Yosemite Road Trip! Day Six, YOSEMITE!

Since we planned on being home tonight--the fence guys are coming bright and early tomorrow and we all need to be home--we got an early start to our last day on the road.

The California central valley is interesting.  The area around Merced and where we were headed, Madera, is solid agriculture.  Many of the fields are beautiful, and grapes are big here.  I'm guessing these are table grapes.

Another field, however, has been fussed over much more.  The grapes are planted on an overhead trellis and appear to be white grapes for wine, possibly chardonnay. The overhead thing looks MUCH easier to harvest.

The sun shining through them is beautiful, the grapes practically glow.

Further on we get to the town of Madera, which looks for all the world like time stopped somewhere in the late 40's or early 50's.  Pardon the through-the-windshield shot of the drive-in.

I loved this place, the sign was awesome.  Sadly, looking at their Facebook page, the sign no longer lights fully, nor does the neon edging the roofline.

Madera is lovely though, and loaded with trees.  As we drive towards Oakhurst we see lots of political signs, including one for Jay Varney, a sheriff's office candidate, which uses a Glock handgun in place of the letter 'J' in his name.

Stay classy, California.

As we get to Oakhurst, a small town near the Mariposa Redwood Grove, the scenery begins to change, mixing pines in with the trees.  The kid can't stop taking pictures through the windshield and is getting very excited.  I hope that I haven't talked Yosemite up too much to her, but then I realize that is impossible.

We get to Oakhurst and wander about a bit.  It's a cute town, but small and a bit squeezed-together to handle all the tourists, things tend to clog in the few blocks.

At first I thought that the dogs in Oakhurst must be pretty damned tough to be able to take being run through a car wash, then I see the small shed and realize that's where the dog wash is.

We stopped at the 41 Trading Post, where they had a dizzying selection of beads and other craft stuff--I could see that they cater to a lot of the tribal trade, all kinds of stuff for making jingle dresses and other regalia.  Also the requisite tourist crap, which is always fun.

We had a bit of trouble finding the Oakhurst Talking Bear--he was behind several political banners and well hidden.

The Talking Bear is a tourist attraction in front of a realty office--press the button on the pole behind him and he starts spouting all kinds of bear factoids.  He is nice and loud and easily heard, despite the traffic on the highway...but a bit long winded.  Lord, he went on forever.

After saying goodbye to the bear we pick up a couple of Subway sandwiches and take them along for a picnic in Yosemite.  As we drove we saw some evidence of the Rim Fire of last August, plus a few others.  The south and west side of Yosemite was again being plagued by fires right now, too.

Along the way the kid took more windshield pics.  "Wow, these are some BIG trees!" she says.
I grinned quietly and said, "Just wait."

Finally we entered the south end of Yosemite, yelling and cheering like complete idiots.  We found ourselves a pretty little picnic spot just shy of the Mariposa Grove for lunch.

I asked the kid, "Are you excited to be in Yosemite?"
I got this in response:

 ...which I took as a 'Yes'.

Yeah, well...me too.  Just sitting there eating our lunch we had all kinds of beautiful scenery to enjoy.

Red Manzanita branches twisting at the base of the trees.

While we were eating I got out some of my new origami models, some leaves I'd folded especially for Yosemite.  I'd carefully sorted and prepared everything last night in the hotel room before I went to bed, so I had them all ready.

TRAGEDY.

I swear, if I had sat for hours and deliberately tangled all of those damned things and tied them into knots I couldn't have done a better job.  My heart sank as I realized after a few minutes of trying to untangle them that it was hopeless--I even tried sacrificing a few and cutting them out of the mess, but it was no good.  I ended up with only a couple of the leaf models that I could use--the rest came home with us to be repaired there.

So much for grand plans.  Onward to the Mariposa Redwood Grove we went...along with about 30 billion other people.  We had planned to take the tram ride they offer, as the long hike through the grove was too much for me. But there were so many people waiting we knew we'd never make it and be able to see the rest of the park.  It was a torturous decision to make, but we had to.

The trees we did see were impressive, and I promised the kid we'd be back another day to see the grove properly when it was less crowded.

