I woke up and started to work on my trip notes for the previous days. When I wanted to look at some of the pictures I had taken with my IPhone and tried to switch it on (I had switched it off overnight), the battery was empty. This was really strange… Somehow my phone had decided to just drain its battery so quickly. I nearly did not get through a single day with a fully charged battery. This worried me as I was not planning on replacing that phone just yet… The interesting thing is that it kept being an issue for the rest of the trip. When I got home and switched over to my German SIM card again, suddenly the phone was back to normal behavior. There must have been something that caused a lot of battery activity when the US SIM card was in the phone. Strange! As long as we were in the car it was not much of an issue as I had brought a charger that could be used in the car.

Before I begin my pithy commentary, apologies if I am not my usual self. I likely will never be my usual self again. My father died from lung cancer and lousy medical care a month ago. While not unexpected, the timing was and his last five days were hellish as we fought to get him life extending care and failed miserably due to ... American healthcare. I myself am just back from a week in Orlando to attempt to get some normalcy, relax and spend time with family and friends (including seeing and drinking with lovely Alison from this very trip report and seeing Grumpy Fran also from this lovely report!) The trip was likely the worst Disney trip I have ever had, not simply due to poor weather at the start and terribly stale product in the parks, but moreso because I am simply not handling life very well right now. But I figured I'd man up here, maybe make fun of people who live in Delaware and attempt to get my groove back by focusing on a happier time. Thanks for reading this.

We packed our stuff and reloaded the car and I had one important stop to make before we left: I needed a very special souvenir. Besides the main shop, they had an additional souvenir shop with more high end stuff, lots of crafts, but also some nicer clothes and such. One thing had really caught my eye and these were parts of trees that were dipped in metal and then came with a ribbon so that you could use them as ornaments. They had all kind of leaves from Californian trees, some cake with acorns or pine cones. I knew that this would be the perfect souvenir from this trip and that it will bring me joy every year when I decorate my Christmas Tree.

I finally settled on this one:

They didn’t have any sequoias, but I thought since the redwoods are kind of their cousins, this was still a good choice.

This is also a good point to insert the picture of my other Yosemite souvenir that was bought the first evening:

I was wearing this hat a lot for the rest of the trip and really liked it. Of course, since this trip I have decided to have my hair much shorter again and I hate putting a hat on my shorter hair as it sticks out to the sides… I guess before my next warm weather trip I need to grow it longer again!

After the last minute souvenir shopping was done, we started to leave the valley. I had seen that we would come past a point that was called “Valley View” and suggested that we should stop there. It really was a beautiful spot and while not as grand as Tunnel View, still a wonderful last view before leaving the park (or if you are entering from this side: a great first view).

In a place as amazingly, awe-inspiring beautiful as Yosemite, there really are amazing views and vistas everywhere. You simply have to decide which ones to take in, to allow into your soul.

After a last view we left the valley. One of my goals of this trip was to see new things in California and I wanted to see some of the Gold Country. The California Gold Rush is something that even made German history books and it has fascinated me since I was a teenager. So, when planning out the trip I had decided that on the way from Yosemite to Fairfield, where my aunt lives, we would stop somewhere along the way. After some research I had decided on Columbia State Historic Park. So, this was our next destination and I tried to lead Michael there by a “direct” route. This involved us leaving Yosemite on Big Oak Flat Road – or road 120. It was not flat! At first it was the same road that you would take to Toulumne Meadows and the Tioga Pass Road, but then there is a junction where Tioga Pass Road goes off east and we continued on west.

Leaving this way we noticed the first time the congested conditions for those coming into the valley for the day:

There was a long long line of cars! This reconfirmed for the the wisdom of wanting to stay inside the park!

I wanted to stay inside the park. Really. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay. As much as I was looking forward to continuing our adventures, I wanted to remain in Yosemite. Once there ... I just don't want to leave. A feeling I never have at EPCOT, btw.

Soon enough we came to the exit:

We stopped here for a potty break and I came across this interesting information:

I was really happy that we were leaving the area of diseases behind us!

We kept following route 120 for a long time while it was winding through forest, mountains and foothills. The landscape was actually very scenic and I loved the ride. Michael not so much as he was doing the driving… Unfortunately it was really difficult to get good pictures from the car, so I just gave up trying!

The changes in geography and topography are always striking when driving in CA and this day was a great example. From amazing NP views to flatlands fertile with produce and citrus to rolling hills ... a bit of everything. And I didn't have the same views a passenger might have.

