Reunion News

Hi Reunion Folks,
We stopped for the night at Collier Memorial State Park on our way home. It is really pretty and the campsites are nice and big. It should be in the 80’s and not rainy. We all have a drive to get there, so I know it will be hard for families to arrive early in the day. Chris, Norm and I will stay somewhere close so we can get a spot in the morning. If any of you are extending your trip and stay somewhere close by before coming to the reunion it would be great to get there early in the day. Both Bend and Crater Lake are fairly close by. We can’t save spots but the rangers have told us it does not fill up during the week and we are checking in on Thursday, July 21. Hopefully we have campsites in the same area. The rangers said the worst of the mosquito time is in June but still bring your mosquito stuff along. For all you guys who get bitten I hope they won’t be too bad.
 The campground is on the Williamson River and it is great for fishing. I’ll try to find out what we need for bait, licenses, etc. before we go. There is a trail along the river to Spring Creek and over to a Logging Museum. We will have a scavenger hunt to make the museum a fun plus a learning (the teacher in me) outing. There are day use areas along the river and the creek that would be fun for picnics and maybe some wiffleball. While it is a great fishing area, it’s not so great for swimming. The water for the creek comes from a spring and is about 42 degrees. Anyone can get there feet wet but it would be pretty darn cold for swimming. It is only 2 1/2 miles long and runs into the Williamson River making that cold also. The Williamson River was running pretty fast and might be fun rafting but it’s not a “kid take off on your own” kind of place. Up the road there is Fort Klamath with a small museum and a fish hatchery where kids can feed the large fish. Crater lake isn’t far. Rachel is talking about hiking down to the lake and taking a swim. It’s a tough mile back up but they did it last summer and thought it was fun. I think there will be plenty to do but it won’t be swimming like we have had before. Zoe, Christy and I will have lots of crafts and games for the kids. The reunion is all about us being together and connecting once again with family time. I can‘t wait to see everyone.Enjoy the few photos I took while we were there.


Campground Spot




The Manor




Williamson River From the Trail at the Campground




Spring Creek at Day Use Area




Spring Creek Again




Logging Museum




Logging Museum



Yosemite

June 2
Ah, Yosemite. As we wound our way up and over Hwy 120, we dropped into view of waterfalls cascading over the granite walls, we all exclaimed in oohs and aughs at the same moment! We saw at least three water falls within seconds and still hadn’t entered the valley floor. With near record snowfalls and being the first of June, Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Falls are thundering over the high granite walls in amazing beauty. The meadows on the valley floor are a brilliant green along with the new maple tree leaves. Dogwood is in bloom everywhere and to top it off the sky is broken up with white clouds! We loved the red rock and desert but coming into the tall pines and firs with the lush meadows and water running everywhere felt really good. We couldn’t get set up and have lunch quick enough before getting on the road. We took the loop hike to the Lower Falls and the view of Yosemite Falls. We could hear the roar of the falls as we walked toward them. I think I saw that roughly 2,500 gallons are pounding over Yosemite Falls each second. That’s like 2,500 basketballs shooting over the falls each and every second with a thundering force. With my eyes and ears taking it all in, it was quite an experience. Of course there are people everywhere to share the experience with me and cameras going off continually. No private time here! My camera doesn’t do the falls justice but it will be a reminder of the beauty and nature’s power. The river which was down to a trickle in October was now roaring over the rocks. We had only seen a trickle of water on the falls in October and that was only because it had rained the day before. Otherwise it would have been totally dry. These full falls and the green valley are what we returned to see and we weren’t disappointed! As we got out of our car at Bridalveil Falls, we noticed that some of the people were totally wet with the lucky ones wearing their rain jackets. We could hear the roar of the water load and clear. As we started up the walkway we heard such a loud noise. Later we figured it must have been rocks tumbling downstream and then cascading over the cliff or rocks falling off the cliff side. Thank goodness the pathway is paved because it was covered over by a stream of water. Christy’s new boots kept her feet nice and dry while mine were soaking wet. We were all glad to have our rain jackets! The spray bouncing off the rocks as the water hit the cliffs and then the pool at the bottom sent a spray that was like rain as we came closer to the view point. We not only heard and saw the gorgeous falls, we felt it. We drove up to Tunnel View where the valley is before you with Bridalveil Falls and Half Dome. What a sight that is. Knowing there are thousands of tourists like us in the valley, it looks like total wildness from the viewpoint where only wildlife would be wandering the valley floor.



