Saturday, February 28, 2015

Yosemite National Park

It hard to complain about rain when this part of the country is in the third year of a drought. But... our trip to Yosemite was cold and wet, with a little tease of sunshine.

That is El Capitan on the left, Bridalveil Falls on the right, and the Merced River. The clouds don't look threatening, but later they decended to the top of the peaks and looked like snow. Since this is a "tire chain" location, and the reports were for 1 to 3 inches of snow as low as 3500 feet, we decided to come back later. We had at least three passes to cross that were above 3500 feet to get back to the coach. Driving in snow at home is something I know how to do. Driving in snow, on hair pin curves, up and down 7% grades, is a whole different thing.
We did make it back without any percipitation. But it did rain at the campground and snow in the mountains.
This is Horse Tail Falls (I think).
This is definitely the Upper and Lower Yosemite Fall. The clouds have dropped in making the sky misty and wet.

We're going back again when it dries out. We can't do the back country trails. But we will get the bikes out and roll around the valley floor taking more pictures. And next time I'll bring the Canon. 

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institute

These are Seahorses not seaweeds. This was a really well done aquarium. The display were all well signed and brightly lit. But the zillion kids, each yelling at the top of their lungs, made wish for an adults only event.


Sunday, February 15, 2015

Cactus

I'm infatuated with cacti. They come in such a wide variety of sizes and shapes. It is the part of the desert I like the most.
Of couse the first time a cactus takes a liking to me.... I might change my mind.

Cat Alley or Alley Cat

I don't know which was the street name, but somebody graced this street with these  (and many other) murals of cats.

This one was titled "Herding Cats"

Monday, February 2, 2015

Fine Dinning at Mile High Cafe, Idyllwild, CA

White rice, topped with Bulgogi (spicy marinated thin sliced beef), carrots, mushrooms, onions, fried egg, shreaded Nori (sea weed), chopped fresh spinach, and home made hot sauce added at the table by the resturant owner. Cooked and served in a really hot (sizzling) cast iron crock (so hot you could still burn yourself after you were done eating).. I skipped the side order of Kimchee.

Sharon said it was much better than when she had the same dish while in South Korea.

It was so good, I ordered more as a take out for dinner tomorrow.


This picture was taken about halfway up the mountain from Palm Desert on the "Pines to Palms Hiway". That ribbon weaving back and forth across the picture is the road we are climbing. At the top, about 6300 feet you find Idylwild. A small "summer" resort, where people from LA come to escape the heat. It was in the mid 80s at the coach (we left the air conditioner on for the girls) and mid 60's on the mountain.

Desert Hiking

Sharon and Loren left us alone again and went hiking in the desert. Yes, that little person under the cliff is Sharon. They went to Painted Canyon. Although I don't see any paint. Just colored rocks. And steep cliff walls. Louise was commenting on how water can carve rock in the desert. I think wind plays an equal part in carving these canyons in the desert.

They walked up this canyon, but the soft gravely sand was too hard on Sharon's ankles. So they didn't get to the hard part.
They were looking for the San Andreas Fault. But they couldn't find it. Maybe that's a Google thing.