And then we left route 120 to continue on route 49 (I thought that this route was aptly named for the Gold Country!) to Columbia State Historic Park. We knew that we wanted some lunch somewhere, but most of our drive was through really deserted landscape, not a lot of options. At one little settlement there were a few nice looking places, but they looked like a place where lunch would take you an hour and we wanted something quicker. So, when we got to Sonora, which was just before our destination I looked up our options there and we decided to go with another Carl Jr. meal.

Michael got a Teriyaki burger with a side salad and I had another of those All Natural Burgers:

I have to say that this All Natural burger was really good for a fast food burger! It was a bit pricier though.

I just recall it took forever for the elderly couple ahead of us to order ... and that there then was an issue with our food order, I think it had to do with using a coupon. But the food was good ... you also left out the fact we ran into Ross in the shopping center to look for some shorts for me as I was in need of a new pair or two. And we didn't find any and left.

After lunch we continued on to Columbia State Historic Park which was not far anymore. We parked in the very large parking area (and there was some overflow parking advertised as well, so it seems to get far busier during weekends and such).

The interesting thing here that this is kind of a whole museum town. It was one of the Southern Mines and considered to be one of the best mining towns. Nearly every house there had a history of how it had been taken down at some point so that the ground underneath could be mined and then they put a house up again.

Here is a picture of what it looked like in the 19th century:

The town consists mainly of a Main Street that has plenty of shops, some of them still selling things, and other institutions like the court house the Wells Fargo office etc. You could enter quite a few buildings and look at exhibits.

At Wells Fargo where you could buy your stage coach tickets, they had several trunks on display of what people would travel with:

This was the court house:

The candy store was one place that was still in operation:

An exhibition on some kind of society with lots of medals and flags:

They had a very scary dentist office there as well:

We got some coffee at the coffee shop and bakery they had there as well.

All in all I really enjoyed exploring the town and it definitely gave me a lot of appreciation as to what kind of excitement the gold must have created and how people ended up settling in this very hot, dry place and installed normal life.

While I would not necessarily make a trip just for this, to me this was very much worth while to add some mileage. It would have been nice to have a little more time as there are other interesting places in this area, too.

I loved the place. I only wish we had a full day to explore. I think we spent about two hours there total and basically got a taste of things. But the weather was still quite hot (likely somewhere in the 90s).

I actually picked up a leaflet from the hotel they have there. With period furnished rooms (I think the bathrooms have gotten modern updates though). I would love to stay there on a future trip!

Once we were done exploring it was back to the car for the drive to Fairfield, which is north east of San Francisco, kind of in the direction towards Sacramento. And only a little south east of Napa Valley.

We crossed some rivers and lakes that were so low in water that it was scary. I tried my best and got a rather lousy picture out of the car window:

Our hotel for the next two nights was the Comfort Inn Cordelia which was at an exit off from I 80 in one of those areas where you find a cluster of hotels and restaurants. It was really difficult to find something affordable in the Fairfield area unless you went further out towards Sacramento. So, when I finally found a decent rate for this Comfort Inn, it looked like a good enough location and hate decent reviews.

This was our room:

All in all this was definitely my least favourite accommodation during our trip. It was ok, but the whole hotel had a bit of an air of being slightly off. For example, while the room was nicely redone, it just seemed only clean on the surface. The hallways were quite rough, the breakfast room a little dirty etc. Nothing major, however it did not feel like a place that anyone took pride in and that was showing.

I agree with M. The place was acceptable, but that's about it. It wasn't filthy (or even overly dirty). It wasn't falling apart. But it did feel a bit dumpy and dated and more of a 2-star type place. That's fine for some people, but not for me. I wouldn't stay there again.

When we checked in they gave me a gift bag that my aunt had left there for us as a little welcome present. It had a bottle of wine and some peaches from their own garden. Those peaches were the best I ever had in my life! I already thought the ones that we bought at the fruit stand a few days earlier were amazing, but these were the most perfect peaches I had ever tasted! I think Michael ended up not getting any of them…

We got settled into our room, freshened up a little and then at 8 p.m. my aunt and her husband came to pick us up to take us out for dinner. We went to one of their favourite places, an Italian restaurant called Uva Trattoria, which is in Napa. http://www.uvatrattoria.com/index.html

Michael had some pasta and I had a pizza:

And we even got a complimentary antipasti board since my aunt and uncle are regulars there. All the food was very delicious and it was nice to catch up with my relatives!