Yosemite Falls




Lower Yosemite Falls




Getting soaked at Bridalveil Falls




Yosemite Valley




El Capitan

 June 3
We weren’t as lucky with the weather today and woke up to a cloud cover that never broke all day. I’m so glad we had our beautiful views yesterday with the sun shining. We wanted to repeat our walk up to Mirror Lake that we did in October. The lake was only a small pond and the river a small stream then. In June it was easier to picture the lake back in the late 1800’s being dammed up allowing tourists to paddle about in row boats. It was a beautiful walk in October but more so now. The river is raging over the rocks as it makes it way to the Merced River. Standing by the lake we looked up for a different view of Half Dome and on up the granite mountains toward Tioga Pass. After lunch we drove up to Glacier Point for the fabulous panorama view of Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls. We could hear the falls miles away across the valley! What a sight even though the gray skies didn’t make for good photos. We were up over 7,000 feet and there is still a lot of snow up that high. Because of the snow, the road only opened a week ago.
After dinner we went up to the theater at the Visitor Center to see a film called “Return to Balance: A Climber’s Journey’ with Ron Kauk, the climber, giving a live introduction and discussion after the film. The film is a work of art taking the viewer through the seasons of Yosemite highlighted with Ron Kauk rock climbing. He is master starting rock climbing back when he was 13. He made it look like a beautiful ballet. He related it to yoga. He brought in his deep connection with nature and Yosemite. It was a beautiful and moving film. We also made it over to Yosemite lodge to see the film Ansel Adams. In 1997 when this film was made he was looking back at the development of his career and the growth of photography being accepted in the art world. He went all the way back to his childhood as he reminisced. He sure had a twinkle in his eyes. He must have been quite a character. Norm had clued us in on the films and they were both terrific.



On Hike to Mirror Lake




Reflection Near Mirror Lake




Snow Near Glacier Point



Squirrel at Glacier Point

 June 4
Rain was expected today and by breakfast time it was here. We are nice and cozy as we look out into the campground but most of the campers are in tents! You can’t even have a fire in Yosemite until 5:00 in the afternoon. Tent camping in the rain just doesn’t look like fun. We decided to take the hour plus drive up to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir which is fed by Tuolumne River. Christy has fond memories of their family’s first backpacking trip up there. They hiked along the lake and then up to the head waters of Rancheria Falls. With Bryan at only two or three years old and Doug at six or seven, they made the seven mile hike with over thirty pounds on their backs. They took everything they needed for seven days and had the time of their lives. It was such a success that they made backpacking their family vacation for years and years. When the kids were little they even made it on the cover of a backpacking magazine! It might have been this trip. The area is beautiful but the clouds and sprinkles didn’t make for the best first impression. It was quite the controversy back in 1913 when Congress authorized the dam to be built within the park in such a gorgeous valley. John Muir and others wanted the valley to remain untouched. Now there is a movement to return the valley to its natural state. After the San Francisco earthquake in 1906, the city was looking for a dependable water source and decided to push for the dam on the Tuolumne River. It was completed in 1923 and now supplies the San Francisco Bay area with its drinking water. Electricity is also generated.
I had made reservations for dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel as a surprise and thank you to Norm and Chris for graciously taking me along on another dream adventure. What a beautiful dining room. We sat at the very table where Queen Elizabeth had sat on her last visit. It had an incredible view of Yosemite Falls! We have had an incredible journey and are still laughing and talking to each other after more than 4 amazing months on the road. Tomorrow we head north with a stop in Chico for a quick visit with Jake and one more stop at Collier Memorial State Park to check out the campground we picked for our family reunion in July. The next day we will be home! We are excited about getting back to our home bases and reconnecting with family and friends. My garden is waiting for some tender loving care. Norm and Chris are ready to get back to eBay.



Water Shooting Out of Hetch Hetchy Dam




Lunch By the Fire at a Lodge Near Hetch Hetchy




Dinner at Ahwahnee Hotel!




Saying Goodbye to Yosemite

 June 5
We met Jake and he introduced us to his friend Beth. Sitting outside for a Mexican dinner downtown was delightful. It was wonderful to meet Beth and get to know her a little bit.
　
　
　
　

