Author: Easin' Along

Helen and I drove north from Yosemite National Park to Lake Tahoe, located on the borders of California and Nevada.  Tahoe Valley Campground is our home for the next five days. This campground has close to four hundred campsites, and we joined just as many campers for the Memorial Day weekend.

When we arrived, the campground was sparsely populated; when we left, it was packed. Tightly spaced campsites allowed us the opportunity to meet many of our neighbors, most of them from California. The campers to our left came from Sacramento, joined by four or five of their friends towing travel trailers.  They had a lot of fun over the next few days, and Happy Hour was a lively event each afternoon.

The main attraction in Lake Tahoe is the Lake itself. The Emerald Blue water is staggeringly beautiful, and my camera got a workout because I took pictures of it at every opportunity. I’m not confident that I captured an image that accurately represents the beauty of the water, but I gave it my best.

We planned two activities during our visit. First, a friend recommended we hike to Cascade Falls, which sounded like something we could handle. Second, Helen’s former boss at The Webb School now lived in nearby Reno, Nevada, and we hoped to meet up with him and his wife. If we accomplished both, we planned to try our luck in the Casino.

The trail to Cascade Falls, rated as moderate, was anything but that. I don’t know who ranks hiking trails, but this trail needs a reassessment. Cascade Falls Trail presented quite a challenge to two high-mileage septuagenarians sporting replaced body parts. Large boulders and steep inclines made for some strenuous walking, especially for Helen.  At one point, she needed the help of two other hikers and me to climb over a big rock in our path.  Determined to drive on, she met the challenge and maintained that ever-present smile to the Falls and back.

The scenery along the trail more than made up for any difficulties we encountered. The streams, the birds, and the snow-capped peaks in the distance rewarded us handsomely for our efforts. The round-trip covered about four miles.  We slept well that night.

Jay and Wendy agreed to meet us the next day at Sand Harbor State Park for some sightseeing and the opportunity to catch up after several years of separation. It was good to see them again, and happy to hear that they are returning to Tennessee at the end of the school year. Helen and I understand the desire to return, but we’re biased.

Sand Harbor offered a different view of Lake Tahoe, and I took a lot of pictures.  The weather was perfect–probably the best on our trip so far. Jay and Wendy walked with us to some observation points to give us several different views.

On our last full day, we decided to drive the 75-mile shoreline around Lake Tahoe.  Tahoe Valley Campground is in South Lake Tahoe, and we wanted to visit North Lake Tahoe while we had the opportunity.  The drive took over an hour, and we ended the trip at Emerald Bay. Stunning is the word I use to describe the scene in front of us. 

Lake Tahoe, the largest Alpine Lake in North America, is 1,645 feet deep and 22 miles long.  Only Crater Lake is deeper. In some places, objects are visible at depths of over 70 feet because the water is so clear. That blue water is cold also, hardly ever rising above 60 degrees. Despite the cold, I observed swimmers, boaters, and para-sailers on the water.

Eventually, we got around to visiting the Casino.  I’ll leave it at that.  It’s time to be Easin’ Along. Please join us next week when we return to the California coast.

Yosemite National Park is one of America’s great treasures. Nevertheless, it took almost a year for us to witness this gem on our own. Read on, and you will see what I mean.

Last summer, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, Helen and I had made campground reservations at Yosemite Pines RV Park and eagerly looked forward to being there. But, unfortunately, mother Nature had other plans. About two weeks before our scheduled arrival date, we received an email informing us that the campground operator had canceled our reservations due to the wildfires raging in the park. So we said prayers for the folks living nearby and scrambled for a reservation somewhere–anywhere.

This year, we again booked Yosemite Pines for a second attempt at entering the park. Several friends and fellow bloggers alerted us that we needed entry passes for Yosemite. Helen and I both did some research, and we each swear to this day the information we found said we needed to make reservations on the morning of our arrival. Not so.

As she usually does when we arrive at a new campground, Helen talks to everyone around to learn what we should see and do. She also spoke with the campground manager, who informed her that reservations opened on our arrival date and were filling up fast. We panicked and, sure enough, discovered that the next available passes were for the day of our scheduled departure from Yosemite.

Not easily discouraged, we drove to the Big Oak Flat entry gate the following day, hoping to persuade some sympathetic park official to allow us entry. At the check-in point, a young park ranger asked if we had a pass. We told her that we missed the application deadline, but surely, she could help us out. She shook her head. I assumed that meant “no.”