They are lovely people and the food was VERY good. We were right in the center of town where they had a major earthquake a year earlier. They were still working on the restaurant/bar across the street, but it was open.

They dropped us off back at the hotel and we arranged a meeting time for tomorrow when they would join us for a wine tasting.

Up next: Behind the school, across a parking place and down the dirt road…

 

[Princess Clayre]

Long time lurker to your trip report! I've been really enjoying all your updates and photo's. Just wanted to say i'm very sorry to hear about Michael's Dad. Seeing some-one go through cancer is so hard and even though you know the end will come it doesn't make things any easier. Stay strong and try to remember all the happy times.

 

[franandaj]

Michael requested that we don’t go out and explore, but instead go and swim in the river. This is something he loves to do in Yosemite. And the weather was definitely the right kind of weather to hang out at the river.

Actually this was more like a demand. Whenever I take a summer or early fall visit to Yosemite or Sequoia, I always devote either one full afternoon or part of two to simply swimming and sunning in the cold mountain waters. It is one of my zen experiences. I am glad M chose to join me, but if she had wanted to do something else, then I would have told her to do so and enjoy and we'd meet back at the hotel. I likes my mountain swimming and soaking.

Michael had also decided that we would return to Happy Feet (aka Happy Isles Nature Center) to go and swim there.

Sounds like a good compromise!

All those people wanted to hike up to Vernal Falls at 11:30 a.m.! They were crazy! But we were very happy that nobody came into our nice Happy Isles area.

I can't imagine trying to start a hike around noon. That's when you should be on your way back!

And this is where we ended up:

Very nice location!

We could have changed buses there as the loop goes first all the way to the Ahwahnee and then back to the Village. But we were tired and the bus was empty now, so we just stayed put and took the scenic route.

I would have done the same. Why get up when you will eventually get to your destination by doing nothing.

I'd love to blame this on foreigners, but these parents were next gen hippies from CA. You know the type, vote liberal, have all sorts of causes they support, shop at Whole Foods, rail against capitalism ... and live off trust funds and/or hipster jobs in Silicon Valley.

I loved my dinner. I just remember they made chicken sing -- and it doesn't normally do that unless you are drunk or high or watching an animated film (Or if you ride Splash Mountain.)

Except I see Olives on there.

I orderd pork ribs that came with backed mac and cheese.

That looks awesome!

So, the evening ended on quite a philosophical note.

For you maybe. For me it ended with Jimmy Kimmel.

I love the conflicting memories!

Before I begin my pithy commentary, apologies if I am not my usual self. I likely will never be my usual self again. My father died from lung cancer and lousy medical care a month ago.

As I said last week. I am so sorry for your loss. I know he was very special in your life.

I myself am just back from a week in Orlando to attempt to get some normalcy, relax and spend time with family and friends (including seeing and drinking with lovely Alison from this very trip report and seeing Grumpy Fran also from this lovely report!)

I had fun enjoying a beverage with you!

I knew that this would be the perfect souvenir from this trip and that it will bring me joy every year when I decorate my Christmas Tree.

It is a beautiful ornament!

I had another of those All Natural Burgers:

That looks really tasty!

The interesting thing here that this is kind of a whole museum town.

What an interesting little stop. Looks neat!

They had a very scary dentist office there as well:

Anything to do with dentistry in the 19th century is scary!

Michael had some pasta and I had a pizza:

I'm going to give Michael the win on this one. Too much green stuff on top of the pizza.

 

[Poolrat]

My father died from lung cancer and lousy medical care a month ago. While not unexpected, the timing was and his last five days were hellish as we fought to get him life extending care and failed miserably due to ... American healthcare.

But I figured I'd man up here, maybe make fun of people who live in Delaware and attempt to get my groove back by focusing on a happier time. Thanks for reading this.

First I want to extend my condolences to Michael and his family. So sorry to hear of your loss. I hope the pain will eae and the good memories will comfort you.

Today was going to be a lazy day.

A lazy day can be a good thing.

I am glad M chose to join me, but if she had wanted to do something else, then I would have told her to do so and enjoy and we'd meet back at the hotel. I likes my mountain swimming and soaking.

Good that you can always do what you wish even if it not together.

Michael had also decided that we would return to Happy Feet (aka Happy Isles Nature Center) to go and swim there.

At the shuttle bus stop I took a picture of the info about the shuttle system there:

Nice that it is so organized.

But we were very happy that nobody came into our nice Happy Isles area.

