Yosemite, rain, snow, fog & sun...ugh

We got off to a bit of a late start today and were not delighted by the overcast weather but were not challenged by it either. Our plan was to drive the hour and a half to Yosemite to do some serious hiking. I had decided to sign up for a Mountaineering Course but found out that it starts at 8:30 a.m. So we decided that I would do it tomorrow morning while Cindy hiked around on her own during the 7 hour course.

The drive to Yosemite is a series of a few long flat roads transversing down valleys mixed in with many winding roads going up, up, up and then down, down, down. (Jo-Anne, this would have knocked your socks off!). Yosemite Valley (the heart of the park) is at 4,000 ft above sea level. The highest climbs/hikes in the centre of the park are at around 8,000 ft. As we got closer to the park, and higher up, it started to rain. Cindy called out 'snow!' and was describing some on the side of the road, just as the rain turned into snow on the windshield. As we entered the park it became very clear that the weather was not letting up, in fact it was settling in. We hurried to take photos of the peaks that were still visible as the clouds began to cover them up. It was frustrating.


Half Dome in Yosemite.


Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls.


Snow :(

The weather for tomorrow is supposed to have a lower chance of rain/snow but colder. That didn't bode well for me as the freezing temperatures were enough to set off a chill in my hands that made them numb for an hour. (I have a condition called Renaud's Syndrome where I lose the circulation in my extremities making them all but useless.) I knew that tomorrow's temperatures wouldn't allow me to truly take in much from the 7 hour Mountaineering Lesson, so we decided to make Yosemite a 1 day venture. I guess I'm going to have to be a fair weather climber and after a brief chat with Kevin via MSN at the end of the day we agreed to take some lessons together back home on Ontario!

The sun came out as we got back down in elevation and away from the valley.
After lots of pictures and a winding drive, we were back in Sonora. We walked around the western town, looking for some souvenirs and had a delicious and very reasonable dinner at 'Outlaws BBQ' and then headed in for the night.

The main street of 'Angel's Camp'
Tomorrow we head west across California heading back to San Francisco via backroads looking for hats, stones, art and more. I hope to truly get a taste of this beautiful state.

I want to add here that California is not what I thought it would be, at least once you are away from the tourist attractions. The people are friendly, the food is incredibly varied and there is a beautiful Mexican and Old West feel where we have travelled. The streets have antique looking store fronts with covered sidewalks right out of an old west movie. There is an abundance of terra cotta colouring and the spanish flavour in decorating everywhere you go. Our bathroom is tiled beautifully! I would highly recommend this as a place to visit....this coming from me, who embraces squat toilets, cockroaches and culture. Well, this part of California is the 3rd without the first 2!

T

Day 6 - Robert Mondavi, the Sacramento River and Yosemite!

We were up in good time and after what the Goodnight Inn generously called a Continental Breakfast (muffins & coffee) we headed out of Rohnert Park for the last time toward Napa.

We took the time to go to downtown Napa as well as Yountville later in the day and were decidely disappointed. We didn't see any place to stop to shop for souvenirs for our fellas (sorry Kev) and realized that the focus is definitely in the vinyards.

After a drive north to the Stags Leap Winery we had our first tasting of the day. The wine was good but not exceptional and we continued on for a drive and eventually to Robert Mondavi Vineyards and Winery. This place is huge and very.... how would I say it, 'formal'. I felt a little underdressed as today started off much cooler than the past 2 days. It has been around 28 to 30 degrees here in the valley and we have been out in tank tops and shorts. Today we had to put on our long pants which consisted of jeans and 'nice' t-shirts... oh well. They still accepted our $25 USD for a tour and a tasting. I must say though that this was quite the tour. It lasted more than an hour and a half and I learned a lot about wine making. The tasting included 1 white, 2 reds and a limited edition dessert wine as well as an hors d'ouvres of a miniature lamb burger (yes, I got the recipe!) It was well worth the price.
Robert Mondavi Winery
Then we stopped in a small town as we left Napa for a little lunch. It was delicious but terribly expensive at $9.00 for a bowl of French Onion Soup. I made my own home-made Onion Soup this winter and I now realize that Kevin owes me $27.00 USD! Pay up big guy! LOL
We hit the road heading East across California and ended up at a stand still at the lift bridge across the enormous Sacramento River. Good news, as it was someone elses car that had a flat, but we still were stopped for over an hour. Cindy napped and I simply waited, getting restless to keep going to Yosemite.
Waiting on the bridge.
The terrain went from somewhat hilly in Napa to incredibly flat at Rio Vista to almost instant twists and turns as we approached our hotel in Sonora, just outside of Yosemite. One aside here is that the towns inland are beautiful. They have a western charm that is almost a wild west feeling with large squared frontages on them. The downtowns are littlered with Christian bookstores, hotels and more. I saw a sign for 'Bail Bonds' and then a shop that sold 'guns, fishing licenses, bait and boots'. Unfortunately, it was closed

.
Our 'corkscrew' in our room!
Tomorrow will take us into Yosemite Park and I am so excited! I plan to take a climbing course from the Yosemite Mountaineering School, while Cindy watches. And I have decided to put off the horseback riding until I get home so that I can enjoy this outdoor activity with family. We will definitely do lots of hiking. Steve and Sue, you would love it here. You can camp in the park! I'm bringing home lots of reading material, oh and a special hat for my Kev!

