Day 9 & 10...that's a whole lotta days, people...

They have a fantastic eatery in remote Tuolumne Meadows.  Fantastic because I didn't have to cook.   It really was delish, though.  So, that's where we ate our morning grub.  We sat on a rock and looked over the Meadow.  Wonderful...

So, then on to the thing that had been stressing me out the whole trip...descending Tioga Pass.    Our Murano has been completely awesome so far.  She has climbed the Sierra Nevadas, crawled along the PCH, basically climbing from sea level to 10,000 feet without so much as a flinch.  Descending so rapidly?  That was a little worrisome.

Hmmmm....

Guess what?  no problems whatsoever.  Except I was, once again, sitting on the sheer drop-off side.  I really hate that.

Wanted to stop at Mono Lake...hubster blew right past.  Wanted to stop at The Mobil in Lee Vining...hubster blew right past.  Wanted to stop at the Bodie Ghost Town...hubster didn't want to stop because of the rough road/trailer combo.  I may have to come back to that one sometime.  I got the feeling that he just wanted to get to Elko.  

The roads through Nevada were terrific.  Smooth. As. Silk. That is until we hooked up with I-80.  I-80 is one terrible road to drive with a little trailer.

We decided to stay in a hotel for the last night.  I know. Total cop-out.  We all needed a shower and I definitely needed to spend an hour in the hot tub. And eat to Costa Vida.  I needed that, too...
We didn't sleep any better in the hotel room than we did in the trailer.  In fact, the hubster got up in the middle of the night and went to sleep in the trailer.  The horn from the train that was a half mile away, while he was dead asleep, almost made for the second cardiac incident of the trip.

It was a fantastic trip.  The trailer didn't desolve into kindling and we had so much more fun than we even expected. I have the feeling that this trip will obtain legend-status.

ps....The Suisse Yosemite tent? Fantastic!  Went up and down 6 different times.  It was super easy to pop up. No tears or damage.  Would totally recommend this tent to anyone.

Day 8 - Tuolumne loves Toulumyou

Ok. About the blog title...I couldn't get the drift of saying "Tuolumne".  So, I do what I always do when I need to inscribe something in my little brain - I make up a song about it.  Just ask my family.  Not only do they think that I'm off  my rocker for doing this, I generally drive them nuts with it.  So, it is a win-win all around for me. Maybe not for them.  For those of you familiar with John Legend - you'll get it.

Back to our little adventure...We returned in the dark to our campsite and cooked.  In the dark.  Need to invest in some lanterns. Eating with head lamps tend to blind the person across from you if you happen to glance up. Unfortunately, Kolton learned this the hard way.  He is now blind.

I wished that we could have seen more of Summerdale Campground but we had decided to move on through the park since the fires were mostly contained.  That would put us on the east entrance to Yosemite.  East meaning we were closer to home when we got up to drive the following day.

So, we were able to give the tiny turquoise trailer the Grand Tour of Yosemite Valley.  We had initially planned on not stopping in Yosemite Village because we thought that it would be too busy, but the previous day was so sparse on visitors that we thought that we would see if our luck would hold out.  And yay! it was even less crowded early in the morning, so we parked the trailer in Yosemite Village and went to see the Ahwahnee Lodge.  This was something that we really wanted to see and it didn't disappoint.

No...don't take my picture...

We had thought about eating breakfast at the Ahwahnee but they have a dress code, ya'll!  And camping and dress code aren't simpatico.  If you know what I mean.  We did use the bathrooms there, though, and they were pretty swanky. It is sad how you learn to appreciate bathrooms when you are camping.

Didn't eat but did admire.

LOVE! This picture.  This is a true vintage camping adventure.

The drive through the park was slow going but beautiful.  It was even slower going because they had decided that August would be a great time to do road construction on the only road through Yosemite.  The CDOT must have the same mindset as UDOT ...I know! Let's do a major shutdown of the road during the busiest time! Yeah! Great idea!   Luckily, we were pulling all of our food in the trailer so we were able to have a grand time chowing down on the remaining junk that I had been hoarding.

 Tenaya  Lake was just too beautiful to zoom on past.

