Busy Weekend!

Before we left for our journey back East I wanted to get to the coast to see whales. This weekend the Annual Whale Watching Festival happened in Ft. Bragg, so we left for the coast on Saturday. We took a leisurely drive  up the coast even though the weather was cloudy and rainy.

The coast is magnificent no matter what the weather!

Didn't get to see the whales-it's not certain what if anything the tsunami has on the migration but the innkeeper said they had a lot of rain and that made the water muddy and the whales don't like muddy water so they stayed out in the shipping lanes.

We found a cozy little town  (Elk) when we were here two years ago and the Greenwood Pier Inn has a great deal for Sunday night. We had a beautiful suite of rooms with a beautiful view of the ocean.

This is part of the view from our rooms: the rooms had a private jacuzzi, fireplace that was two sided so you could enjoy it from either room, a comfortable bed (one queen, one regular)  in both rooms and.....

we were served a delicious breakfast right in our room (thus bed & breakfast) that we didn't even know was included...all for $99.00!!!!

We needed to book back to see Miss C at her first baseball game. This is Little League, ages 5 & 6. They don't keep score and every child has a chance to hit the ball. The coach is the pitcher; if the player doesn't hit the ball a they bring out the T-ball. It's just a riot watching them out in the field-they don't have a clue what to do if they happen to catch a ball. We were so excited! Miss C was 3 for 3!

She played shortstop, second base and middle field. 

So Miss E and Mommy and Mama all celebrated the big event.

Sledding

We stopped at Tenaya Lodge to take advantage of their play area... Kris and Miss C went down the hill in the toboggan-it was kind of scary and had a big bump in the middle.

But they did it!

Sandi was prepared for the snowball fight...

Jack is helping Miss C down the little hill

Miss C and E are checking out the snow-Miss C got very good at making snowballs...Miss E didn't like the feel of the wet stuff..

Kris brought plenty of extra clothes....

There's nothing like watching the grandchildren playing in the snow-especially when it's the first time one of them ever saw snow!

Winter in Yosemite

This blog is really for all my friends east of the rockies. It's a beautiful drive, going to Yosemite via route 140....Jack is showing me his successful techniques-I'm going fishing!

I remember going through this portal in our old rig-very scary!

As we entered the valley floor a whole group of deer were laying around-they were so tame they didn't even budge!

The falls are beginning to run in their spring fashion...time to plan your spring trip. 

The Park has a beautiful blanket of snow. The sign next to the information kiosk shows the level of water in the great flood  of 1997...

That means at least half of the chapel was under water! 

Road trips.....

There's so much to do in and around Coarsegold! There's lots of day trips and Jack and I took today to look at a few possibilities....

The talking bear is in Oakhurst...sometimes he has information about his species, sometimes general info about the area, sometimes nothing!

The talking bear has been a fixture in Oakhurst forever...you can find him in front of Ditton Realty at highway 41 and Road 426..

The California Mining and Mineral Museum is at the Mariposa Fairgrounds on highway 49. It's only $4.00 per adult-open Thurs. thru Sunday. It's a wonderful window into the history of mining and minerals. The volunteers who work there are a font of information. while we were there about 30 children were touring the place. What a fun time we had!

There are all kinds of specimens of precious minerals and gemstones.

This is the Fricot Nugget and has its own safe. It's the world's largest natural nugget. So pretty! 

Along the way to Yosemite there's so many opportunities to stop and enjoy the Merced River.

There's a quiet "beach" along the river-just watch for the signs near El Portal

And of course, there's no place like Yosemite, no matter which way to enter the Park. But that's another blog.....