Yosemite and beyond

Much has happened since leaving San Francisco. Drove to Yosemite National Park and stayed for four days on the east side of the Park in the Mono Vista Valley.  I learned that Mono Lake is tapped to send water to southern California, so the level is always low. I drove through the Park to get here and drove back in to see the sights.

When the sky wasn't clear I walked around the lake and sketched.  My average hike distance seems to be around 3 miles.

The next day in Yosemite, I was thwarted by a nearby forest fire and an overturned 18 wheeler from making it to the Valley floor where El Capitan and Half Dome are visible. But I still saw the grandeur of a land formed by glaciers. Also hiked 3.5 miles to the lake I sketched below:

Some other pics of the Park:

Leaving the RV Park to go to Monterey, I took the advice of a Californian RVer and took the Sonora Pass - Highway 108. The pic I put on Facebook doesn't fully capture the huge change in elevation and the narrow winding road. My smoking brakes halfway down were like small leaf fires! It took about an hour to cool them.

The route between the Sierra Nevadas and the coastal mountains was all orchards in flat, sandy soil. Mainly almonds as I understand it. No pics. But I did like this bumper sticker:

I am currently staying in an RV Park in Carmel By The Sea.  Nice quiet spot typical of RV parks that have trees and some landscaping.  My pics are lagging behind a little, but I'll put some RV park shots in next time.

The surf(er) in Monterey along Scenic Highway 68. 

Vast quantities of kelp from these protected waters.

 

I had also read about the 17 mile road that skirts the Monterey Peninsula and wraps Pebble Beach Golf Course (costs $10.00), so I took it.  Trees obscurred many of the overlooks, but it was still pretty.

The air was mostly clear, but it depended on a nearby forest fire and wind direction.  Forest fires have been a huge concern all along my trip route since Montana.  Many, many of these homemade signs have appeared along the way.

  

Smoke from the Soberanes Fire - Been burning for 2 months. Now at 130,000 acres, 75% contained at a cost of $200,000,000 so far.

While visiting Monterey, I was walking back to my car looking for Pokemon (I'm Level 11 proud to say) when I chanced upon an old theater.  The Golden State Theater Marquee posted that Iris DeMent and Loudon Wainwright III would be playing the next night.

Bought a ticket then and there (and captured two Pokemon).  Later I stopped for lunch at a bar/restaurant and, as a single diner sat at the bar.  When the bartender asked how my day was going, I said Excellent! I just scored tickets to a Loudon Wainwright concert!  She said enthusiastically that she would be there too.  So I shouldn't have been surprised when seated and awaiting the show I heard "Don".  Twice.  So I turned around to see what another Don would look like and low and behold it was my bartender friend Linda and her significant other.  Strange but comfortable to be in a town and theater so far from home and end up knowing someone. Great concert, by the way! Was interested in Mick Fleetwood who is playing tonight, but timing doesn't work.

Today I'm tasked with this blog, picture organization and trailer duties.  Prepping for going to Pismo Beach, CA tomorrow morning.  To help visualize relative locations: San Francisco to my RV park in LA is about 400 miles.  I'm 120 miles south of SF now, with 280 left to go. Pismo Beach is half of that distance, so it should divide the driving time well and give me varying beach perspectives.

I'm starting to get fired up about that concert! Two weeks away.

Also, my return route is getting figured out.  Here's what I think I know so far up to New Orleans, with dates below.

Monterey CA              Sep 20 - 25      where I am now

Pismo Beach CA         Sep 25 - 28      a change from earlier plan to visit Kernville

Dortweiler Beach CA  Sep 28 - 30      visit with Calvin's friend Von

Huntington Beach CA  Sep 30 - Oct 6 visit with the guys from Jacob's Engineering

Indio CA                     Oct 6 - 9          for the concert

Phoenix AZ                 Oct 9 - 11        with a visit to Paolo Soleri's Arcosanti

El Paso TX                 Oct 11 - 13       where I did Army AIT training in 1970 (long, long time ago)

Ft. Stockton, TX         Oct 13 -14       halfway to San Antonio

San Antonio, TX         Oct 14 -17

Lake Charles, LA        Oct 17 - 19      maybe. A big refinery job has filled all the RV parks 

New Orleans               Oct 19 -26

That's it for now folks.  Take care and, as always, thank you for checking in on me.  Means a lot!

DDP