And this is where we ended up:

A nice view upstream:

And downstream:

The water was really cold and I could not stay in there for too long.

What a way to spend the day - such beautiful scenery.

On the bus ride to the Ahwahnee we had a rather bizarre experience however. In the village a young family boarded the bus, mother, father and a toddler, about 18 months old. The toddler was wearing a onesie. But the buttons at the bottom of the onesie were open, so the flap down there was just hanging around. And everything else was just hanging, too, as the little boy did not wear any diapers. The kid then proceeded to climb over all the seats in the area where the family was sitting, sliding over them with his bare butt…. It was one of those moments that just make you wonder…

I guess be glad you didn't see more than him just sliding around.

We were torn what to do for dinner this evening as the options were mainly the food court or the sit down restaurant at our hotel again. And the sit down restaurant won out.

This time the table we got was not nearly as nice as last time and our server was not as good either. It is interesting how such small differences can affect your meal. We still had a very nice meal there, but it was not as memorable as our first visit there.

Nice when a meal makes a "mark". Sorry you didn't have a repeat of the first time there but glad it was a nice meal.

Ansel Adams was a photographer whose pictures of Yosemite became famous and who used this to promote the preservation of nature. The film was quite fascinating as he was talking about how he was always looking for new challenges and new ways of taking beautiful pictures and one thing kind of stuck with me. They were interviewing a very old Ansel Adams (he died in 1984) and he was talking about how the future of photography was electronic and how exciting this will be to experience all kind of new possibilities this will open up and what future generations will create with it. I found it so interesting as there seems to be some debate about whether all these effects that you add onto your digital pictures destroy them or make them better. And thinking of this photographer who is known for his amazing black and white pictures of beautiful landscapes being excited that people will use the possibilities of digital photography to their fullest long after his death, kind showed me that art really is never limited.

So, the evening ended on quite a philosophical note.

Interesting and a nice way to spend the evening.

August 22: Leaving Yosemite, Driving through the Gold Country, Columbia State Historic Park, Dinner with my Aunt

On the move again.

I woke up and started to work on my trip notes for the previous days. When I wanted to look at some of the pictures I had taken with my IPhone and tried to switch it on (I had switched it off overnight), the battery was empty. This was really strange… Somehow my phone had decided to just drain its battery so quickly. I nearly did not get through a single day with a fully charged battery. This worried me as I was not planning on replacing that phone just yet… The interesting thing is that it kept being an issue for the rest of the trip. When I got home and switched over to my German SIM card again, suddenly the phone was back to normal behavior. There must have been something that caused a lot of battery activity when the US SIM card was in the phone. Strange! As long as we were in the car it was not much of an issue as I had brought a charger that could be used in the car.

At least it was just a US thing.

I needed a very special souvenir. Besides the main shop, they had an additional souvenir shop with more high end stuff, lots of crafts, but also some nicer clothes and such. One thing had really caught my eye and these were parts of trees that were dipped in metal and then came with a ribbon so that you could use them as ornaments. They had all kind of leaves from Californian trees, some cake with acorns or pine cones. I knew that this would be the perfect souvenir from this trip and that it will bring me joy every year when I decorate my Christmas Tree.

I finally settled on this one:

Good choice

I had seen that we would come past a point that was called “Valley View” and suggested that we should stop there. It really was a beautiful spot and while not as grand as Tunnel View, still a wonderful last view before leaving the park (or if you are entering from this side: a great first view).

Stunning view.

The California Gold Rush is something that even made German history books and it has fascinated me since I was a teenager.

WEll then you HAD to explore.

We stopped here for a potty break and I came across this interesting information:

The landscape was actually very scenic and I loved the ride.

Even if the driver did not I am glad you did.

The interesting thing here that this is kind of a whole museum town. It was one of the Southern Mines and considered to be one of the best mining towns. Nearly every house there had a history of how it had been taken down at some point so that the ground underneath could be mined and then they put a house up again.

Looks like Old Town in San Diego. We visited there last year before my annual conference.

At Wells Fargo where you could buy your stage coach tickets, they had several trunks on display of what people would travel with:

Yup - Old Town had something like this is from Wells Fargo.

I actually picked up a leaflet from the hotel they have there. With period furnished rooms (I think the bathrooms have gotten modern updates though). I would love to stay there on a future trip!

Cool but yes I would want a modern bathroom.

When we checked in they gave me a gift bag that my aunt had left there for us as a little welcome present. It had a bottle of wine and some peaches from their own garden. Those peaches were the best I ever had in my life!

