The Legend of Yosemite Sam...

The leaving of Mammoth Lakes is much easier than the arriving to it.

We're all up and about early - a result of a fairly sedate evening, and relatively early night, after such a long day yesterday. The view as the sun rises over the Sierra Nevada mountains is beautiful, and I'm sure my phone pics of it don't do it justice. We're due to have a fairly early lunch, so all decide to skip breakfast, and hit the road a little earlier than planned. The Juniper Springs resort we're staying at is lovely to look at in the early morning light, and likewise the town of Mammoth. I'm sure during ski season, it's a brilliant place to hang out...

We get back onto my new favourite road (Route 395) and head North, rising from our current altitude of 8,000 to a ceiling of very nearly 10,000. Ant and I are both feeling the altitude a little bit - breathlessness for us both, a slight light-headedness for him (which he enjoys...) and a slight queasiness for me (which I do not). At our first stop, a sack of thick chunks of jerky is purchased, and when offered to me, it rather turns my stomach....

Leaving the 395 behind, we head into the Tioga pass, the highest paved road in California, and which will take us deep into Yosemite National Park. I've been looking forward to this day SO much. I don't think it's a stretch to say that Yosemite is widely considered one of the most beautiful places on the planet. As soon as we're onto route 120, it becomes clear why. The scenery is breathtaking. Again, I doubt my phone pics really give a sense of the majesty and sheer scale of what we're seeing. We stop regularly as our path winds slowly through the park - a breathtaking rock escarpment here, an astonishing valley view there...

We're aiming for the Ahwahnee Hotel for lunch at 12:45. I've been ultra excited about this - as I've managed to keep it a surprise from Ant and Vicks. The hotel was used extensively as a set for filming of the Shining. The scenes where Jack Nicholson is at his typewriter? All at the Ahwahnee... We arrive, and - for fuck's sake. There's literally nowhere to park. After driving around aimlessly for fifteen minutes, I deposit Vicki and Ant to let them at least know we're approximately nearby for our lunch reservation, and I keep hunting for a space. Another fifteen minutes pass without joy (well, not for me - others manage to turn up and grab a space before me. The fucking impudence...) and Vicki comes back out to tell me that the restaurant is in disarray. They have 'started late' today - which where I come from is code for 'the chef turned up late.' Our 12:45 lunch booking will be at least an hour late, possibly more... I tell Vicks that she and Ant should finish their drinks and we'll head off to find lunch somewhere else. Another 10 minutes pass, and I FINALLY manage to snag a space. Heading indoors, I'm greeted by my travelling brethren who have (contra to my instructions) secured me an ice cold beer. It is incredibly welcome... We have a little wander around the hotel, and it's v cool to see the parts that were used for filming. We then enquire about our table, and are told that the hotel staff tried to contact us to let us know the table was ready, but because we didn't reply (by standing right next to them!?) our table has been given away. I sense this conversation could end very, very badly, so we pile back in the car, and head south to Wawona.

It's pushing 14:30 by the time we arrive into Wawona, which is really just a gas station, general store, and small hotel. We enquire at the hotel about the possibility of lunch, but are told that service ended at 14:00. Looking increasingly desperate, we're directed to the general store, where we pick up a few sandwiches.

Our next pit stop was due to be the Sequoia Groves, a few miles south of Wawona. When we arrive, there's a loooooong queue in the baking hot sunshine for the shuttle bus to the groves. Sensing mutiny, I suggest we get back on the road, and head straight for our overnight stop in Mariposa. We arrive by 16:00, to an amazing little house right off Main Street. A wickedly strong G+T later, and we've all relaxed. We head out to one of the local hostelries I've read good things about, and have a fab early dinner in a very cool little restaurant. By 22:00, we're all fixing for bed again, and it's another early-ish night for us all...Read more