Yosemite, Napa Valley and San Francisco

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We left Fresno in rain and it did not relent for the next 36 hours – the only change in that time was that it fell as snow in many places within the Yosemite National Park. Fresno for us was but a stopover and the fact is we saw little more than the inside of our hotel room, the bar and the coin laundry. A few of the party braved the main road and found a buffet restaurant across the road – apparently it was very good. We could not fault the food served at the bar and that also gave us a chance to strike up a conversation with Patty the bar lady and Ellen from Washington, DC; both of whom we gleaned a lot of information for upcoming places and we may try to meet up with Ellen for a drink later in the trip. This is what I love about travelling. The chance to meet people and share stories; all the Americans we have met have been so engaging, courteous and kind. I am sure it will only continue as we travel.

Today’s entry into the park would mean another climb up into the mountains – this time the Sierra Nevada. They had a cold and wet feel to them as soon as we saw them and the impression did not change. The US has many National Parks and we have now entered four of them. They are obviously partly self-funding and at the entrance to them they have a pay booth. For us to enter in a coach is approximately $300US – a private car around $25US. All I can say is that each has been worth the money and we are lucky that our tour guide gets out and pays for us.

Yosemite is a valley that was formed by a glacier in an Ice Age some 14000 years ago. It has steep granite walls that are susceptible to erosion and some of the largest rocks I have ever seen are on the valley floor – some right next to the road would have been three to four times the size of our bus. If one came down at an inopportune time it would not make much of our bus and this blog would be over. There is a rock fall along the main road in that has covered the road for nearly seven years and geologists cannot predict whether it will ever be safe again. At this point you have to cross a single lane temporary bridge to where they have made a road on the old path in Yosemite – it is staggering how much debris sits on the road. It will not be a five minute job to clear it - in fact if I was to be a layman geologist I would say the road is screwed.

We drove as high as we could until we met the ranger stopping cars and getting them to affix chains. This was a picture stop for us only and we took as many of the non-existent view as we did the guy who was charging $40US to put chains on the cars that couldn’t – Narelle looked at me and said we would be doing that if we were on our own. As my handyman skills run to putting small pictures up I tend to agree with her. The snow set the scene though and it was picturesque; more than a few of our party had never seen snow so it was all a new experience. The lovely couple from Northern Ireland just walked round saying this was a normal day for them. They have got the best outlook on life I have seen – she lost her coat on Day 1 with the house and car keys in the pocket. Her response to that when others asked was to say that it would get her a new coat and it would be a keen burglar who wanted to go from Scottsdale to NI to try the keys!

At Yosemite Lodge we were dropped off to allow us the chance for a look around ourselves. Narelle and I had hot chocolate, a beer and smoked trout in front of the largest open fireplace I have seen with snow falling outside the window – fantastic. After this I thought I should at least go and see the Lower Falls and Narelle explored more of the Gift Shops. The falls were stunning and with a backdrop of snow coming down it was a treat that seemed to balance out the cold. It was not the best day for sightseeing but what we did see was worth it. However, when the tour guide said there would be an early bus heading for the hotel there were only three missing from it. A bath, a whiskey and a warm room won out. We stayed at the Yosemite View Hotel; it was on the canyon floor with the river flowing next to it. It would not see the sun that much but was just what we needed and their food was magnificent. We had an included dinner at the hotel with platters of fish, chicken and ribs – tomorrow there are three included meals including a vineyard visit so any thoughts of slowing down and eating lettuce are hard to uphold. If I was worried about my doctor’s feelings to my diet ten days ago then we are now in Code Blue – I am yet to find a “small portion”.

That was a good link to our next visit – our Be My Guest luncheon at Nicholson Ranch Winery in the Sonoma Valley. I am going to use the WOW word again. Now I know I may be partial to a drink but my real love is tasting wines and if the chance arises matching the food that goes well with it. So I was like a pig in the proverbial here. We began with platters of local produce; there was cheese, ham, olives and salami all set out when we arrived. For lunch we dined on duck, beef and local vegetables all accompanied with either their Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. It was beautifully prepared and presented. The owner explained to us their brief history and how they had gone from a working farm to vineyard owners. It was a boutique winery and geared more to the high end – their wines were around the $35 – 50US a bottle. We then went on a tour of the vineyard starting within the vines (it is bud week) and along the way they had wines to try, including down through the gravity fed levels of the winery finally ending up in the Grand Room well below the surface; a perfect room for a private dinner. It was stunning. I can only suggest that you look at their website for have a look at some of their photos: www.nicholsonranch.com

It reminded me of what areas like the Central Otago, Hawkes Bay and Waiheke are doing – we were only at Man –o – War and Mt. Difficulty a few weeks back so we were doing a quick comparison. I guess once we have done the Loire and Burgundy later in the year we will have had our fill. All too soon this “extra” was over and we were stretchered back onto the bus to head for our next “optional”. Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge has never been more welcome especially with the wind at our backs. This is one of the man-made marvels of the world. How they constructed this so many years ago is beyond me. It is a thing of beauty and dominates all aspects of the San Francisco skyline - once you are in the heart of the city it is hard to miss. The painters were hard at work redoing the International Red paint – apparently it is a four year job that once you are finished you start again. Reminded me of a fence I painted at Dilworth in 1991; it had about eight coats of paint on by the time I had finished but that was more because the person could not make their mind up on colour. It looked great when I finished it – then they knocked it down.

Just to finish us off we had dinner on Pier 39 at Neptune’s Palace. The Pier is fairly touristy and most are either eating, drinking or shopping. We went out to watch the sea lions who took up residence at the end when they made a new marina. The big sign says “Happy 22^nd Anniversary Seal Lions” – it appears it was easier to move the boats than the animals! So we are in San Francisco and what a great feel it has. It is far removed from the big cities we have been to and has a friendly and welcoming vibe to it. I am looking forward to getting out and about tomorrow – if rain allows!

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