In the parking lot for the grove, this lady had ignored the signs, hopped the fence and was quietly and reverently hugging one of the redwoods.

No one bothered her, thank goodness.

When I had originally planned this trip and realized that Yosemite was going to be part of it, I knew that since my kid was a first timer, I owed it to her for her to be able to get her first glimpse of Yosemite in the best way possible--via the Wawona Tunnel view.  As we snaked along highway 41, I told her we'd be passing through some tunnels, and her first look at Yosemite would be at the exit of one of them.

Some trees had either burned or had been cleared at one little point before the tunnel though, and suddenly as I came around a curve we got a quick glimpse of what lay ahead.

"HALF DOME, HALF DOME!" We both shrieked and squealed at the same time.  We're both grinning too much to be embarassed.

Then the tunnel.

Then...

I swear, this should be everyone's first look at Yosemite.  You exit the dark tunnel, and THERE IT IS, all suddenly and blindingly laid out before you. You can't look fast enough.

The kid is bouncing in her seat, she's spotted the parking lot.  "Can we stop?  Can we stop?"
Of course, I tell her.  We park and get out, joining the crowd, who all wear the same goofy smiles as we do.  I see more than a few people doing the same thing I am--gazing quietly and wiping away tears.  I've missed this place dreadfully.

Sadly, all of the waterfalls are dry because of the drought.  The waterfalls are a huge part of Yosemite, and I've never seen it to the point of even Bridalveil and Yosemite Falls being dry, it's jarring.

Bridalveil especially is merely a sad little wet vertical spot on the rock.

In the viewing area is a neato little bronze marker, a topo map of the valley we see before you.  Several kids are staring at it, not really getting it--so I show them how to use it.

The X marks where we are standing, just having come through the tunnel.  The valley and the roads through it are there in front of you...

...and if you hunker down and get at the right level, the map mimics the landscape before you!

I couldn't quite get hunkered down perfectly, but you get the idea. Once the kids realized what they were looking at, they loved it.

Onward into the valley we went!

We stopped at the parking lot for Bridalveil, even though we knew what we'd see.

It looked like some kid was sitting up there with a squirt gun, it broke your heart.

Down in the valley floor, even though everything was dry and there was a pervasive smoky haze, it was still as beautiful as ever.  Weirdly, we see no climbers on any of the rock faces today thoughout the valley.

We stopped at the historic Ahwahnee Hotel, which opened in 1927, to gawk at the place.  Most of my photos of the interior didn't come out, but there are good ones on their site.  The place is gorgeous.

The fireplace is tall enough to walk into.

They even had a 'Don't be a dick in the Ahwahnee' plaque for those not able to remember to be decent human beings on their own.

The back of the hotel--this is the view you have when you awake in the morning and open your curtains.

As we leave the Ahwahnee parking lot we see our first climber--and he's staring at a group of large boulders, making gestures and planning his handholds.  The kid waves at him and off we go.  The shadows are getting long and we still have a lot of road to cover, it's time to say goodbye.  After this we start the long climb up Highway 120 out of the valley.

As we go we see many of the 'Red Bear = Dead Bear' signs--yellow caution signs with a picture of a bear in red, placed alongside the road where a bear has recently been struck and killed.  They are good reminders for people to slow down, although I can't imagine anyone speeding through Yosemite.  The few people we do see tearing through the valley get a muttered, 'Wow, how does it feel to have no soul?' from me.

As we make the long haul up and out of the valley we spot yet another fire.

On seeing this one I can't help but lean out the car window and roar, 'You assholes quit burning my valley!'

It all just gets to be too much once in a while.

Now it's starting to get dark, and up ahead of us we see tons of thunderheads building, so we know what we're in for.  We stop to stretch our leg at the Tioga Pass Resort, a cool little place high up at almost 9500 feet, famous for their pies and as a warming-up spot for hikers.

A bit further on we pull over by Ellery Lake, where parking is limited.  I see the only open spot and pull up to it at the same time as a guy in a pickup.  I'm a native Californian, and I've had to fight for parking spaces before.

It's time to throw down.
We stare at each other.
Our eyes narrow.
We both know what we must do, and our hands come up as one.
Rock-Paper-Scissors!