May 29,30,31 & June 1

May 29
Last night we went to Buck’s for dinner and sat out on the patio. It was Prom night at the local high school and the kids were all spiffed up with their dates having dinner when we arrived. The owner chef was a local guy who left town years ago to go to culinary school in L.A. and got early training at a Four Seasons. After being head chef at a couple of upscale restaurants, he came back to Moab and opened his own place. He has quite a reputation. The food was superb.
Wind, wind, and more wind! All night we had gusts that felt like the Manor was going to move to the next site! By the afternoon the air was so thick with dust that the sky was brown. Grit got in my mouth, nose and eyes. It was terrible! On top of all the wind, it was hot so we had to have the windows open to sleep. The Manor had a layer of red sand everywhere. It was our worst weather on the entire trip. Luckily the wind in town was a little better for the Art Festival. We had a fabulous breakfast at the Jailhouse Café. Among other things in the building’s history, it had been a Court House and jail. It reminded me of my restaurant in Cambria, Creekside Gardens, with lots of outdoor seating, great food, and friendly service. We listened to some of the music at the festival and enjoyed walking around the booths. It was a mixture of quality and funky. The last thing on our list was to take the short 18 mile ride out Hwy 279 toward the potash beds. One area along the road was lined up with people rock and cliff climbing. It looked like a great place to learn. The road followed the Colorado River as it continued south toward Canyonlands NP. We saw dinosaur prints! With all the rock movement over the centuries the big slab of rock is now on a slant and the prints were easy to see. We scoped out the restaurants in town and decided on having an early dinner at Zak’s. With nothing else to keep us in town, we headed back to the campground and miracle of miracles, the wind soon died down. We spent a good deal of time wiping down the Manor to get rid of the thick layer of sand that was covering everything. I think the sand will keep showing up for a while. When we got the cards out for our nightly games, the cards had grit on them!

May 30
After four months of travel, we headed back west across Utah to Ely, NV. We were dreading the trip thinking it was going to be long with boring scenery but were pleasantly surprised with a beautiful drive. As we came over a hill before crossing the border into Nevada, we had an amazing view before us of the gorgeous snow covered mountains in Big Basin National Park. Mt. Wheeler is over 13,000 feet and the tallest mountain in Nevada. We stopped in Baker for lunch before driving up the Visitor Center. We stopped at one of two places in town for lunch and were offered a choice of a meatloaf sandwich or a burger. The meatloaf was really yummy. Some college age kids were sitting there with their computers and books taking their lunch break from their jobs with the Conservation Corps. The National Park looks like a great place to spend a couple of days. It has a tour of Lehman Caves and the road up Mt. Wheeler must be beautiful. Nevada is the most mountainous state in the U.S. with the entire state forming a big basin with all the river water flowing to the center. None of the rivers drain into the Pacific or the Gulf of Mexico. It actually has over 90 basins with one mountain srange after another. Diving through Nevada will be up over a summit and down into a valley time after time. The area is so green and the mountains are snow covered and beautiful!

Casino From the Good Old Days in Ely

May 31
We had another pretty drive today driving across Nevada to Carson City. We have been traveling on "Hwy 50 - The Loneliest Road in America." It was a pretty lonely area of the U.S. with only a few ranches off in the distance and not many cars on the highway. We were there in time for lunch. We didn’t feel like visiting a museum so Chris and I did a little shopping in the afternoon. Chris found some new hiking boots that seem to be a perfect fit. She can try them out in Yosemite. We got a recommendation to try Red’s Old 395 Grill. The building itself was an architectural treat with a western look. Inside was a real museum of wagons, buggies, large farm equipment and old fire wagons hanging from the ceiling. They Had a huge restored 1923 Monach Steamroller that is one of two in existence. This one was used to pave what is now Wall Street in New York City. They moved it onto a cement slab and built the restaurant around it! The Host Stand at the front was salvaged out of St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco following the earthquake in 1907. The list goes on and on. The “Greatest Bar on Earth” features 101 different beers. Norm had a great nut brown beer from England. The food was just as great as the atmosphere. It turned out that our server was the niece of the builder and had lots of info for us. The owners are three guys from Chico. Among other restaurants, they own The Bear in Chico.

June 1
Had a short drive along Lake Tahoe and down to Jackson on HWY 49. Tahoe was beautiful but we had snow! Some of the homes along HWY 50 looked like they were still snowed in from the harsh winter. We had hoped to drive over Tioga Pass and down into Yosemite but the road is still closed. It usually opens by the third week in May but they had almost record snows this year so we took the long way around. It is raining today but we got our groceries for Yosemite and had a quite afternoon. We are staying at the Jackson Rancheria Casino and RV Resort.We staryed at this delux spot in October when we were exploring the gold country along Hwy 49.