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As long drive not too quick to get up. Watched some USA breakfast TV. The temperatures are meant to be cooler and apparently the fog is in San Francisco. We were very lucky with the weather there. By cooler we will be in the eighties here. Need to ensure we carry lots of water. Decided to have breakfast at the restaurant $14 each. Buying breakfast items from the shop would be probably as much. It was a buffet breakfast all you can eat. I had pancakes, bacon and lots of fruit. Martin the same. Annoyed as they out tax on top plus a gratuity of 15% for a self service buffet! Cost came to $34. Still we are fuelled up for the day.
Headed toward Yosemite valley and the national park. You have to pay a pass for the park which is $30 valid for seven days. The entrance is through the largest rock I have seen and I mean through it. The complete rock. Amazing. The road is winding and only one lane each way with occasional passing lanes. Lots of places to pull off. The road is called El portal road after one of the main mountains.
Drive to Yosemite valley visitor centre. This is in the end if the valley as far as cars can go. It is a little like Haldon. Very tasteful. Lots of low buildings and logs used for the buildings. There is the main visitor centre, a deli,a store, restaurant,burger place, the Ansel Adams gallery, post office and museum.
There is a frequent shuttle service that goes around the village so you can hop on and off the buildings and trail heads. We rode from stop one to 17 for Mirror lake at 4,094 ft. Walked along dusty, slightly rocky trail.tall redwood lines flank the sides and peering through them the rocks soar up. When we came to mirror lake there was no lake. It had dried up and you could walk on it so at the middle you had a 360 view of the granite structures - sentinel, El capitain and half dome all rising 5,000 feet above you against the clearest blue sky you could imagine. The views were staggering. Massive mountains soared up with 60 ft redwood trees below. We could see clearly half dome. Found a shady spot and ate cookies and admired the view. Having hiked back to shuttle point rode back to Yosemite village. Quick snack at begnans deli and visits to the Ansel Adams shop and the visitor centre. Also found the best post office In the world, stamps bought, postcards posted and a souvenir for Martin. Lots of 125 year anniversary stuff. Happy but tired we headed the 12 miles back to lodge stopping for more photos of the magnificent granite towers.
Back at lodge outdoor pool was too inviting, but chilly. Outdoor spa much warmer and Martin managed to find the on button. Lyn read her kobo.
Lyn decided that she had to face the inevitable and find the laundry using the samples from the Mexican festival day. Laundry next to bar so sat having ignaritas ipa while the washing washed. Sat overlooking river and chatted with nice couple road tripping the opposite way and staying at same San Francisco hotel as We did. Meal at lodge was so so - ribs and pasta - but was food, so still tired and happy hit the sack.
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