Thursday, August 12, 2010

Camping Out West...Day 55...Tuesday, August 10, 2010...Back to the Valley






The day begins on a good note...the Escape starts up.
I'm up early again...sunset here is around 8:15PM...by 8:45PM, it's completely dark. So, even with a campfire, I'm usually in bed by 10:00PM or so. Sleeping until 6:30AM or so, I'm getting a solid eight hours of sleep a night.
By 8:00AM, I'm on my way down the mountains to Yosemite Valley. Our "Stimulus Dollars" are at work...they're repaving almost all of the roads in the Park. I'm sure that it will be great when the work is finished but, for now, a large part of the trip down is on gravel...this does not make for a pleasant descent of four thousand feet or so.
Down in the valley, the crowds are thinner than on previous days, and I'm able to get a "day use" parking spot right away. I hop on the Park shuttle and stop at several good spots for photos. I've dressed for "hiking", but there's no real chance for that. While the crowds may be "thinner", every possible hiking trail is jammed with people. So...photos having been taken, it's time for lunch. I take the shuttle to the Village General Store, and pick up a sandwich and a Coke...it's an Italian sandwich on Ciabatta bread with some lettuce and balsamic vinaigrette...not bad.
Sitting outside, I'm sharing a picnic table with a family from Fresno...nice people. They want to visit all of the Parks that I've been fortunate enough to make on this trip.
Then, it's back on the bus to the parking area. Now, I've got to find another parking space at yet another store so that I can get ice, firewood, etc. It takes a half hour, but I get a space and complete my purchases.
Now...back up into the mountains to camp. The folks who "jumped" my battery yesterday come over to visit. They're from Napa, and mom has a business that sets up and decorates tables for wine dinners and wine auctions in Napa Valley. As a result, she knows just about every winemaker and restaurateur in the valley. So...we have a fun conversation about good wines and good restaurants. This has convinced me that I should head from Redwoods National Park in a few weeks down to Napa for a few days before returning to Reno to prepare for "Burning Man".
I've marinated some skirt steak in Adobo marinade, so I grill that up for dinner with a bottle of Powder Keg Cab...excellent.
Another campfire...some "happy" music on the iPod...bed at 10:00PM...on the button.

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