Okay, back on the road from Sonoma for a drive further inland to Yosemite. This was one part of the road-trip we were looking forward to and for a while there we were going to have to find something else to do with the Government Shutdown and the National Parks closed down. So, we hadn’t booked any accommodation and eventually came up with a magnificent resort – Tenaya Lodge – just outside of the National Park and because there were vacancies and this is off-season we got it at less than half price (usually over $400 a night).

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But, first we had to get there. The morning started with an excellent pecan pancake and crispy bacon at the Cinnamon Bear and here’s a picture of the breakfast and because I asked, here’s a picture of the pancake mix and our lovely host Darla.

Bit of a chat with the other couple staying the night (that’s what happens in B&Bs) and then hit the road. Back through Napa, making our way to the 99 then the 41, which would take us to Yosemite.

Started well until we had to take a detour off the freeway due to a head-on involving two semis with one of the driver’s deceased I later found out. Lucky Mr Garmin was speaking to us so we knew which way to go.

Pity Mr Garmin didn’t keep speaking to us because after some hair-raising driving through Stockdale where there were multiple trucks, heavy traffic, shitful roads, and roadworks Mr Garmin decided he’d had enough and packed it in. Caroline twigged when she said it’s been saying we had 58 mile until our next turn-off for a very long time. She tried a reset but the pin Avis gave us did not work so we were at the mercy of T-Mobile and Caroline’s iPad. If ever you go to USA for more than a few weeks recommended to get a sim-card from T-Mobile, you don’t need a social security card with them like AT&T. Getting back to the pin on the Garmin, this is the second time this has happened (last time we were in Memphis on our last trip – I probably blogged about that if your are interested) so Avis will get a message when I get back.

Back to the driving – if you do not like driving on freeways in heavy traffic with a concrete barrier on one side and a series of semis on the other with hardly any gap between you and them and you are doing over 65mph and you have no idea where you are going – do not drive in America. Here’s a picture of the roadblock after the fatal –

And because it’s not all doom and gloom, here’s a picture of some wine vines coming out of Sonoma.

Maybe it was all gloom, here’s another typical shot out of the roadworks and semis.

Almost there, made it through some town which appeared to be very much Latino populated, then off into the hills. (Although we did have a pleasant sandwich at Starbucks in Chowchilla.) I was expecting a much more curvier and steep drive – it was bendy but not as steep as our earlier trip to Reddding. However, this was made even more enjoyable when poor old Jim just wanted to take in the scenery; however, he felt he was in the movie Duel with a delivery truck chasing us up the mountain – does the worker have no consideration for the tourist.

Anyway, managed eventually to let him pass when we paid our $20 vehicle fee (lasts a week) to enter the Yosemite National Park and came across this:

and this:

and more to come … suckers