We claim our parking space with a smile and a wave and the guy goes off grinning.  We only stay a few minutes and then head out, the weather is really moving in.

At Lee Vining we stop for a minute and watch the thunderstorm attacking the other side of the lake, the lightning show is amazing.  There's no sense in delaying, so we head into it.  Thankfully we again seem to be a few steps behind the weather, and while the rest of the way home everything is wet, we miss out on getting stormed on.

Finally we make it home, in time for a quick sleep before the fence guys show up tomorrow!

Yosemite Road Trip! Day Five, Fat Squirrels And Fruit

Today we escape the Brussel Sprout Hotel (which to their credit, served awesome cinnamon rolls with breakfast) and head out for Monterey.  We tried to go to Cannery Row, but Monterey had some kind of event on that was causing gridlock and no possibility of parking anywhere near the place today.  So instead we coughed up $10 to do 17 Mile Drive, which is not a state park but is privately owned.  Paying ten bucks to some rich fat cats who own the entire 17 Mile Drive area and have contaminated it with a bunch of craptacular golf courses (which they treat as attractions you'd want to see on a nature drive, natch) really rubs me the wrong way, but I wanted the kid to see the area.

The drive still has the red line painted down the middle of the road, making it easy to avoid the McMansions and golf courses and stay on the road we wanted.  The signposts for the various points of interest along 17 Mile Drive are still there, but are pretty beat up and faded, as are any picnic benches or anything else put in place for their paying public--you can tell that the money they collect isn't spent on anything for those peasant slobs that take the drive, it's all going in someone's pocket.

At least nature puts on a quality show, although the weather was a bit overcast.  The trees have beautiful Spanish Moss hanging in them.

Further down we stop at one of the main beach/picnic areas along with a bunch of other people.  The bird crowd knows the drill and waits to see if you have food...

...and when they see that you do, have themselves a little bird frenzy.

I showed the kid how skilled seagulls are in particular--my dad used to take us to the beach when we were kids and showed us how to toss bits of food into the air where a seagull would snag it right out of the air, or hold a bit of food up in your hand and the gulls would do a flyby and just snatch it cleanly out of your fingers, you'd never feel a thing.

She had a grand time feeding the birds and watching how skillful they were.  This was like the seagull version of Top Gun.

Yay, food!

Politely waiting their turn...

Happy Food Dance!

We only passed out a couple of food bits and then went on our way, even if the juvenile Gray gulls were cute.

The seagulls don't like to give up on a food possibility though.  I heard the pitter-patter of little feet behind me and turned to see an entourage following us.

There was an old man with four dogs who scolded us a bit for feeding the birds.  I bit my tongue and didn't lecture him in return about how his four dogs were chasing birds and disturbing their habitat, we just walked away.  Some people will do everything they can to suck the fun right out of any given situation.

Farther down the beach was a boardwalk, at the end of it we found these guys posing. I like the 'Attack of the 50 Foot Seagulls' perspective with the people in the background.

The kid goes off to explore the beach while I sit with the gulls and watch the ocean.  Pretty soon she returns with a NEW kelp buddy.  This one is considerably larger than the one in Cayucos and requires dragging.

Bull kelp!

It's heavy!  Hey, it's hard work dragging a stinky kelp chunk hither and fro along the beach!

Off she goes again with her new friend slung over her shoulder.   She reports that there is a dead seal lying on the beach.  I give her the standard mom 'Leave it alone' command, which thankfully she does.

Down the beach a but further, someone had themselves a campfire and used bits of charcoal to mark their passage on the rocks.  One has the name 'Nolan', another 'August 2014'.

The Monterey pennisula has beautiful scenery.  Kelp beds float on the water.

Lots of examples of California's seismic-enhanced rocks.

Monterey Pines doing their classic thing from the winds that shape them.

Beach flowers.

Seal Rock.  Even though it was a bit offshore, it was covered in seals and birds, was LOUD and STANK to high Hell.

 ...and more craptacular golf courses encroaching like freakin' weeds on the scenic areas.  I sincerely hope that they have a major seal poop problem here.

The point was populated with tons of birds and little ground squirrels.

These little guys were quite bold and cute as Hell--and they knew it.

