This time we were off to Northern California. Where else could one visit so many great places in one location? We flew from Dulles to Oakland on Jet Blue. After spending a few days taking in San Francisco, we drove to NAPA Valley to enjoy the Beringer Winery. Later that day we drove to Sacramento where we spent the night.
The next morning we took in the California State Railroad Museum. By mid-day it was time to get on the road for the long trip to Yosemite. We decided to head east on 50 and try to make it to the Bodie ghost town before dark. After a long and exciting trip through mountain passes and along the California and Nevada border, we made it to Bodie just in time to spend 30 minutes before closing. We spent the night in a very small town called Bridgeport.
The next morning we were up early and back to Bodie for some early morning pictures. From there it was a short drive to the Tioga Pass entrance of Yosemite. We spent a few hours driving the entire width of the park. Once on the western boundary, we turned south and headed for the infamous Yosemite Valley. We had earlier decided to play the entire trip's schedule by ear-ending up where we would for any particular day. That night we lucked into some nice condos in West Yosemite.
We decided to forgo the end of the trip that would have taken us to Monterey and Carmel before heading home. Instead, we decided to spend the time in Yosemite. The day before our flight was to leave, we checked out and went to see the Sequoias at Mariposa Grove. It was unanimous that this was the most spectacular part of Yosemite for us.
On the way back to Oakland, we stumbled upon the Sugar Pine Railroad. They had an operating Shay locomotive. We missed the ride, but enjoyed the visit none-the-less. The drive back through the agricultural region was interesting and educational. Once back in Oakland, we found a hotel, had dinner and flew home the next day.
