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March 1st 2011

Published: March 13th 2011

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24TheRoad

Yosemite

Awesome in winter and NOT crowded!

We’ve been traveling around and I’ve gotten behind in my blog. So this is a bit of a catch up blog.

San Diego

Big city and people everywhere for miles and miles. The weather was lovely with lots of sunshine. We enjoyed visiting with our friends, eating out and seeing the sights. There is lots and lots to do and we could have stayed much longer, but just got a brief sampling of the area.

Lone Pine

This is on the east side of the Sierra Mountains, so it is on the dry desert side. We were able to see Mount Whitney which is the tallest peak in the lower 48 states. This area is popular for making movies (especially old westerns) and commercials. They film in the rugged rocky area west of town, with the snow capped peaks of the Sierra Mountains in the background. There is a movie museum in town and that was fun to visit.

Three Rivers

We stayed here in hopes of being able to see the Sequoias in the winter. We would have needed to rent chains to get up into the park and opted not to do that. It was a

Mt Whitney from the Lone Pine area

quaint mountain town. Signs of spring are beginning to appear with daffodils in bloom.

Moro Bay

We drove up and down the coast and enjoyed the various views and formations. This town also had a nice quilt shop that we were able to visit, but were able to get out of it without buying anything….but I was tempted.

San Simeon

A trip to this area wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Hearst Castle. I was here in the 60’s and the house and grounds certainly were unchanged. The addition is a large visitor center and orientation movie. It was fun for me to revisit, and to see the reaction of the rest of our group who have never been here before.

While in this area we drove up the coast a little further and saw the elephant seals on the beach. What a sight!

Coarsegold

We’ve been zigzagging our way north and this is where we decided to settle in for a week. We stayed at The Park of the Sierras which is an Escapee Co-op Park and thoroughly enjoyed our time. It was a good value and everyone was very friendly and welcoming. Each

Lone Pine movie area

This is a popular area for movies and commercials. Great backdrop with the mountains and not too far from Hollywood.

Sunday we attended their ice cream social and entertainment. As guests we were not allowed to sit alone and the park members made certain that we always had company. These folks are well traveled, so we were able to get recommendations of things to see and do as we continue this trip. Also many of them are Californians, so they have had lifetime of exploring this state.

We were able to visit Yosemite Park while we stayed in the Coarsegold area. One road in required chains and another way didn’t, so we opted for the longer chain free way into the park. It was a great time to visit without the summer crowds. There was no jockeying for a parking space to get out to see a view or take a picture. The waterfalls were flowing and snow people were built where ever people spent a little bit of time.