September 15, 2017. In the forest around Yosemite

CAMPGROUND:  Lower Lee Vining National Forest Service Park.  Woodsy.  Nice sites with rock campfire rings, picnic tables and decent pit toilet.  No services.  With our Senior Pass, $7/night.  4 out of 5 stars

 

LOCATION:  On the road leading to Yosemite National Park in eastern California

 

WEATHER:  Sunny.  Much cooler.  High 70

 

We did some shopping at the market where we stayed through Harvest Host last night - a beautifully ripe tomato, cantaloupe, pepper, homemade bread, and freshly laid eggs.  

 

As we crossed the Nevada/California line, we started seeing the Sierra Nevadas.  

 

We drove about 150 miles today.  We passed this beautiful, but dead, lake.  

 

We kept up a steady climb, and watched the outdoor temperature gauge drop and drop.  The plastic water bottles popped with the change in air pressure.  

 

We stopped outside Yosemite National Park at a visitors' center for info.  It overlooks Mono Lake, site of many Hollywood films.

 They gave us some helpful information about the area and about trying to get a campsite inside Yosemite starting on Monday.  Our camping buddies Tony and Jenny will join us on Sunday evening.  We will try to camp together in Yosemite for a few nights while touring the park.  Yosemite is one of the few National Parks that is still on our "to do" list.

 

We found a lovely Forest Service campground for tonight and Saturday night and grabbed a spot since it is Friday, and campgrounds around here fill up quickly.  

 

Then, we drove around the area on a scenic highway.  We wanted to scout out possibilities for camping with Tony and Jenny when they arrive on Sunday.  The route took us on a loop around some beautiful lakes and resort towns.  Wouldn't you know it - George spotted a brewpub in one of the towns and we had to check it out. :-) 

 

Back at our campground, we met our neighbors, a lovely couple from Germany.  They are newlyweds, traveling around California and Nevada in a rented camper for 3 weeks.  George shared an Octoberfest beer with them, as they were (horror of horrors) drinking Corona Lights.  Then, they invited us to a bottle of wine that they had brought from Germany.  It was unusual in that it was a white wine made with red grapes.  It was called a Blanc de Noirs from a cuvée from Schwarzriesling and Trollinger.  We had a nice conversation, and they invited us to housesit for their 2 cats next May in Düsseldorf.    We just might do that!

 

DINNER:  A type of gumbo - with red beans and rice, sausage and okra that we bought at the Harvest Host farm store.