Helen then went into her best begging mode. She rattled off the following:

1. “The fires stopped us last year – please let us in!”
2. “We drove all the way from Tennessee – please let us in!”
3. “We’re retired military, AARP members, NP Senior Pass holders – you HAVE to let us in!”

The young ranger stared straight at us with steely, cold eyes and held her ground. “Uh-uh,” came the reply. I can’t fault her, she didn’t create the policy, she was merely doing her job. By this time, I was ready to return to the campground, hitch up Dora, and move on. Instead, Helen asked if she would allow us to drive 100 yards to the Visitor Center. Ranger Rhonda relented. 

We made the same pleas at the Visitor Center to anyone who would listen, but with no luck. We did learn that we could book passage into the park on a shuttle bus that would take us into Yosemite Valley, but we should hurry because the shuttle was filling up fast. The only day available was on Monday, our last full day. We purchased tickets online.

The Rangers in the Visitor Center suggested that we also visit the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, an area within the park that did not require an entry pass. So we thanked them and drove through some very scenic countryside to the parking area at the Hetch Hetchy Dam. Once there, we hiked to the overlooks on each side of the dam. A lovely waterfall across the reservoir was discharging the melting snowpack from the mountains above. Water used to generate power spewed from a large aqueduct below the dam. We enjoyed the chance to stretch our legs and felt a little better after our rejection at the gate to Yosemite.

Our next day, a Sunday, offered a few options to keep us entertained while we waited for Monday and our bus trip. First, we spent some time people-watching in the campground. A couple in the campsite behind us had two massive Great Danes that somehow fit into their small-ish travel trailer. Next, Helen put the last piece into the puzzle she had worked on since we left home. I read my book. Finally, we spent a few hours watching Phil Mickelson win the PGA Championship. 

Before all of the above, we drove into Groveland, CA, about three miles from the campground. Groveland, a one-stoplight town, is charming in an old west kind of way. The town boasts of having the oldest saloon in the State of California. A Bingo Hall appeared to be the only other form of entertainment available. We spent about thirty minutes walking both sides off the street, then went to buy gas. I couldn’t take much more of the excitement.

On Monday, we drove to the bus stop at Big Oak Flat and boarded the bus for the 24-mile trip to the Village in Yosemite Valley. From there, we spent the next three hours hiking to Yosemite Falls and along the walkways through the low meadow near the village. Yosemite is beautiful, and I enjoyed taking pictures of both the Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls and everything else in front of us.

To add a bit of irony to our visit after last summer’s flame-out, the park staff had initiated a controlled burn throughout the Valley. As a result, heavy smoke wafted through the Valley at times and obliterated our views until the wind shifted. I waited patiently for the smoke to clear to capture some images of at least a few points of interest. At times, the smoke added a touch of drama to the pictures. 

To amuse me and to bring out my best Ansel Adams impersonation, I took a few pictures in Sepia. I have shared them here. 

Although we waited longer than we wanted to get into Yosemite, we agree that our patience paid off. Yosemite is beautiful and rightfully holds a position as one of America’s oldest and most-visited National Parks. We were smitten as soon as we got off the bus. I hope that the word gets out about the reservation policy so that others can visit without the problems we faced.  

When we inquired into the reason for the reservation policy, COVID received the blame. My personal opinion is that the change had everything to do with crowd control and little to do with COVID. I suspect that our most popular parks will implement similar reservation systems soon. Glacier and Acadia National Parks have done so already. 

Helen and I encourage everyone to get out and enjoy the National and State Parks after a year like we just went through. The fresh air and exercise will cure almost anything that ails you. In most places, you can leave that mask in your pocket…what a blessing! 

We’re Easin’ Along.

As tourists in California, Helen and I observe the variety of activities around us. We see rock climbers, surfboarders, mountain bikers, kayakers, and many other pursuits in which we have not participated, but…we do drink wine. Napa Valley, CA, is for wine lovers, and we arrived ready and willing to join in.

Our home in Napa is the Napa Valley Exposition RV Park, a unique setting for a campground.  We are adjacent to the county fairground and within walking distance of downtown Napa. Our first impression was good.  We had a wide concrete pad to park Dora with plenty of room for Ruby.  The shower facility was just across from our site. A friendly camp host greeted us and directed us to campsite number two.

A show of hot air balloons served as entertainment for the first morning after our arrival. For the first time in a long time, we had little winds blowing through our campsite, and the balloonists took advantage–a great way to start our day.

After breakfast, Helen and I made the short walk downtown.  Helen wanted to walk to the Visitor Center and obtain information about tours and tastings from various wineries, all 400 of them. The Visitor Center was not easy to find, and we walked many blocks before a local citizen pointed us in the right direction.  Before that, we passed the statue of a toast to Napa, Joe’s Brewery, and the Napa Cigar shop, where I picked up a couple of fresh Maduros.