Several of them had mastered the art of begging, along with the ohsocute little extended paw wave thing which turned every human watching into a puddle of goo.  'Awwww...!" They did this whether you had food or not, they'd give it a shot.

The kid had several come over and stand on her foot.  If you stood still and didn't respond with food they'd start to climb your leg.

You could tell at a glance who the most successful beggers were.  Fatso here, for example.

He noticed us laughing at him and waddled on over.  We told him we weren't going to feed him and he wandered off to beg elsewhere.

 Some of the homes along 17 Mile Drive did have gorgeous architecture that fit well in the area.

Granted, there was another just down the road that was bright yellow, but hey.

We gawked at the trees a bit more and headed out, back towards Salinas.

The stretch of road between Monterey and Salinas is interesting.  Lots of farmers in Salinas have planted tons of wildflowers along the edge of their produce fields which makes for a nice drive.  Mostly we saw fields of lettuce, tomatos, the ubiqitous brussel sprouts and beans.  I told the kid that a little farther north it was mostly garlic and artichokes.

We stopped for lunch at another place I remembered from years ago (back when it was Gregory's), now called Tarpy's Roadhouse, a beautiful place despite the 'roadside grill'-type name.  Fantastic service (thanks, Nick!) and an elegant setting with amazing food.  We got to sit out in the garden, I had the maple-brined pork chop and the kid had the baby back ribs--and we were both rolling our eyes and muttering about how good it all was.

We needed to head out, so we got on the road for Merced.  We explored one of the side roads a bit along the produce fields and found this abandoned old place, the Rincon Cafe.  It also has 'Rancho Rincon' painted on it.

In testament to the grim state of the drought in California there were several 'No Water=No Work' signs along the way.

One of our planned stops was at a well-known tourist trap called Casa de Fruta.  Originally a farm stand out on Highway 152 in Hollister, Casa de Fruta has come to fully embrace it's tourist trappyness and has grown to be a huge complex--I swear you can see it from space.  It reminds me strongly of Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park when I was a kid, it has a very park-like setting.  Along with the original produce store, there is a now a train, a carousel, a pond with a ton of peacocks running around, a petting zoo, a gas station, a restaurant, a candy shop, a gift shop...it goes on and on.  They've gone kinda nuts with the whole 'Casa de' theme, and all of their little attractions have it incorporated into their name.

The double-decker vintage Italian carousel is beautiful.

To it's credit, the carousel is rejecting the tacky-crappy gold spray paint and it's peeling away to reveal the original soft colors underneath.  I wonder who the dipshit was that painted over the 'Venetian Carousel' and pretty hand-painted flowers.

The train station

The candy store was an orgy of sugar.  Ten pound blocks o' fudge?  We got 'em.

Giant gummi bears the size of squeeze-bear honey dispensers?  We got those, too.

The kid gets herself a 4 foot long gummi rattlesnake and we go off to explore the rest of Casa de Fruta.  They have some fruit crate label art painted along the side of one building.

I love this guy's 1000 yard stare.

In amongst the old-timey, cute complex we suddenly came upon this outside the restaurant.  Because, y'know, stocks are part of family fun!

I have no idea what the Hell was up with this.

The kid saw the water wheel/sluice area and had to try it.

The only ones around were the birds.

I like the 'OMG HURRY!' urging.

We get ourselves a bag of sand and follow the directions...

Dump it into the sluicebox...

Right as the kid gets started, one of the peacocks suddenly comes RUNNING across the grass, warbling his head off at us as he flies up to the top of the water wheel.

We obliged him and waited until he was in position before continuing.  Apparantly he's the official Casa de Supervisor.

The treasures the sluicebox yielded--some pyrite, a shark tooth, some pretty polished rocks and an arrowhead.

The peaboss stayed where he was.

After this is it was getting dark, so we headed out and continued to Merced, our stop for the night.  Once it got dark we encountered a very strange bug blizzard that lasted at least 4 miles, bugs pattering off the windshield like some kind of disgusting rain.

We eventually got to our hotel, another Holiday Inn.  This one, thankfully, had potable water, did not smell of brussel sprouts and had normal towels.

Tomorrow, Yosemite and our last day of vacation!