Rio Vista

Today Dave & Trish guided us around the local area, across private levees, past the flock of sheep and sheep dogs, the boat that's going nowhere, the road with the askew drawbridge and Rio Vista. While in Rio Vista we stopped at the local emporium. The emporium, Fosters Bighorn, is well know for 300 mounted animals, 95% shot by the former owner, a bootlegger who bought the bar when he was chased away and changed his name. There must have been big $$$$ in bootlegging and owning a bar after prohibition huh?

Isleton, CA

We made the 160 mile trip today and arrived about 1:30. Dave & Trish were here to greet us and we have the adjacent campsite. It's great to see them, the last time was in Hollister MO last fall. After chatting we started testing margarita recipes for the Beer & Bean rally next week. We walked across the street to the marina for cocktails and a snack then returned, Trish had made an excellent chicken chili for supper. We continued working on refining the margarita recipe some more and started talking about our summer and winter plans so we ensure our paths will often cross.

Coarsegold, Yosemite & Clayton

I'm baaack! Sunday we went to church and they remembered us as "the Michigan folks". I watched the races and Judy did the laundry here at the CG. We also cleaned the trailer carpet this weekend. Sunday evening we played "California rummy" with Joyce & Arlen from MN who we met in this CG, they have a Discover America HitchHiker, good people. Monday Clayton arrived and Judy made a good pork roast supper and we talked then played 3 handed euchre. Tuesday we drove to Yosemite about noon and spent the afternoon there. We explored some of the places we were last week and went to some new, to us, places. It was solid cloud overcast with the mountain tops in the clouds so it looked quite a bit different from the sunny day last week. We had lunch at a park hotel and returned via a different road. We stopped in Coarsegold for supper then back home for round 2 of euchre. While we were in Yosemite Judy decided to come down with a cold and can't breath. Clayton left about 1pm this afternoon and we will be seeing him next week or the week after while we are in Isleton and Winters.

I have to say one more thing.......today is the first day since we started RVing a year ago that we spent absolutly ZERO dollars or cents!!!!!! We have always had to pay for, at least, a campsite but now with the park membership it's prepaid!!!! Caching caching caching.

Couarsegold, CA

R&R day today. 75 and sunny. Went to Oakhurst so Judy could go to Curves and stopped at the post office and picked up two big containers of mail. We went to the local Indian casino and had a nice $6 buffet for lunch/supper.

I have noticed something lately. The USA is being taken back by the Indians and Hispanics. Everywhere from Georgia to California we encounter LOTS of Hispanics and Indian casinos. This country use to belong to them before the Europeans arrived and took it by war or purchase so perhaps it's only fair they reclaim it. There are as many Hispanic radio stations here in Couarsegold CA as there are English, when we were in the Rio Grande Valley English was often the minority language. I have yet to see anything but big and beautiful Indian casinos. All are new and expanding. Good thing Judy is a member of the Kipfawaa tribe but we better start learning Spanish.

The snowplow is how snow is handled in the Sierra's and they haven't put it away yet.

Yosemite National Park

Tuesday we stayed put and I washed the truck. Today we went to Yosemite to see the Giant Sequoias trees but the road was closed because of the winter snow but we could walk 2 miles in the snow to see them if we wanted. We decided to divert to plan B and go to Yosemite Valley. The park is big, once you enter the south gate it's another 30 miles of very twisty and mountainous roads that takes over an hour to travel. It's a very pretty drive through billions of trees. You get an idea of what's ahead as you get close but there's a long dark tunnel you go through and when you come out....wham....there it is. Yosemite is a long treed flat bottomed valley with huge granite cliffs and mountains on either side. On the right there is Bridal Vail Falls, on the left is El Capitan and well down the center of the valley is Half Dome. You can't see any of the roads or park buildings in the valley because of the trees until you drive down into the valley. Judy and I agree that this is the most outstanding place we have visited since we started our adventure. You'll see the same shot twice but one had the morning sun while the other was the afternoon sun.

Coursegold, CA

We spent most of today riding the scenic back roads up in the Sierras. We stopped at the geographical center of California, it was truly in the middle of nowhere. We tried to made a 100+ mile loop but had to turn back due to snow covered roads above 5400 feet. The roads up there are not maintained during the winter. The last time we were in snow was over a year ago. You can check the pics out. It was really pretty up there and no traffic at all, 2 vehicles. It was a very twisty climby rout that we took, kinda got tiring after a couple hours but well worth the trip.

Coursegold, CA

Sunday we went to a nice Lutheran church in a local shopping center, very friendly. I watched the race then we washed the truck and Judy did the laundry. Monday, today, we hooked up and moved 4 miles....uphill....to a KOA park that's part of the park membership we purchased in Desert Hot Springs. We paid $16.61 a night at the Escapee park and are paying $0 a night here, this I like. Judy went into town to workout at Curves while I get some keyboard time. We are 25 miles outside the south entrance to Yosemite and in 4 days haven't been there yet, probably tomorrow. We will be here 10 nights so we have lots of time. 67 degrees and all sun at 2000 feet above sea level. At night it gets down into the mid to high 30s.