Yosemite National Park, CA

It never rains in California

But girl, don't they warn ya?

It pours, man, it pours

Written and Sung by Albert Hammond 1972

Boy did Hammond get it right.  We had another nice pampered morning at the Oceana with another great breakfast.  Then we headed up the road to Yosemite National Park.  Starting off in the Suburbs of Los Angeles, many of whom's names I was familiar with:  Oxnard and Sherman Oaks; business: Malibu; sitcoms:  Pasadena; the Rose Bowl: Burbank; Johnny Carson: and Brentwood; O.J. Simpson.  Then onto the L.A. freeways, sometimes 8 lanes wide (one way, counting the others of the highway 16 lanes, jeesh).  It was just as I was getting on the expressway that the California drought broke.  And for two hundred miles we were driving in a pouring rain.  Thank goodness, just as we pulled off the expressway for a final push into The Ahwahnee Lodge, a one and a half hour drive over twisting mountainous roads, the rain stopped.  Again, we are very lucky travelers.  All this said, while the drive itself was not relaxing, I was greeted with an unforgettable sight.  The picture below is from the "Tunnel View" overlook and it includes all the iconic landmarks of Yosemite; Bridal Veil Falls to the right, El Capitan to the left, and in the center and back a ways, Half Dome.  We ended the day in our cabin at the Lodge, with a wine, cheese and bread.  

The high roads in the park are snow covered and closed.  So, for the next few days we will be staying close to the Lodge and looking up at the views.