Sierra Nevada, California – Page 2

Where on the road were we?

June 19, 2025 mmm-yoso Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel, yoso-silly

Sorry for the lack of posts…..I guess I needed some time to recover from my last 7 hour drive home the other day. Heck, JJ even handled it better than I did!

Anyway, thought I'd share some photos. We headed out to a region we're somewhat familiar with, but an area we hadn't visited before. The Missus was really interested to see how JJ handled hiking and I must say, he was a champ!

We did five hikes and a couple of walks in three full days! Some of which were over five miles and 800+ foot elevation gain! Yikes!

We looked for hikes that had some cover because JJ doesn't like heat or prolonged direct sunlight and at the elevation we were at….well, that wouldn't be nice! We loved our accommodations, which actually had a decent kitchen, which we'll make sure to remember if we return. The place and the staff were super dog friendly….on one day, I counted 9 pooches staying there.

The Missus's and my favorite parts of our hikes were the beautiful lakes…..

Which were so scenic and pristine.

As for JJ….well, there were still quite a few snow banks along the way, which he loved. He would often get the "zoomies"….

And exposure to new situations were quite interesting…..

JJ has always hated water….in fact he used to have a phobia of puddles….yes…for real. So, it was interesting to see him overcome that as he figured out how to cross over streams.

One of us would be on each side of the stream or body of water and cheer him on. We'd let him figure things out for himself and he did well!

IMG_0743b

He got so good at this hiking thing that he'd get somewhat impatient waiting for me…the slowpoke at times.

Yep, that's his "hurry up daddy" look.

Personally, I enjoy taking my time…..well, maybe I'm just old and slow. But there were a couple of stops I really enjoyed.

Right across from our hotel….well, after a good amount of stairs was a large venue with several large restaurants, shops, and a distillery that made cocktails we really enjoyed.

Almost all restaurants had outdoor seating available and were dog friendly; though a couple were still in transition mode from winter to summer and not ready yet. Still, we'd usually get a late lunch and dinner at one of the restaurants. Nothing mind blowing, mind you; but not terrible.

Though by the end of our stay…..we had gotten to the point of doing takeout and eating on our balcony.

So, there you go….as my backlog of travel/road trip posts gets even larger!

Thanks for stopping by!

I'll get back to my regularly scheduled posts tomorrow!

Road Trip – The Dog & Bear Tavern and Where We Met (Tahoma)

September 27, 2024 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Gastropub, Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt, Lake Tahoe, Pubs and Pub Grub, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

After a satisfying lunch at My Thai in South Lake Tahoe, we headed up the 89. It was a quick half hour drive to our destination in Tahoma, a town on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, with a population of just over 1,000. The area was recommended by one of the Missus's coworkers. I really wasn't too sure about the location, but we ended up enjoying the area.

Other than all the outdoorsy stuff, there's not much going on in the area. The town has one pretty nice Market/Deli, a burger place, a pizza/gastropub/wine bar, and a coffee/gelato shop. We had an Vrbo just a few blocks from the restaurants and coffee shop. The little cottage was very comfortable, though we had to get used to using "bear fences", making sure to arm them whenever we left.

Once we got settled, we walked the couple of blocks down Pine Street to check out the two restaurants and coffee shop.

IMG_0050a

The coffee-ice cream shop was open. And the Missus decided on a coffee while I went in a different "direction".

IMG_0050b

I went with a small Pink Grapefruit Gelato, which was nice and refreshing.

Look who else wanted a Gelato!

Where We Met
7000 West Lake Blvd.
Tahoma, CA 96142

We then crossed over West Lake Boulevard and walked to the end of Pine Street. There's a small beach with a beautiful view of Lake Tahoe.

We strolled back to the cottage, then drove on over to the General Store for a few things and headed back. After relaxing for a bit, we decided to head out for an early dinner at the Dog & Bear Tavern, which was in the same little mall as Where We Met.

It was only 430 and the place was pretty busy. We got one of the two tops. It seems like the place really specializes in pizza, but we found the rest of the menu quite interesting.

The menu was totally not what we expected and we took some time to look over things. The Missus had a nice glass of wine. I got a crisp Pilsner.

We decided on two items; the first being the Chicken Liver Mousse Flatbread. The portion was quite generous.