How nice and dinner looks good too. Nice that you could spend some time with your aunt.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Maybe you did it earlier in the year? It always dries up to a large degree during the summer. It is one of the few waterfalls that still are around in the summer, but much smaller than during spring.

It was late May. In comparison, there was a lot of water.








Great updates. I loved the look of the burger and that gold mine town was very interesting.
I love Yosemite...so I could have stayed there as well. Great decision to stay in-park.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Actually this was more like a demand. Whenever I take a summer or early fall visit to Yosemite or Sequoia, I always devote either one full afternoon or part of two to simply swimming and sunning in the cold mountain waters. It is one of my zen experiences. I am glad M chose to join me, but if she had wanted to do something else, then I would have told her to do so and enjoy and we'd meet back at the hotel. I likes my mountain swimming and soaking.

I keep thinking that water has to be freezing. Good thing it was so hot out there.

All those people wanted to hike up to Vernal Falls at 11:30 a.m.! They were crazy!

Can you believe people actually spend their precious vacation time sleeping in? You can do that at home!

The water was really cold and I could not stay in there for too long. But it was so refreshing on a hot day!!

I don't think I would have lasted long, either!

When you got too cold, you (or me) simply got out on to one of the big rocks and sunned like a lost manatee. Someone may have to explain what manatees are to folks not familiar with FL wildlife ... or (say it with me) simply from Delaware.

On the contrary, I'm often mistaken for a manatee when swimming. It's because of all of those cheese steaks.

The kid then proceeded to climb over all the seats in the area where the family was sitting, sliding over them with his bare butt…. It was one of those moments that just make you wonder…

Wow. Keep it classy, folks!

I'd love to blame this on foreigners, but these parents were next gen hippies from CA. You know the type, vote liberal, have all sorts of causes they support, shop at Whole Foods, rail against capitalism ... and live off trust funds and/or hipster jobs in Silicon Valley.

I may have one one or two or a dozen people like this. If they're famous, they'll scold you for using fossil fuels while flying private jets to conferences on reducing fossil fuel use.

I found it so interesting as there seems to be some debate about whether all these effects that you add onto your digital pictures destroy them or make them better. And thinking of this photographer who is known for his amazing black and white pictures of beautiful landscapes being excited that people will use the possibilities of digital photography to their fullest long after his death, kind showed me that art really is never limited.

Pretty cool. I go back and forth on digital enhancements. I don't typically do them on my vacation photos because then I feel like I'm not really being honest in depicting what we saw. But some that I've seen look amazing!

When I got home and switched over to my German SIM card again, suddenly the phone was back to normal behavior. There must have been something that caused a lot of battery activity when the US SIM card was in the phone.

I would expect a German SIM card to be more efficient than a US SIM card.

But I figured I'd man up here, maybe make fun of people who live in Delaware and attempt to get my groove back by focusing on a happier time. Thanks for reading this.

I'm so sorry to hear the news about your father. Very sorry for your loss.

Please, continue to make fun of Delaware if it helps. Or, you could even visit Delaware, which people call "Paradise on Earth".

Ok, no one calls it that. But somebody might, someday.

I knew that this would be the perfect souvenir from this trip and that it will bring me joy every year when I decorate my Christmas Tree.

We get a lot of ornaments from our travels too.

In a place as amazingly, awe-inspiring beautiful as Yosemite, there really are amazing views and vistas everywhere. You simply have to decide which ones to take in, to allow into your soul.

It looks amazing! I need to get there someday.

Leaving this way we noticed the first time the congested conditions for those coming into the valley for the day:

But maybe not in the summer.

Once there ... I just don't want to leave. A feeling I never have at EPCOT, btw.

I hate to leave EPCOT. How can you not enjoy it? They even have manatees!

I was really happy that we were leaving the area of diseases behind us!

You know, there is no plague problem in Delaware. Just sayin'.

The candy store was one place that was still in operation:

At least they have their priorities straight.

They had a very scary dentist office there as well:

 

[Flossbolna]

Long time lurker to your trip report! I've been really enjoying all your updates and photo's. Just wanted to say i'm very sorry to hear about Michael's Dad. Seeing some-one go through cancer is so hard and even though you know the end will come it doesn't make things any easier. Stay strong and try to remember all the happy times.

Hello and to my trip report! It is always lovely to hear from lurkers even if it is for a very sad reason! Michael regularly reads this thread, so I know that he will very much appreciate your comment!