Page 1 of 1

A Day in Yosemite

Posted: 28 Oct 2023, 20:42
by Hovannes
We seriously needed a break, so we took off this morning for Yosemite National Park. I used my National Parks Geezer Pass so we got in free.
Traffic was heavy in the park because it's a weekend, but we were able to find a parking space in the Village and hiked around one of the meadows and along the Merced river for a short while, then we had a picnic----nothing fancy, just crackers and cheese and lunch meat.
Since we left town early a wee bit of caffeine would have come in handy but every place that we went to that served coffee was mobbed with crowds. Very curious! So we left the park and went to the Tenaya Lodge---a rather high falutin' place in Fish Camp and sat by the outdoor fire pit and had a wee bit of wine.
Very relaxing! Then we headed down to Oakhurst and the famous Elderberry House to try out their Cellar Bar. The Elderberry House is a very expensive gourmet restaurant with fix a prix menu, but there is also a tiny no reservations bar and very casual that serves excellent food from a more limited menu for less than half the price of the formal dining room and lets you split the orders---perfect for after a hike in Yosemite in sweatshirt & jeans weather.
So, we shared a Raclette Cheeseburger with caramelized onions and shoestring fries, an excellent Kern salad, and Pesto Risotto and of course two more glasses of very good wine. A feast!

It was a much needed holiday of sorts after a stressful few months. Mrs. Hov is happy, so of course I am too. :D

A Day in Yosemite

Posted: 28 Oct 2023, 23:04
by JimVH
That sounds like a spectacular day. I’m jealous.

A Day in Yosemite

Posted: 29 Oct 2023, 00:15
by sweetandsour
Sounds fantastic.

An aside ... Are there bears in Yosemite? It's hard for me to picture myself hiking anywhere in any bear country after reading headlines these days. Do you carry spray with you?

A Day in Yosemite

Posted: 29 Oct 2023, 05:19
by Hovannes
sweetandsour wrote: 29 Oct 2023, 00:15 Sounds fantastic.

An aside ... Are there bears in Yosemite? It's hard for me to picture myself hiking anywhere in any bear country after reading headlines these days. Do you carry spray with you?
There are bears, but they are very well-mannered bears. :D
However, we didn't see a single bear on this visit, nor any of the larger animals that inhabit the park, probably due to all the crowds.

A Day in Yosemite

Posted: 29 Oct 2023, 05:37
by coco
I'm glad for you, Hovs!