Good night Duncan and Ian!... I miss you.

Today was Napa Day!

We visited Chateau Montelena (one of the oldest Wineries and one who one a very important Chardonnay award in Paris in 1976 putting Napa on the map.
Bennett Lane Where we went to try the Syrah as recommended by Anne at Montelena but they were not serving it on their wine tasting list at this time so we moved on.
Beringer where we toured the gardens but decided not to do a tasting.
Grgich Hills - Where Cindy tasted and I smiled and the nice man who was born in Nice, France gave us two wine glasses to take home!

Wineries in Napa are often like castles.
Beaulieu for a very nice and lengthy tasting for both of us and where the fellow (Alex) gave us a little more than he was supposed to offering up two of the Cabernet Sauvingnons that were not on the list. It was okay because we were stopping next door for a good lunch at The Rutherford Grill. I had Ahi Tuna and Salad with a glass of Pinot Grigio and Cindy had a French Dip with mashed potatoes and a glass of Zinfandel.
The countryside is incredible.
Finally, we stopped at Mumm Napa where Cindy ordered a taste of sparkling wine. When the girl poured her 3 full glasses of bubbly her eyes popped. It is safe to say that it was a good thing that we said, only one sampling please because I would not have been able to drive at that point. Cindy was mildly glazed for the ride home, and as I write this she is still full.
Cindy sipping 3 glasses of bubbly....hick up...
For this trip we decided in the first few days to eat large breakfasts and lunches and to snack for dinner as much as possible. It seems to be working to this point!

Good night Moon.....

Sonoma Valley - Wine Tasting

Today was a special day for Cindy and also for me! We spent the day touring Sonoma and wine tasting. It is difficult to decribe how entertaining and enlightening this is for me. I am learning so much. For example...did you know that Shiraz, and Syrah are the same grape. Or that there are only 3 places that they make Oak Barrels for aging wine in (U.S., France, and Hungary/Slovenia)? Or that the flavours that you taste in a wine like, spice, or berry, or citrus, or coffee are the effect of either the barrel, the grape or the soil, or any combination of those? I am actually learning how to distinguish different grapes.
(A very old vine)

They grow roses at the ends of rows of grapes because roses are an 'indicator' plant. If they are sick it warns the Winemaker that the grapes are in trouble!

(He's made of rubber or something...crreepy really)
I would also like to point out that a wine tasting does not mean that if you try 4 types of wine, that you get 4 glasses of wine (although this was later proven not to be the case for Cindy at Mumm Napa! - I was the D.D. :( - A tasting of 4 wines usually amounts to about 1 to 2 ounces of each type of wine.

With that that in mind we visited several wineries including:Cline (for a very nice wine tasting) then across the road to Jaccuzi where we tasted Olive Oil. Then on to Benziger for a picnic lunch and tour (which included a tasting), then on to Chateau St. Jean where we chose not to taste but just walked around then on to Buena Vista (yes, another tasting) & the Wine Hardware Store.

After returning to our room we walked across the road to a nearby Mexican Restaurant where we had 99 cent tacos and half price Margarita's! (yes, they still have Happy Hour here!). Then a walk back to our room and bed!

The Drive Up the Coast, Chowder, The Redwoods and then inland to Rohnert Park.

Today was another beautiful day with sunshine and warm temperatures well into the high 20s.
We hopped on a city bus and went and picked up our rental car with no trouble. After checking out of the hotel and loading up the car (we both travel light with only one small carry-on sized suitcase a purse and a backpack) we drive a couple of blocks to Lombard Street and drive down the most amazing curvy road I have ever driven. Jo-Anne warned me and it was as wonderful as she described. We didn't have a convertible and perhaps that was a good thing.

Then off we go, down the road, onto the Freeway that crosses the Golden Gate Bridge and on to the coastal highway. (This all sounds so simple but the truth is that the merging onto the GG Bridge Highway was busy with hundreds if not thousands of cars and the bridge is amazing and it was hard not to look around with the Pacific Ocean on my left and the Bay on my right and the bridge up above...)

The coastal highway was so curvy that it made Cindy a little car-sick. I was trying to take my time and was truly wishing that I had more of a sports car to drive as compared to our Nissan but it was fun nonetheless. The view was amazing as we went around and around, up and up and up and then down and down and down. WOW!

We continued north stopping to take pictures of Duncan's Cove along the way as well as to climb down to the waters-edge to take more pictures and to finally find some beach glass (one of my goals). It's like June here, with many wild flowers in bloom, loads of flowers on succulents that remind me of cacti and Aloe. Eventually we stop in a little bay town called Bodega Bay and find a spot for lunch. We order clam chowder and fish and chips and split both (we are learning to order one appetizer and one meal as we can't eat two meals) and they are delicious. The chowder is especially good, but the fish is a bit greasy and we leave some of the crunchy batter on the plate.