Well, this was quite a surprise; in a good way. The flatbread was fluffy and yeasty, I can understand why folks would like the pizza here. The duck liver mousse was creamy, smooth, slightly offal-ly, rich, with a slight bitter-sweet finish. There was a touch of pungency and the duck cracklins' were like….well, "crack". The strawberries added a sweet-fruity-acidity to the dish. This was quite nice.

The other dish we got was the Duck & Kimchi Loaded Potatoes. It just seemed like a bit of an odd combo, so we were interested in trying it.

This one might have been a bit too much; the rich-gamy duck was over taken by the sourness of the kimchi. Goat cheese and that gochujang mayo just piled on with tart sourness. The potatoes, roasted in duck fat were really tasty on their own, but this was a bit over-the-top for us.

Still, this was by far our favorite meal during this road trip. The folks working were very friendly and so were the locals. We would end up returning the following evening.

The Dog and Bear
7000 West Lake Blvd.
Tahoma, CA 96142

After dinner, we decided to take a walk. The Missus's coworker who comes up here a lot recommended heading to Sugar Pine Point Beach for paddle boarding. We planned to head on over the next morning, but decided to take a walk over, about a mile and a quarter each way. There's a path that follows the road that is lined with soaring trees.

Gosh, it was so beautiful. We got to the park, strolled thru the parking lot, and then walked over to the shore.

I can understand why people love it here!

We'd return early the next morning to ensure a good parking spot.

We walked on back…..

We decided to head back into the Dog & Bear for a nightcap. This time we had a seat at the bar. The Missus got a glass of wine and I got an Amber Ale.

It was a nice way to end the day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip – My Thai Cuisine (South Lake Tahoe)

September 15, 2024 mmm-yoso Lake Tahoe, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Thai Restaurants, Travel

After a nice morning at June Lake we headed north to our next stop; the town of Tahoma on the western shores of Lake Tahoe. We had never been in this area before, driving up the 395 into Nevada, then onto the 756 and then the 207, onto the 50, passing familiar names like Bally's and Harrah's, Casino's right before crossing back into California. It's quite busy, strangely reminding me of a shoreside "downtown Vegas". With all the chains; well, I won't complain too much as we did stop at Whole Foods for a few things, before heading back out. Right before the split of highways called "the Y", where the 50 will split to the 89 was our lunch destination. After dealing with the burgers and such, I had selected a Thai Restaurant named My Thai. To be perfectly honest, based on what I had seen driving thru South Lake Tahoe, I wasn't very confident about lunch.

The place opens at 11am for lunch and we had arrived and found parking in the small lot just after 11. We had made good time from June Lake; just 2-1/2 hours!

We walked in and were warmly greeted and taken to a table.

The place was decorated in what I would call a very stereotypical Thai way. The location and decor set off all those internal "alarms" and we were worried about how our lunch would turn out. In the end, we had nothing to worry about. The items on the menu had a wide range; everything from Cream Cheese Rangoon to Orange Chicken to Crying Tiger to a Kobe Beef version of Crying Tiger priced at $155! One of those places that seems to be trying to please everyone?

It seems that this was going to be an interesting meal……

We started off with the "Sunny Beef" ($16.95), which I figured would be a version of Neua Dad Deow. This was actually pretty good.

The beef was chewy, but not hard, not overly salty, nice savory fish sauce tones; the dipping sauce was slightly spicy, acidic, with some sweetness. This was decent; and even better the next day!

The weakest dish of the meal was the Larb ($16.95). Yet this still featured a generous amount of roasted rice powder, which added a nice nuttiness.

A bit more mealy then we like, but it wasn't bland by any means. We had gotten everything at a heat level of "7" and I have to say, this had a good amount of spice. Nothing amazing, but still better than what I thought I'd get.

The flavor of the Basil Duck ($22.95) was quite good.

Even though the portion size wasn't especially generous; the spice, anise tones, savory dish sauce, and sweet tones came thru clearly. The duck was basically skin and fat, which worked just fine for us. This went well with rice.

We had ordered the Lao Style Papaya Salad ($19.95) just out of curiosity, and it was indeed legit.