Of course, the second we stop our car, our tiny turquoise trailer becomes an immediate draw.  That has been one of the things that has surprised me-how many people want a peek inside and want to know all about her. Where did we get her? Was she in good shape?  What year is she? You have driven how far?  We have had probably 100 people stop us and ask questions.  We have, also,  had many people honk at us as they passed us and give us the thumbs up.  I love that people love her.  She has been such a happy traveler!  We look in the rear view mirror and see her happily swaying behind us like she is saying "I'm going on a trip!".  Love that cute little trailer.

FIRE!

Tuolumne Meadows Campground. Where were all the people in Yosemite?  They were in the Tuolumne Meadows Campground.  Sorry.  Not a huge fan.  It was convenient to some really great hikes and amazing scenery but it was soooo crowded.  And there was absolutely no privacy.  The neighbors tent was less than 10 feet from Kolton's tent.  Dirt.  No vegetation. Whatsoever. Bathrooms were pretty nice, however, and there were lots of trees.  I did see that there were some nicer campsites than ours but there wasn't very many of them.  Once again, you couldn't pick your own campsite, they were assigned when you arrived.  So, basically, it was a complete crap shoot.

I had initially wanted to stay at Saddleback Campground but it was first come/first serve campground and I didn't want to put all of my eggs in that basket.  I gathered eggs as a kid and when you have a really full basket - that's when the psycho rooster chases you down and jumps on your back and digs in his spurs.  It's the stuff of nightmares. So, I chose to play it safe.  I still think that it was the right decision, albeat, the more crowded one.

Toulumne Meadow was beautiful.   I think that everyone just hung around the campground because all of our hikes weren't crowded at all. The hikes closest to the campground are easy and full of spectacular vistas.  I know that Tuolumne is a jumping off point for some harder and high adventure hikes, but there are plenty of easy or moderate hikes to go on.  I loved this every bit as much as Yosemite Valley and I feel that we made a fantastic choice to travel from one end of Yosemite to the other.  Of course, we barely scratched the surface but what we did see was amazing.

GAH!

This is a particularly favorite picture.  That is a mule train headed out into the backcountry.  Love it!
The campground is in the far upper left.

A beautiful spot to rest.

Soda Springs

What a lovely day!  We cooked up the remaining food in our icebox...can I say that I got tired the standby hamburgers and hotdogs?....I need to learn how to cook more stuff.  Maybe dutch oven? However, I didn't get sick of s'mores...or anything chocolate.

Day 7 - Yosemite, here we come

We woke up early.  Not because we were eager to get up and get going, but because the two brothers in the tent trailer across from us were, as brothers do... fighting.  Something about one brother claiming both of the sleeping bags as his. There was a lot of screaming and calling each other a big jerk.   Hey!...I think that I have actually lived this scenario with my brothers who were born 18 months apart.  Of course, they are in their 50's now, but some of their arguments still have this childish quality of one brother (always the eldest) laying claim over something that wasn't his...

I was waiting for their mother to hit them both with the cast iron pan. It didn't happen.

Anywho... aside from the fighting brothers, waking up lakeside was wonderful. Waking up lakeside has always been a dream of mine.  'Course, I have woke up lakeside before, but this time I didn't have sand in every crevice...and in all my food, no trees anywhere and my tent full of black flies. (Where was this enchanting spot, you wonder?  Lake Powell...great for scenery and watersports,  Not so much for grit-free camping)  Now, this place was perfect.  What a lovely spot.

All good things must come to an end, although, I would have liked to stay another day.  On our way out of town, we stopped at the local coffee place - Shaver Coffee and Deli.  It was a great place to have breakfast.

We headed north toward Yosemite.  We had reserved a zipline tour through Zip Yosemite, just outside of Oakhurst.   We had to take a dirt road for a few miles but, luckily, it wasn't too steep or rough because we were pulling the trailer.  We had chosen this Zip Yosemite because 1)they got great reviews and 2)they were close to Nelder Grove, which is a secluded Sequoia grove.  Yosemite has a sequoia grove but we heard that it could be a zoo in the summer, so we decided that we wanted to check Nelder Grove out.

Kolton and Elizabeth went ziplining and both LOVED it. It was a fantastic experience for both of them. The guides were a lot of fun and the views were spectacular.  How often will you be able to zipline through sequoias?  I was so happy that they were able to do it.