The helpful staff at the Visitor Center gave us some maps and brochures and some enlightening information–reservations are a must for tours and tastings, especially for some of the more popular wineries. COVID-19 restrictions on the size of tour groups reduced the number of seats significantly.  In addition, one vintner told us that some unpleasant incidents in San Francisco over recent years caused large numbers of tourists to divert to Napa Valley. The Visitor Center volunteer recommended several wineries, and Helen immediately got on the phone. The next three days were going to be fun!

Helen mapped out an itinerary for tastings.  We secured reservations for some of the tastings and hoped to find a spot at other wineries as walk-ons. We started at Robert Mondavi Winery, one of the oldest and largest in Napa Valley. A canceled reservation resulted in two seats on the tasting patio.

We learned that we could share a tasting, which usually includes samples of three or more wines. Planning to visit two or more wineries a day, we thought this would save us some money (and the potential for a breathalyzer test). Carlos, a happy young fellow, was our server. Carlos served us three wines and explained the characteristics of each.   Carlos also gave us some history of the winery and Mr. Mondavi’s contribution to the industry in Napa Valley.  I encourage readers to read more about it here. All of the wines were good, and we could not decide on a favorite–we were just happy to be there.

V. Satturi Winery was next on our list and another attempt at walking on. Our timing was good, and we secured another seat by way of a cancellation. The tasting room was a bar inside a gift shop filled with tourists.  We shared a tasting once again.  Jack, our server, filled our glasses one at a time, then disappeared after each one to eat his lunch. The wine was ok, but not what I would consider memorable.

On day two, we started at Pestoni Family Winery.  Helen made reservations for this tasting after a recommendation from the Visitor Center. Our tasting would begin at the early-for-wine hour of 10 am. A hostess led us to a lovely outdoor bar on the edge of the vineyard, where Sarah greeted us.  A group of ladies from the Chicago and San Fransisco area having a reunion of sorts soon joined us.

Sarah served generous samples of the three wines in the offering and then added about three more as a bonus. All of the wines were exceptional. I loved the Red Blend. Pestoni does not sell wines to the public except in their store and through their wine-by-mail club. We left empty-handed but had a delightful time with Sarah and the new friends we just made. Helen and I hated to go, but we had another reservation at 11:30 to drink our lunch.

Mumm Napa is a sparkling wine maker, again recommended by the Visitor Center staff. I love champagne and eagerly looked forward to this visit. After sampling all of the offerings, I decided that the Brut was my favorite and purchased a bottle later that day.

After the Mumm tasting, we attempted to get seated at Cakebread Cellars, with no luck.  The person greeting us said the next available booking was in June. Never one to be denied, Helen got on the phone and obtained tasting tickets for the next day.

At Cakebread Cellars, a winery recommended by our friends John and Debbie, we had our most fun experience. Another Jack met us at the entry and led us to a courtyard to begin the tasting.  Unlike our previous tastings, with wine served to us at a table, we would walk to different stations at Cakebread and receive samples while standing. Jack, an employee with many years in the wine industry and Cakebread Cellars gave a thorough presentation of each wine served and sprinkled a generous serving of humor with each pour. He was very entertaining.  The group that walked with us came from all over the country and seemed interested in meeting two Tennessee hillbillies. We enjoyed meeting each of them as well. Our time at Cakebread went by all too quickly, but another tasting awaited us before lunch. I suppose it’s never too early for good wine.

Knowing how much I enjoy champagne, our son, Collin, recommended we visit Chandon and try their varieties. For this tasting, we would not share samples. Once signed in, a hostess led us to a shade-covered patio and a table with three champagne glasses for each of us (top of this page). After trying three champagnes, all of which are available everywhere in the country, our server brought out one that is only available through their club. By far, it was the best champagne I’ve ever tasted.  “By The Bay” is the name, and I purchased a bottle to bring back to Dora for Happy Hour.  It didn’t last long.

Chandon was our last tasting, although we drove to two other wineries, Stag’s Leap and Round Pond, only to hear once again that reservations were not available. Oh well, we will have to live with six winery visits in three days and leave it at that. The two wineries we missed had lovely grounds and vineyards, and I’m glad we made an effort.

We loved Napa Valley, where there’s always time for wine. After much thought, deliberation, discussion and price-checking, we each chose our favorites and recommend them highly. They are pictured below.

It’s time now to be Easin’ Along, but maybe I’ll take a bath before my nap…