May 12 Brunch; May 13 Yosemite

Sunday, May 12 – Mother’s Day.  Had calls from both girls and oldest granddaughter!  Smiling.  Went to brunch at the Elk’s where we are staying.  Lovely food and good company.  Included a corsage for the ladies.  Relaxed the rest of the day

Monday we started out about 11 AM.  Headed again up Highway 41 to Yosemite.  (Again so grateful for our “senior” status so we got in free.  $20 otherwise for a 7 day pass.) Took the Yosemite Village loop. It takes about 45 minutes to drive from the entrance gate to the tunnel and the “tunnel view.”  As soon as you come out of the tunnel you see El Capitan.  And it is magnificent!

 

 

Jerry at another overlook.

A little later there is a better view of Bridalvail Falls.  Wow!

Unusual rocks…looks like a glacier gouged them out…???

 

  

Lunch stop at a rushing stream.  Love the sound.

L

More waterfall and unusual rock photos:

Beautiful meadow in Yosemite.  We were going to go to the museum in Yosemite Village but signage is really lacking and unclear when you do find one.  The map wasn’t any better.  Couldn’t figure out where to park and got on a one-way road with no way of going back without going miles.  Oh well…enjoying scenery and the ride.  It is 90 degrees down here – probably about 70 in the upper areas.

 

Back at the entrance, there is a 2-mile road to the parking for the trails to see Mariposa Grove Sequoia trees.  They are magnificent.  In reading some of the signs there, they are a relative of the Redwoods and like the redwoods, only grow in specific areas in CA.  There are several different hikes from about 1-6 miles to see the various famous trees.  Or you could take a tram for $18 each.  We didn’t do any of these options.

In the enclosure by this huge tree, we saw one of these flowers and also on the way back down highway 41 we saw one of these.  Brilliant in the sun.  Just seem to pop up out of the ground.

 

Back to the Elk’s Lodge and about 10 of us enjoyed burgers on the grill with all the trimmings, leftover fruit and desserts from Sunday’s brunch.  Again enjoyed spending time with new friends, Ken and Vicky Tripp who are parked next to us.  They have a home base in Fallon, NV where Ken is retired from the Navy base the.  They, too, have people renting their house and are full-timing for a while. 

May 11, 2013 Yosemite

 

No way can anyone or any photo portray the grandeur we saw today.  Nor could one mimic the wonderful pine smell radiating off the huge redwoods in the warm spring sun.

Got the BMW out of the garage and packed a lunch.  We rode 12 miles from our Elks campground (at 2789’) through the Sierra National Forest to the entrance to Yosemite.  Then about 15 miles up to the turnoff for Glacier Point.

A mountain meadow with snowmelt lake.

Think these are dogwoods blooming where the sun peeks through the dense forest.

Stopped for lunch along the road and enjoyed the  warm sun.  It was a beautiful day for a ride.  90 degrees down at Oakhurst but still in the 70’s up in the mountains – even at 7214’ at Glacier Point it was warm enough to ride in our shirtsleeves. 

The photos tell the story, but can’t begin to capture the essence and awe.

Back down the mountain we come to the area where the lit portable sign had warned not to feed the coyotes.  And sure enough, one was standing on the side of the road looking for a handout.

 

The lush green is a feast for our eyes after many months of desert brown.

Here’s our parking place at the Oakhurst Elks Club.

100 bike miles today – about 4 hours.  Hope to go back up to Yosemite on Monday to see more awesomeness. 

May 9, May 10 –Salinas to Oakhurst

Thursday was get ready to travel day.  Laundry, groceries at an Hispanic Mercado (market) – interesting brands and signage!  A DQ for a treat (hadn’t had ice cream for too long!).  Yummy homemade chili from the freezer.

 

May 10 – Friday was travel day.  69 and sun as we leave Salinas…they are finally getting clear and warm weather now that we are leaving…LOL.

We knew we were approaching Gilroy – this was one of many signs offering local goodies.

Stopped for lunch at Gilroy, CA – Garlic Capital of the World. 