I love that it looks like Elizabeth's foot is touching the tops of the trees.

After ziplining, we headed to Nelder Grove.  I had read reviews that this was THE place to come for peace and quiet and that was definitely true.  We only saw two other people in the whole grove.  We did see something else, though....as we came around a big sequoia, we heard rustling and saw a big black shape.  BEAR!  No, not really...it was a big black steer.  Apparently, grazing is allowed in the grove or that steer was really lost.  I saw cow patties scattered around so I wasn't too surprised but Rick about had a cardiac incident. And possibly needed a change of shorts.

BEAR! No, but still big and black. You can see why we got a little freaked out.

So, onward, again. The week before we were to go to Yosemite, they had a big fire that closed Tioga, the road, through Yosemite.  Luckily, I had reserved a campsite (six months in advance) for two nights at Summerdale Campground on the south entrance to Yosemite...and also a campsite in Tuolumne Meadows on the east entrance for the same two nights (again, in advance.  Yosemite campsite reservations are notoriously ruthless to get)  because we weren't exactly sure which way that we were going home. I was planning on canceling one of the reservations when we finally decided, but when the fires broke out, I just kept both.  Just in case.  This was a smart move. Ultimately, we decided to stay one night in Summerdale and one night in Tuolumne Meadows.

Summerdale was very picturesque. It is a meadow with bordering trees and a stream running through it.  You can't reserve a specific site - they are assigned when you get there. We got what they called the 'princess site'.  I think that we got it because of our trailer.  Because it is stinking cute....

We wanted to see as much of  Yosemite as we could before it got dark, so we headed into the park.  It is quite a drive into Yosemite village - a least an hour and a half.  Once there, we looked around and asked..."where are all the people?"  We had expected crowds and crowds because it is Yosemite.  And it's summer. Usually, that means that we are doomed to shove-with-love hiking.  The only thing that I could figure was that the fires scared everyone away.

still smoky from the fires, but amazingly beautiful

Cook's Meadow Hike.  I loved this one because it was a great introduction to Yosemite Valley.  You were able to see the majesty of  Half Dome, Sentinel Rock and Yosemite Falls.  Being August, there weren't any Falls in the Falls, but it was pretty nonetheless.  We hiked to Lower Yosemite Falls, but again, no falls.  All was good though.  The valley was AMAZING.  It really took my breath away it was so awe inspiring.  There is a real reverence that you feel when you drive through the tunnel and get your first glimpse of the valley.  Your heart is so full of wonder that it feels like it will burst.

See? No people. Really! Who would have believed it in the middle of the summer?

Day 6 - Hello Sierra Nevadas!

ERT  - DAY 6
*Note to Self:  next time you come to Kirk Creek Campground, stay more than 4 days.*

The patient and long suffering husband.  Isn't he so cute?
 Not many men would let their wife plan a crazy vintage trailer trip with such blind trust.

After breakfast, we reluctantly took down the tent, hitched up the trailer and, sadly, moved on.  We had so much fun here and stay here again in a heartbeat.

Back up Highway 1.  It wasn't as scary with the trailer this time because I was on the mountain side of the road.  We, then, cut due east through California on CA-152 and onto CA-145 to Camp Edison on Shaver Lake.

The trip through California's Central Valley was very pretty.  My sister lived in Stockton for year and I remember being amazed at all the things that could be grown in California.  I know that my view is clouded by growing up in a desert, but still.  We stopped several times to stock up on fruit at the roadside stands...heaven!

When we passed through Madera, it was about 100 degrees.  I thought "ohh..we are going to be so hot. It can't possibly be that much cooler at Shaver Lake" but then we started to climb and climb. By the time we hit Shaver Lake, it was 75 degrees.

One of the reasons I picked Camp Edison as our next camp spot was because they had showers and laundry facilities...two things I figured that we would be in desperate need of.  And I was right. Luckily, we aren't overly sweaty or stinky people...anyway, I think we're not...but the shower was heaven.

Our site number was #124.  It was primo.  The best pictures of Shaver Lake are the ones taken from our campsite.  I, again, had to get it 6 months in advance, but I had to fax in requests and wait for them to contact me.  Lots of work, but well worth it.

