I Feel the..Earth..MOVE..Under my feet
Wednesday, May 16, I departed Carmel for Yosemite. After a speeding ticket by a totally friendly CHiP's officer, I took my time going to Yosemite. Local roads, no highways. Through Merced and up the mountains from 500 to 5000 feet.
After many twists and turns, I reached the Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite, just outside the park. A 'big' lodge, which gets alot of bus tours, it was my first encounter with big hotels, having enjoyed inns along the way.
Though the staff was less than friendly, I figured they were harried. I hit Yosemite at 10:30am (I usually get up at 5:30) and proceeded to drive the park. There was a mist of light rain and I opened my roof to get the showers.
I might add, nowhere on my trip after leaving LA, did I have CNN or news on my Sirius/XM. I had it on the Spa Channel and left it. No news noise, just serenity.
I drove slow enough that people behind me flashed their lights but I graciously extended my middle finger out the roof and waved them ahead.
Glacier Point is a place where you can see the huge, cascading walls of the park. However, there was a blanket of fog that obstructed the view. But the stop was the site of two legendary hotels that had burned to the ground in 1969 and they never rebuilt. I was walking alongside 3 people and engaged them in conversation. They were from Brussels and the third guy..was a guide. Once I realized that, I apologized and said..'I didn't realize you paid for a guide. Enjoy your day.'
They--and the guide--invited me to join them to learn more about the park. We walked over to a tree that he encouraged us to 'smell.' It smelled like butterscotch. Amazing.
The guide told us he did the same tour, as the lead Ranger, two years ago for the Obama family. Malia, Sasha and Michelle came over to the tree and pressed their noses against the trunk. Barack stood a few feet away. Michelle stepped back and, in a stern look, said: "Barack. Get over here!"
After finishing the 'tour,' I headed back to the Valley floor. I posted pics of the waterfalls. Words cannot describe it. Untouched for the most part and the 'tourist effect' was at a minimum.
I was one with nature, which means..this is so much bigger than us as individuals.
I spent 5 hours in the park and headed back to the hotel in the late afternoon.
I settled into the bar at the Lodge and met a few folks from all over. Great conversation, the BEST lettuce wraps EVER (I told them they were charging too little( and then, to bed).
The next morning, I awoke and said: If I can hit Palm Springs by 1PM, 6 and 1/2 hrs later, I'll head home to Scottsdale.
That would NOT work out as planned.
next: Palm Springs via side roads and places no one ever goes.
After many twists and turns, I reached the Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite, just outside the park. A 'big' lodge, which gets alot of bus tours, it was my first encounter with big hotels, having enjoyed inns along the way.
Though the staff was less than friendly, I figured they were harried. I hit Yosemite at 10:30am (I usually get up at 5:30) and proceeded to drive the park. There was a mist of light rain and I opened my roof to get the showers.
I might add, nowhere on my trip after leaving LA, did I have CNN or news on my Sirius/XM. I had it on the Spa Channel and left it. No news noise, just serenity.
I drove slow enough that people behind me flashed their lights but I graciously extended my middle finger out the roof and waved them ahead.
Glacier Point is a place where you can see the huge, cascading walls of the park. However, there was a blanket of fog that obstructed the view. But the stop was the site of two legendary hotels that had burned to the ground in 1969 and they never rebuilt. I was walking alongside 3 people and engaged them in conversation. They were from Brussels and the third guy..was a guide. Once I realized that, I apologized and said..'I didn't realize you paid for a guide. Enjoy your day.'
They--and the guide--invited me to join them to learn more about the park. We walked over to a tree that he encouraged us to 'smell.' It smelled like butterscotch. Amazing.
The guide told us he did the same tour, as the lead Ranger, two years ago for the Obama family. Malia, Sasha and Michelle came over to the tree and pressed their noses against the trunk. Barack stood a few feet away. Michelle stepped back and, in a stern look, said: "Barack. Get over here!"
After finishing the 'tour,' I headed back to the Valley floor. I posted pics of the waterfalls. Words cannot describe it. Untouched for the most part and the 'tourist effect' was at a minimum.
I was one with nature, which means..this is so much bigger than us as individuals.
I spent 5 hours in the park and headed back to the hotel in the late afternoon.
I settled into the bar at the Lodge and met a few folks from all over. Great conversation, the BEST lettuce wraps EVER (I told them they were charging too little( and then, to bed).
The next morning, I awoke and said: If I can hit Palm Springs by 1PM, 6 and 1/2 hrs later, I'll head home to Scottsdale.
That would NOT work out as planned.
next: Palm Springs via side roads and places no one ever goes.
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