SOLTESWEB.NET    ALASKA TRIP 2005 - MAY Page 3


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Thursday, May 12 - Ahwanhee Lodge

Beautiful morning. Pictures of the Ahwanhee Lodge at Yosemite.  It doesn't get better than this.

 

 

 

After the stop to the Ahwanhee, we went back over to Yosemite Falls to get pictures in the morning light. Next we rode the bus to Mirror Lake. (The bus shuttle is just one month old at Yosemite, and they are using a hybrid diesel-electric.  Interesting...at Zion it was propane and at Grand Canyon, natural gas.) We took a 5-mile loop hike around the lake through the forest. The beauty and majesty of forest, mountains, and river were awesome but the thing that Patty noticed most, and could not get enough of, was the fresh, sweet smell of the air.  We found out later it was the Balsam Fir.

 

 

 

Mirror Lake

 

Last look as we were leaving:

 

 

    Do you see the falls (way up yonder, as they say in Texas)?

We are to be at Mike and Teresa's (Patty's brother and his wife) tomorrow night, so we drove to near Sonora to an RV park for the night.

 

Over the last few days at Sequoia and Yosemite, and the roads in between, there has been an abundance of flowers.  With the aid of her flower books, she identified 41 flowers, many she never saw before.  Here are some of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday, May 13 - Rt 49 California

We drove up Hwy 49 through the gold country, then 65 and 70 to Oroville.  What a drive on 49!  Up, down, hairpin turns, up to 13% grades. But we loved every minute of it.  You could easily spend a week here.  We passed though Angel's Camp in Calaveras county  (Mark Twain territory) and they are having the frog jumping contest next week. Oh, well...maybe next year? 

Saturday, May 14 - Mike's Place

 

Great day with family. Hey, that's the way they do chicken BBQ in CA (usually without the fruit, though). Another day with family tomorrow at Penny's place (Patty's sister) who lives in Durham, about 15 miles away.  In the family photo in the middle, starting from the left are Calvin (Nathan & Angela's son), Akela (daughter of Doug and Christie), Angela (wife of Nathan, Penny's son), Nathan (in glasses), Penny, Tracey (Mike's daughter), Teresa (Mike's wife), Mike, Christie (Mike's daughter, married to Doug), Doug, Patty and Ed.  How's I do?  That's Mike, Teresa (and Dixie) in the last pix.

Sunday, May 15

Another great day with family.  Brandon (Penny's son) came over with his son Beau.  That's them together on the right with Penny.  Brandon and Wendi also have a daughter, Keeley, born this January. We were able to visit with Wendi and Keeley on Monday.

 

More pics:

And we found this picture of Patty's mom and dad, taken about 70 years ago.

Talk about new births...we couldn't give you the news earlier because they had to first talk with family, but our son Derek and Verr are expecting another, sometime in November.  If you aren't a grandparent, you can't understand the joy in our hearts...

 

Monday, May 16 - at Penny's

We spent the morning and had lunch with Penny (after visiting with Wendi and Keeley), and we were off again.

 

We scooted  up Rt 70 from Oroville, then 89 towards Lake Almanor.  Scenic drive, pretty lake...we're staying on the "beach", dry camping (hope no bears find us!).  Elevation much higher, over 4000 ft.

We get emails with people asking about gas prices in California.  Is the picture clear?  Actually, about $2.50 seems to be the average for regular.  One station, just past Yosemite, had the nerve to advertise $3.15 for regular! (Little did we know what the prices would be in the future.)

 

 

 

 

 


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