Napa Valley to Yosemite

Had a pleasant stroll around Yountville (where we stayed overnight) early. Very pretty, tidy. Bought nice baguette of bread from Bouchon Bakery for lunch.

The drive to Yosemite today is to take 370 kms.

We stopped at the larger town of Napa. Went to Target: part of the All-American Experience! Amazing the stuff you can buy. Pharmaceuticals straight off the shelf that are behind-the-counter back home. No counselling. Such easy shopping. Bought replacement GPS mount for windscreen (left ours in last rental car...). Also some groceries at Trader Joe's.

Sent My Friend off to the Barber. Well, what is usually a 10-minute job at Just Cuts took 40 minutes! The dome was washed & polished & polished again; the cut-throat razor appeared & he says he wasn't tempted to chat! More soap, polishing, cutting... You'd have thought he was Rapunzel! ("Let down your long hair").

At last we were on our way. Julie did quite a good job feeding us from one freeway to the next. I took a short turn at the wheel - now we have a Toyota RAV 4 ("Oh what a feeling..."). But Julie got the sack today. She was absolutely woeful as we got closer into the National Park. She will be rested for a few days.

Finally we got to Evergreen Lodge at Hetchy Hetchy Valley in the north-west of the NP.It is a super pretty place set amongst grey pine, incense-cedar & manzanita bush; the dogwoods are in flower - huge white flowers - unbelievable! Saw a pretty Steller's Jay when we got in - lovely blue colour.

There is a lovely pool & decked area where we enjoyed a pizza & drink for dinner. Afterwards we walked a nature trail as the sun set then watched a film on Rock Climbing in the NP at the Activities Centre & had some toasted marshmellows on a campfire (the version here is to eat them with Hershey chocolate on a biscuit - hmm...).

We will be here for 3 nights. Wi-fi not the best so will be difficult to get emails & blogs out.

My Friend did a good job at the wheel today. Must be the haircut.