Elizabeth and Rick went paddleboarding.  No pictures but they had a blast!  Kolton read.  I did laundry...

We heard that THE place to eat was Shaver Lake Pizza.  It was terrific but not someplace to go if you are in a hurry - that place was busy!  However, it gave us time to give the town a quick look.

We had a great time on the lake.  We swam and relaxed and ate lots of great pizza.  Camp Edison is wonderful

Peaceful...

Day 5 - Whales, Strings and The Most Beautiful Waterfall Ever

The day started out with one of Kolton's guitar strings breaking. Dang it!  We have thoroughly enjoyed him serenading us by firelight, so leaving this problem unresolved for the rest of the trip made us sad.   Kirk Creek Campground is pretty remote and we knew the best shot of getting new strings was in Carmel or Monterey.  So, back onto Highway 1, we went.

We were able to find a place that could replace his strings in Monterey.  (Thanks Kurt Heisig Music!) We dropped off his guitar and went to get something to eat in Cannery Row.  We briefly thought of going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but the hubster hates zoos and aquariums.  Once in a while, he will go to appease me, but since we had already been to the aquarium a few years back, it wasn't worth the appeasement for him. He's learned to pick his battles. (On a side note - while I love Monterey Bay Aquarium, my favorite is the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park).

We grabbed some more ice (couldn't get enough of that stuff), a new camp chair (to replace the one that biffed it), and other yummy stuff that makes camping worth it and headed back down Highway 1.  Just outside of Carmel, we notice a few people with their cameras pointed to the ocean. We figured that the ocean itself couldn't elicit that much excitement. Sure enough, there was a pod of whales just off the coast.  YAY! Bucket list item checked!

Next stop was Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.  If you think that there are a lot of things named 'Pfeiffer' around here - you would be right.  It was a little tricky for us newbies to get things straight but we got there in the end.  That has to be one of the most gorgeous places I've been.  Wow!

Kolton reading while overlooking the ocean.

Love this picture...Aren't they cute?

I have to say that I look reasonably decent for several days of camping

If that wasn't enough loveliness, we went to watch the sunset at Sand Dollar Beach, just south of Kirk Creek.  It was a peaceful beach, with hardly anyone there.  We took our books and snacks and just read, played in the water and watched the surfers.  The trail down to the beach was fine but with a lot of steps - 99, I think.

stairs down to Sand Dollar Beach

There was one lone seal beached on the sand.  I don't know enough about seals to know if he was alright or not. He was breathing - so at least he had that going for him.  One of the surfers came over and petted him and didn't look too concerned, so I chose to think that he was just enjoying the sun.

\

We had read about the raccoons at Kirk Creek Campground but we hadn't had any problems.  Until the third night, that is. We were sitting around the campfire, listening to Kolton play on his brand new strings, when we heard rustling in our food container.  We hadn't put it away because we had just finished dinner.  Thinking it was one of the squirrels that had been wandering around, we rushed over there to scare it away.  Nope,  No squirrel.  One great big FAT raccoon.  Obviously, our food container wasn't the only one he had been raiding.  He grabbed a bag of Vege Straws and high tailed it to the poison oak.  He was no dummy, he knew we wouldn't come into the poison oak to get him.

Note: poison oak was fairly rampant, but the campground had cleared it fairly well around the campsites.  My kids are older, though.  I would be a little worried if I had small kids.

poison oak 

He sat back and chowed down on our Vege Straws.  If he could have, he would have given us the middle finger, as well.  We put our remaining food back into the trailer, so he was out of luck for anything else.  So, he, then, wandered over to our neighbors where he stole their entire bag of marshmellows.  They had a huge Great Dane over there with them, but apparently, that was no deterrent.  We watched as the raccoon streaked across our campsite with our neighbor screaming after him. The raccoons were pretty brazen.  Once they figured out that we had food hidden somewhere, they (three of them) just kept wandering around. It unnerved us (especially Kolton, who was sleeping in a tent) but they didn't try anything else for the rest of the night.  Except chew the top of our water container.  All those snacks gave them the thirst, I guess.

Amazing, right? Perfection!