September 13, 2011; Big Sur to San Francisco

Our campsite at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park with the Big Sur River behind us. It was a nice campground but the roads were terrible.

 

Another unique camper.

 

Giant Redwoods.

A little friend we met while hiking.

One friend I'm glad we didn't meet.

Beautiful roadside flowers.

A magnificent drive along California Highway 1.

A happy camper.

We stopped at a beach covered with these California Poppies.

Harvest time in the valley.

We stayed at San Fransico R.V. Resort in Pacifica. Our spot was on an 80 foot cliff above the Pacific Ocean. We slept with the windows open and listened to the waves crashing below.

September 12, 2011; Yosemite to Big Sur

We had a delicious breakfast at the Ahwahnee Lodge.

Thanks, Mom & Dad!

The dining room was almost as pretty as the view outside.

To resist fire, the Ahwahnee was built of concrete, textured and stained to look like wood.

Parking at the Tunnel View Overlook for...

one last look at the valley.

Our first stop after leaving the valley was the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias.

 

The Grizzly Giant.  Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir had their picture taken in front of this tree.  Not bad company to be in.

Muggin' it up.

The California Tree.

Still alive in spite of the giant hunk taken out of it to accommodate tourists in carriages.

Notice how the bark is growing inward to cover the gash.

The Bachelor and Three Graces

The Fallen Monarch. Giant sequoias are resistant to decay, this tree fell over three hundred years ago.

Beautiful San Luis Reservoir

The Pacific Ocean at last!

We made it to the coast just as the sun was setting.  Beautiful!

We camped at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, ate dinner at the lodge

and got serenaded by a German chef.

September 11 2011; Yosemite Valley

We had site 402 in the North Pines Campground. It was spacious, neat, and within a stones throw of the Merced River.

It was the 10th anniversary off 9/11.

All food, cosmetics, or anything with a scent has to be put in the bear box. They have to change the latching system every few years because the bears learn how to open them.

In July three hikers were washed over Vernal Falls. At the time we hiked up, one body had been found, The other two were found in November after the river receded. It was an odd feeling to know they were there among those boulders.

Elaine's childhood friend, Joe, drove up from Murphys, California to spend the day with us.

When Elaine and I were hiking earlier in the day the temp was in the 80's. Thunderstorms came through and the temperature dropped. When we got up to Glacier Point it was sleeting and the National Park Service was salting the roads.

Half Dome from Glacier Point

Half Dome and Vernal Falls, we hiked up to the falls earlier in the day.

El Capitan, I hope there weren't any climbers on it when the storm came through.

Bridal Veil Falls

Elaine and I stopped by Camp Curry to use the Wi-Fi. Elaine just had to sit on the stump bench.