California & Yosemite Pt. 1

  Now that I have cried on your shoulders I can get back to task of trying to enjoy this trip. Let's talk about California. I never have visited the Golden State until now and I am amazed at the different local climates and varied terrain. After leaving Las Vegas the road took us through the Mojave Desert to our destination at Wilderness Lakes in Menifee. The desert is not as barren as I imagined it to be. The desert then gives way to the mountains and their golden luster.

  We just relaxed at Wilderness Lakes and caught up on laundry and shopping. From Wilderness Lakes we were on to Soledad Canyon in Acton.

We were definitely in a canyon. 

 As I stated in my last post we changed our original itinerary to accommodate the treatment for my atypical moles and that meant getting to central California sooner so we missed out on a lot including the San Diego area. We had limited time in Southern Cal and we did not plan it well. I knew we were about an hour from LA and I thought we could squeeze in a lot of sights in a day. WRONG

  Doreen had a list of sites to see in LA so I thought we would start at the furthest point from us which was the Santa Monica Pier.

Traffic was a nightmare and after figuring out how to get on the pier we got turned around by the parking lot attendant who said my truck was too heavy for the pier.

I finally found a parking lot below the pier and we had to figure out how to get Doreen up to the pier on the scooter. We eventually found our way up and strolled along the pier taking in the sites.

Okay, its the pier, tourists everywhere, crazy performers, and the end of the road for old route 66

Some old school entertainment. The carousel built in 1914:

Now we thought we would leave the pier and try to see more of LA. With the traffic and unfamiliarity of the roads, we ended up, somehow, on Hollywood Blvd. That was not our initial destination but it would do. 

The sidewalks are packed with tourists and personally I am not into the whole scene but Doreen loved it. This section was not too crowded because it is at the far end but once you get up to the Chinese Theater it gets very congested.

A Hard Rock visit of course.

I don't know why but I just wasn't feeling it on this visit so I didn't take too many pictures. There seemed to be large crowds everywhere we were going and I was growing weary of them.

We left Soledad Canyon on June 19 to go to San Benito in Paicines so I could get to my dermatologist appointment the next day in Gilroy.

Now that brings me to the GPS issue. I have a Garmin RV 760 that is designed for RV use. So why does it take me on the most difficult roads to navigate. This stupid thing took me off the highway and over the San Benito mountains.

As the road got more narrow I was becoming nervous. I have no way of knowing if this road we have been on for two hours is going to be passable. There are some sections where I can only go 10 or 15 mph. Finally a truck towing a horse trailer comes up behind me and tells me I will be fine; the road continues for another 25 miles and I will be on highway 25.

We eventually arrive to the campground but the drive was stressful and about 90 minutes longer than it should have been. From now on I will research the route to our next campground to keep on the main highways, even it means going farther. 

  We stay here for four days and get everything set up for my mole removal. I go to the dermatologist in Gilroy, Dr. Lee the next day, and I learn the soonest he can cut me is on July 3 but in his Monterey office. We will be near the Bay area then and it will be a two hour drive. Then I will have to go back to get the stitches out two weeks later. 

  Okay, now we resume the trip and are off to Yosemite Lakes for six days. Once again I blindly follow the Garmin not heeding my own advice. (too many distractions). We were doing fine following the GPS until the road brings me to a "Road Closed Ahead" sign somewhere west of Yosemite. I pull over and a truck heading towards me stops. The lady says the road is open and where was I going? I tell her Yosemite. She says this is not the way. I say the GPS says it is. She says Rt. 140 to Merced is where most go to get to Yosemite and that was back the opposite direction. I thank her and continue. Oh and by the way there is no cell signal so I can't check Google maps either. 

  Eventually the road narrows and winds up and down mountains where the trees are inches from the sides of the trailer. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see a RT.120 jct. sign ahead. We made it!

  About eight miles later we arrive to our campground, Yosemite Lakes:

It is a beautiful setting but of course, no phone or internet.

We are only five miles from the national park so that is a plus. This is not a plus: $4.69 a gallon for diesel.

Yosemite National Park was gorgeous, and not too too crowded.

 The famous peaks of Half Dome and El Capitan are the highlights:

Yosemite Falls:

Day one was spent in the valley where the major portion of the amenities are located. There was even a nice path for Doreen to scoot up to see the lower falls:

Me and John Muir, the father of what would become the park service:

Day two we drove up to Tuolumne Meadows along the northern edge of the park stopping at various turnouts to take in the view:

I thought this was a great shot getting the VW microbus in the frame. Totally Cali.

There are various named domes and peaks along the way such as Mendicott Dome, Fairview Dome, Pothole Dome and so on.

No, that's not me climbing up the dome. 

A beautiful drive to say the least. 

Teneya Lake:

A lot of driving but worth it. 

  I am going to break this up into two separate posts because I feel like my entries are getting lengthy, also I have to pack up today and get going to our next stop. One more visit in California and that will be the completion of a long stay, our longest in any one state, and then to Oregon.