After landing in San Francisco, Tony and I rented a Trans Am and drove along the California coast on Highway 1 to Fresno. Wow! So beautiful! There are many rest stops along the way for viewing the coastline. The ride was invigorating as well as relaxing. We were glad that we brought our camera equipment as there were many breathtaking views of the ocean, cliffs and slopes.
We stopped at one of the visitor’s centers and the clerk mentioned that if we wished to have a memorable trip to visit the famous redwoods at Yosemite National Park. At the entrance of the park we stopped in to speak to the park ranger who helped us choose a route that best suited our needs. There are a variety of ways to travel into the national park – by foot, bicycle, or car. We chose to travel by car which consisted of many twists and turns through a narrow roadway. One moment we were at the edge of cliff, the next at a rest stop. The trip was just over an hour long.
We stopped at one of the picnic areas to take it all in; the trees went on forever and as far as the eye could see, like we were in another world. Nature was all around us, and there was an incredible fragranceiferous scent of wood. We had arrived!
Along the way there were endless photo ops; you saw people standing inside the trunk of the trees – some of them as old as 150 years! The ground was covered with fine pieces of bark fallen from the surrounding trees at least one foot deep. We stopped to admire the sea of fallen barks. I picked a few pieces for souvenirs which now sit on a shelf in our front entrance.
Tony and I approached the famous sight of Yosemite Valley, a very impressive and grand rock formation including Angel Falls. A small group of people were looking up the site in awe and we noticed a mountain climber scaling the side of this formation attempting to reach the top. As he reached the top his shoulders Renton Mountain spread out beneath him.We continued our journey through Yosemite. No other valley in the world offers so much to the world. We stopped for a couple of nights at Indian Garden. The lights on the top of the Garden were dazzling and the area was lit by countless lights reflecting off the waterfalls reflecting off the granite rock.
Most of the park was closed that day so we had to take a detour to experience the power of nature at its maximum. We walked the trails in the valley behind the Garden and stopped at several historic sites including the site of John and Carol Bach painting the Paradise Grove in Paradise. They painted a picture of common people of the valley, features of their daily lives, and included a couple of children playing as well. It is amazing to think that this same valley that paintings of the conversationalists were painted in is the very same valley that millions of tourists walk through each and every year.
Because of its popularity the Valley was very crowded when we arrived at Indian Garden. There were always other people and boats moored in the bay areas where the canal goes through. We walked down the lane to the Bay Head Fishing shop where the boats are moored. We asked the shop keeper how long it takes to moor a boat. He said it only took four hours. We walked out of the bay into so much clear water that it was bright and sunny on the surrounding mountains.
Tonight we would like to share a few places of interest with you
1. The White City – White City is the name of the famous hotel built in 1887 byences. It was a harbinger of the Automobile Age and reflected the fusion of art, science and industry of the modern age.
2. hello Sydney – hello Sydney the city of rivers and glamour which is also the capital of Australia and the world.
3. I love the outdoors – Temperature in the great outdoors is quite a chilly 13 degrees C. But you can get out of the cold with a pair of sports coats and waterproofs and a good pair of hiking boots. Four season tents are essential for camping in all varieties of weather.
4. Sydney’s got it all – This outdoors city holds the records for several public parks and gardens. Apart from the Central Market there is also the Sydney Botanic Gardens and the Blue Mountains. This place is so alive with different flowers and beauty that you can spend a whole day just strolling around and looking at the flowers.
5. Where the swans a’ movin’ – This is probably the most popular song by Henry Russell Fraser. The full version brings the names of the streets of Sydney, the boats that move along them and the girls who move the cars that pass by.
6. So what’s all thisMuskadaland?
