It was our last day in Yosemite.  Well, half day.  So we decided to stay on the west side of the park and visit Hetch Hetchy.  Tom learned about it in geology class, so was looking forward to seeing it.  Called Yosemite’s lost valley because it’s now underwater, Hetch Hetchy now serves as a reservoir for San Francisco and the surrounding counties.  John Muir fought to stop the development of the dam and there are organizations and people today hoping to restore this treasure.  It was still a beautiful area and we hiked in search for another waterfall, which was dried up.

The drive back to Reno was very eventful.  We stopped in a little town called Sonora.  There were so many eateries to choose from, but we settled on a French café called Bon Appetit.  I had a Monte Cristo sandwich and it was sooooo good.  Tom got some little pastries for the road that were also yummy!

We took the scenic route by going on the Sonora Pass.  It was another scary, yet exhilarating ride through the Sierra Nevadas.  I’ve never been so high in the mountains, I don’t think.  It’s one of the most beautiful areas I’ve been to.  We reached 9600 feet and the views were really breathtaking.

On Friday, Chuck took the day off, so made plans to do something together.  It started with breakfast at the Black Bear Diner.  Tom and I found this place one day and we loved it.  So we went back!  It’s a chain, but it really doesn’t feel like it.

Paula said she had a “surprise” for us.  Anyone who knows me knows I hate surprises when I know something is a surprise.  I love surprises when they are completely unexpected.  Well, I still liked this one!  They took us to the Animal Ark, a wildlife sanctuary.  It was cool to see all different types of animals that can’t be re-released for one reason or another.  Their story is posted by the glass enclosure.  We really enjoyed seeing the one bear – she was so funny.  She kept circling her cage and did this little head movement every time she came to a turn. 

Then we headed to Virginia City. The city’s tagline promises “A step back in time.”  It was a very wealthy mining town back in the 1800s, and was the place for arts and culture.  Many of the historic buildings house shops with Western gear, jewelry and lots of “crippity crap” as Tom would say, but it was a really nice place to visit.  We especially liked the fudge and ice cream shop!

Sadly, our vacation came to an end the next morning and we had to say our good-byes.  It was tons of fun and we’re looking forward to getting back in a few years for a longer visit.  
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On the way to Yosemite, the scenery was spectacular.  It was cool to see the changing landscape – from dry and little vegetation to lots of greenery.  Mountains were always around us.  We were excited to see a Trader Joe’s right outside of Carson City, so we got some Clif Bars and vitamin water. 

Upon entering Yosemite, we came in via Route 120 and Tioga Pass.  It’s very high and windy with no guard rails.  I was kind of nervous, but we pulled over and took really cool pictures.  Once we got to the park, we explored Tuolumne Meadows with a hike to May Lake.  It was a very steep, rocky hike.  I don’t know if I would have tried it before, but I was feeling adventurous.  We must have been at over 10,000 feet in elevation.  It was a real high once we got to the top.  And the lake was really pretty with such clear water and stunning views everywhere you looked.  There was a campsite up at the crest, which kind of made me want to stay there for a while!

We drove across the park that day, almost 50 miles.  We made one last stop to see the giant Sequoias.  The pictures we took really don’t do them justice.  Take a look at the video, though.  That will help give you an idea.  It was so quiet in the grove that I heard the flap of a bird’s wings.  It made me so much more attuned to nature.

On the second day, we went to Yosemite Village.  Since it was very smoky that day with the nearby wildfire, we saw the exhibits of the Visitor’s Center, visited the Ahwahnee Indian Village and a rock climbing museum.  We were amazed at the people who free climb with no equipment.  We visited some waterfalls, but you’ll have to look hard at the pictures to actually find them.  They are more of a trickle around this time of the year.  But while searching for waterfalls, a brown bear made an appearance.  There were a ton of people around, so it was surprising that he was so calm.  Before heading back for the day, we got pictures in front of El Capitan, a granite monolith. 

We went to dinner at the Iron Door Saloon, California’s oldest saloon.  You got the feeling of what it was like in the Old West when you stepped inside.  Of all the interest artifacts, I thought the most intriguing was all the money hanging from the ceiling.  We asked our clueless waiter about it and he said it’s to help support a local charity.  People put a pin through the money and throw it up to the ceiling.  I didn’t think the money was doing anyone good still hanging from the ceiling, but it was still a sight to see. Despite the terrible service, my Red Snapper was excellent.  We left satisfied in that respect. 

We really enjoyed staying in Groveland, even though it was a far drive to and from the park every day.  Our accommodations were comfortable and we had a free breakfast to look forward to in the morning.

More Yosemite and Reno pictures are coming soon!

        

Before telling you about our first couple of days in Reno, I was very excited to see my friend, Jenny, during our layover in Houston.  I haven't seen Jenny in over three years, so this was really a treat!  Her husband Steve joined us and we had a nice dinner and conversation.  I'm kicking myself, though.  We had the camera in Tom's backpack and do you think I thought to take any pictures?!  And for all the years Jenny and I have been friends, I don't have a picture of the two of us!  Jenny, I'm coming back to Houston and getting that picture!!!

After forgetting the pictures with Jenny, I vowed to take lots of pictures for the rest of the trip.  On our first full day in Reno, we spent time with Paula and her family.  We went to the casino, Atlantis, for brunch, which was nice (even though we ran into a crazy drunk in the ladies room).  The next day's highlights included a driving tour of Lake Tahoe, hiking and mini-golf in the evening with Ricky and Charmie.  Charmie is such a pro and blew us all away!  Of course, we had lots of fun playing with Drake and Diesel.

Stay tuned - Yosemite National Park pictures are coming!
 
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We made it back, somewhat safe and sound.  There was a 5-minute period on the plane when I thought it was going to crash -- seriously.  We went through a lightening storm and I saw a bright light and the plane fell, but then leveled.  Everyone screamed and I thought I was going to have an accident (if you know what I mean!)  It was very, very scary. 

Other than that, the trip was great and we have lots of pics to prove it.  It's going to take me a while to upload them all.  Here are a few pics and a video to whet your appetite.  The video is during our drive across the Sonora Pass, a very steep, windy road that goes across the Sierra Nevadas and tops out at nearly 10,000 feet.  A lot of people were surprised that we made it to Yosemite despite the wildfire burning just 12 miles from the park.  The park is huge, so we tried to pick areas surrounded by the least amount of smoke.  It was bad in Yosemite Valley the one day, but if you visit Yosemite, you just have to go to that part of the park.  When we drove back to the hotel, we crossed under the band, as you can see in the pic with the thick billowing orange-pink cloud.  We also spotted a black bear during our visit.
  
Stay tuned - much more to come!

So I went to CVS tonight and came out sorely disappointed.  Not because I didn't do well in the end, but I could have done better.  Here are two pieces of advice, which might seem basic to some:

1) Bring a calculator
2) Give coupons in this order: CVS $/$$, manufacturers, then ECBs.  I knew about giving the $/$$ first, but I made the mistake of giving too many ECBs and I could have saved 3.  I know, dumb.  So we had to buy an extra candy bar and gum.  Tom was quite happy because he wanted the other dark chocolate bar and said he would have bought the gum any way.

We still only paid $1.01 for everything and got $8 ECBs back.  The chocolate was buy $10, get 5 ECBs and the toothpaste yielded 3 ECBs.  I had manufacturers coupons for everything, including a buy one, get one free for the Hershey's bliss. 

CVS is also giving away a free gift with your receipt.  I got a free 24-count CVS brand of ibuprofen.  I just noticed the expiration date is in one week, so I'll have to get back there soon!