Then we turn our car away from the ocean (sigh) and inland toward Armstrong Park to see the trees. It is difficult to describe how the landscape changes as you move inland. It is still just as hilly with curvy roads that go up and down but the trees that begin to surround the road are enormous. We see Redwoods and Saquoia, and Cindy recognizes the scent of Eucalyptus (which we find out later was transplanted here by earlier settlers). As we get closer to Armstrong they simply get bigger and bigger. I am enamoured by their majestic size, their sculpted bark and their colour. The park, as it turns out, is closed, but we are able to go in anyway and walk around for free (a welcome saving).
A giant Redwood.
Finally, we find ourselves on the main freeway heading south to San Francisco where we will have our next stay in Rohnert Park. This is a small city about 1 hour from Sonoma and Napa and offers a nice place to stay for a significant savings.

Enroute we bought some fruit, cheese, crackers, and white wine. And we share this for dinner as we sit by the pool reading and getting ready for our 1st day in 'Wine Country'.

Sun, Sand, the Bridge and the Top of the Mark

Today was an absolutely beautiful day and we spent the day walking all the way from our Hotel near the Fisherman's Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge, about 4 miles. The weather was incredible and we both regretted wearing long pants. After catching a bus back to our hotel, changing into lighter clothing we walked down to the Wharf and had a nice lunch at the Buena Vista Hotel (thanks JoAnne, it was a great suggestion). The Bridge...
Everything here is so oxidized! This is a handrail.
Lesson #2

Don't order two meals even though you want to try more than one meal. (We left half the meal on the table and simply couldn't eat it all.
Alcatraz!
Next we walked more along the pier and finally we saw the infamous Bush Man. As a matter of fact, Cindy walked right beside him, not realizing that it was not a small bush and he yelled out, "Ha!" and she jumped! I laughed out loud.
Me...happy!
Dinner consisted of cheese, crackers, apple and a glass of wine in our room. Cindy was pooped so she rested while I went for a walk to a local grocery store. I LOVE this city, with it's hills, sunshine and unique character(s). It feels a little bit like one big Wortley Village.

After dinner we got a little bit dressed up and headed down to the terminus for the cable cars. For $5 USD we jumped on and rode the cable car up to California Street and then walked a block to the Top of the Mark. This is a restaurant on the 19th floor of a hotel with a wonderful view. We each sipped on one martini, chatted for about 2 hours and enjoyed the sparkling lights of the city. Then back out to catch the Cable Car home. Funny thing was, it was late at about 11:00 p.m. and the fellows didn't ask us for any money this time.

Our only challenge was when we got off we were so enamoured by the fact that we were at the top of Lombard Street (the most incredibly windy street you can imagine) that we walked the wrong direction for 3 or 4 blocks before we realized that we had done so. Now, you may think, so turn around and walk back, and we did, but in San Francisco, in heels that is no small feet! It is no exageration to say that some of these hills are on a 60 degree slope and my legs are feeling it now!

So,..... Lesson #3.

Get your bearings before starting to walk in any one direction!

All in all, a terrific day!

Getting to San Francisco

Lesson #1.

when you are in a panic because you think you 'may' have lost your important papers don't panic! Take an extra 5 minutes to look through your bags to find the papers. It's better than getting ripped off by a local taxi driver for $44 USD for driving a loop in the airport because you find them in your bag AFTER you go in.
P.S. Always put your important papers in the same place!

Houston Airport

Like most U.S. Airports nothing really stands out. the signage is very good and I had no trouble finding my gate. I do think it's terribly warm in her and it did occur to me that this is where I should get a hat for Kevin, in Texas, unless of course I find something better in California!...oooo, I just was a gorgeous pair of snake skin cowboy boots!

The Rockies

My first view of the Rockies is nothing less than breath-taking. I don't have a window seat and I'm too polite to ask the gentleman for a picture. I probably should and will if I don't have a window seat on the way home.

They seem to sneak up on you really. I first noticed the terrain changing about an hour into our 3 hour and 45 minute flight. The land was red and we were likely flying over New Mexsico with only a half hour left I am certain that theswe are the Rockies of Western Californ or Eastern Arizona, okay, it could be Nevada...I can't seem to find the same lines they show on maps in books to determine which state I am flying over (LOL) The point is that they seem to 'frow' out of the land and change colour at the same time. They appear black and white now, as snow covers the peaks and sometimes valleys.

San Francisco

Cindy and I connect at the airport easily, with two simple text messages to locate each other. The cab ride from the airport was a lot more than my GoogleMap calculations had estimated at $56.00 USD. I think we got ripped off again as the guide book in our room says $35 to $45... oh well.

We spend the evening walking the wharf, stopping at Cioppino's and we share a cold seafood platter that is awesome, staying on the patio (which is really the sidewalk) until we get too chilly and move on. We walk watching street performers and just really take in the 'air' of the city untilwe both agree that we are tired.

Bed comes early for these two 'party' girls at 9:00 p.m. but we plan to be up at 7:30 a.m. to start day 2!

Cheers to all our friends and family,
Love Tamara & Cindy

P.S. Now this is buskering!