Russ and Rob's Travels: Yosemite National Park to Los Angeles

As the brochure best describes it – Yosemite’s natural beauty can be found in the things Big and Small, from the towering granite cliffs and giant sequoia trees to the diminutive wildflowers but is best known for its waterfall which is the centrepiece of the park.

Leaving San Francisco for us was a nightmare, traffic heavy and travel slow which did not improve once we were out of the city so after a couple of hours we had had enough, taking the exit to Tracy where we spent the night in Walmart car park. This ended up being convenient as the following morning troopy was able to have its service.

Once troopy was ready we headed off driving through agricultural country where maize, wheat, hay almonds and pistachio nuts were produced. Our lunch stop was along side the Merced river and as it was the hottest day we had had at 37 degrees, a swim to cool us down was really enjoyed. It was then onto Yosemite National Park, one of the first wilderness parks in the United States with 95% of the park being designated as wilderness.

The park was really busy and parking was difficult, all the camping grounds were full so we had to drive through the park and out the other side looking at its highlights along the way. There was the magnificent Yosemite falls, 5^th tallest waterfall in America. A stop of at Oflmstead Point where we got great views down into the Valley. Just beyond here we stopped at Tenaya Lake before continuing 46 mile across Tioga Pass reaching 9945 feet above sea level. It is the highest pass in the state of California accessible by car and was a magnificent drive. We could see glaciers andthe snow that still remained on the mountains from the winter falls. This road is only open between May and September.

Just outside the park we found a great little camp site on the river for the night . The following day we headed towards Los Angeles following some of the roads we had travelled last trip. It was great to do this again as last time it was snow covered and this time we got to appreciate the enormity and colours of the mountains and the desert like nature of the landscape.

Arriving in Los Angeles and it being the end to our travels we decided to spend it on the beach. We booked into LA county’s only beach RV campground. Dockweiller. A beautiful location , seeing the beach from our RV window but is very noisy as it is close to the airport and in the direct flight path of the planes as they take off.

With less than one week left before we fly home we have lots we want to and need to do in LA but after almost 11 weeks of travelling today we are having a day of rest... the wheels of the RV will not be moving.... For the remainder of the week we will see what eventuates....