 

Main Street

Historic District building

Ate the Garlic City Cafe which was highly rated on TripAdvisor.  And it was awesome.  I had the creamy garlic soup which was to die for.  Jerry’s burger had about a dozen roasted garlic cloves on the top along with blue cheese dressing, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion!  WOW – I had a few bites of that plus a couple of his garlic french fries. 

On the road again sights:  hitchhiker with a white bucket on his head…(many uses, I’m sure); lots of traffic, beige hills with varying amount of green trees; green and brown striped earth of newly emerging crops; signs for sweet cherries and berries.     

Steeper hills – these look like beige velvet!

 

Pass Casa de Fruta – RV Park at winery with eatery, too.  RV friendly parking!  Steep grade skirting to the north and east of the San Luis Reservoir Rec Area.  Lake looked really low.  More agriculture near Los Banos – 91 degrees on bank here. 

 

Another steep grade with construction at the bottom of the hill.  We just came around a corner of the mountain with no idea the traffic was backed up and Jerry was able to stop in time.  As he looked in his rear view mirror, here comes the truck we had seen with a heavy load barrelling towards us and it was evident he wasn’t going to be able to stop.  Jerry pulled over as far as he could into the now stopped left lane and the truck had room to scoot by us on the shoulder and part of our right lane!  Egads.  Close call!

We are now in tree-growing land.  Almonds, pistachios and horses, hay, corn!, and business with Italian-sounding names.  Passed acres of pistachio trees which were flowering and producing a terrible odor.

 

 

Town of Madera had roses and stella de ora lilies growing profusely in the boulevard down the main street.  Saw a dozen temporary easy ups selling flowers and balloons for Mother’s Day gifts.  Names of streets here are 20-1/2, 15-3/4 etc.  We begin to see mountains again after many miles of flatland with none in sight.  In the distance, under the clouds were the Sierra Nat. Forest, Sequoia Nat. Forest, John Muir Wilderness and Kaiser Wilderness.  The terrain changes to boulder strewn high hills.

Approaching Coarsegold …scary – a sign, “Chains may be required at any time.”  Soon we are in Oakhurst, 13,000 people and 2289’.   Took us longer than we had hoped with slow traffic in the mountains and two slow downs for construction. 

 

4:30 - find the Elk’s and get parked.  Very friendly people here.  A few spots away are Kenny and Debbie Tripp who we met first at the Salinas Elks!  Went in for a drink and excellent lasagna dinner prepared by the RV group from the Elks.  Spinach salad, garlic toast and a delicious strawberry dessert in ice cream dishes, over a cookie and a cream cheese concoction…topped with whipped cream!  Wow. 

May 8, 2013 Carmel-by-the-Sea

Packed a lunch and headed west on local roads. 

 

 

 

Highway 68 on the way to Hwy 1

As we approached the city on Hwy 1 there was a huge backup of traffic for road construction, so we turned off a bit early and went straight down to the ocean!  Beautiful cottages and small shops lined the street among trees, flowers and shrubs.  Very nicely done.  No parking on the narrow streets so signs directing you to public parking were evident.  We got to the beach and Jerry found a front-row parking spot.

 

      

Explored the beach area a bit then found a rock to sit on for lunch.

Who has who trained?  One bird and two squirrels seemed to have the lunch market figured out.

 

Great people and pet watching area!

 

Drove to one of the three entrances to 17-Mile Drive Pebble Beach ($9.95 as it is through private property.)   The first part was through the Del Monte Forest with beautiful trees, past homes, and golf courses.

 

After several miles, we came to the shoreline. 

At China Rock the Chinese fishermen built their lean-tos against the rocks in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Past the Spyglass Hill Golf Course which is right on the shore.  And finally to the best!  Seals, sea lions lounging on the rocks and sea otters frolicking in the calm, seawood-cluttered bay.   They were noisy…you could hear their barks from several blocks away!

Another bird island with Brandt’s Cormorants in a breeding colony.  Also got a peek at a few Western Gulls which nest here.

 

This whimsical cottage captured Jerry’s imagination.

 

And right before Pebble Beach Golf Course and Shops was the iconic Lone Cypress which has prevailed for more than 250 years and is the living symbol of Pebble Beach Co.

Highway one heading down the long grade with Monterey in the distance.

 

Another wonderful day.