IMG_0048b From the funky, savory salted crab, to the deeply fermented savory tones, to the pretty hot chilies, this was very spicy and refreshing. Even better than versions we've had here in San Diego! To make things even more fun, this was served with pork rinds!

Overall, a satisfying meal, very friendly and warm service. A nice surprise for us!

My Thai Cuisine
2108 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

IMG_0048c

Road Trip – Whoa Nellie Deli (Lee Vining), Gull Lake and June Lake Brewing (Again), June Lake, and Other “Stuffs”

September 2, 2024 mmm-yoso Beer, Diner, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Sierra Nevada, California, Taco Shops, Travel

On the way back from hiking the Gardisky Lake Trail, we decided to make a "pit stop" at the Tioga Gas Mart, which is at the intersection of Tioga Road and the 395 in Lee Vining. No, we didn't need gas, but really needed to "fuel up"….that would be getting some lunch. You see, one of the places that had been recommended to us was in the Tioga Gas Mart; the gas station, gift shop, is home to a stand named "Whoa Nellie Deli". Yep, for reals…..

The menu has quite a few options; everything from Wild Buffalo Meatloaf to Lobster Taquitos to Pizza. The Missus didn't feel like having meat, so She ordered the Grilled Veggie Sandwich ($17). I had heard good things about the "World Famous" Fish Tacos ($18), so I went against my instincts and got that. We got a number and sat at one of the tables outside.

Soon enough our number was called and went to the counter to grab our lunches.

The "veggies" on the Missus's Grilled Veggie Sandwich where barely grilled, that Hollandaise like sauce was gloppy and lacked flavor.

The eggplant was quite bitter. The bun was nicely toasted. The fries were the best item, crisp and well salted.

As for my "world famous" fish tacos……

Good lord. The fish was supposedly mahi mahi, overfried, not seasoned, and dry as heck. The tortillas were like cardboard. The purple cabbage slaw was flavored with ginger and the other had mango "salsa" which really needed some spice. It was all accompanied by a pool of pasty black beans, which at least was seasoned adequately.

I know this place is kind of a cult favorite, but it wasn't our thing. It's interestng that the deli has it's own entry in Wikipedia which says "The Whoa Nellie Deli is a casual gourmet restaurant located in Lee Vining…."

Whoa Nellie Deli in the Tioga Gas Mart
22 Vista Point Rd.
Lee Vining, CA 93541

After our meal, we headed north on the 395 and took a quick side trip to the Mono Basin Visitors Center.

Where we got some nice views of Mono Basin and learned a bit about the history and geology of the basin.

Maybe next time we'll spend a bit more time here.

We headed back to our room and took a nice post lunch nap. Upon waking, the Missus wanted to head back down to Gull Lake, we took the car incase the Missus wanted to do more paddle boarding. We easily found parking, even though there were some festivities going on.

We took a stroll around the area.

As we walked past the Gull Lake Marina Shop, we saw this terrified pooch hiding by the small pond in front of the shop.

We were wondering what was going on? As we walked to the shop we saw the reason. Remember the "beware of cats they attack dogs" sign? Well guess what, I think that poor pooch found out that the sign was in fact true. Also, guess who was waiting by the sign to make a point?

The Missus decided to get one more session in, so I took a nice walk around the marina.

Since the Missus was going to be a while, I had told Her to go ahead and meet me back at the June Lake Brewery when She was done and I'd go ahead and make dinner.

This time around, since it as only myself, I had a seat at the bar in the enclosed area.

I got the Brown Ale which I really enjoyed. The young lady working the register remembered me from the night before! I also found out that the locals sit in this area and had some nice chats; including one with a gentleman from Maui!

The Missus arrived a bit later and wanted a Japanese Lager. When I walked up to the counter and ordered, the young lady told me "you already left us a nice tip, so don't worry about it, ok?" Wow, that's a new one for me! Like I said, the folks in June Lake are so nice!

June Lake Brewing
131 S Crawford Ave.
June Lake, CA 93529

Once we were done, I made a quick trip to the General Store for a couple of items.

I then returned to the room and I put together a dinner for the both of us.

After dinner we took a short stroll on Boulder Drive, aka the June Lake Loop.

We really enjoyed our stay at the June Lake Villager.

The next morning we woke early. We'd be headed to Lake Tahoe on this day. But first, the Missus wanted to get one more session in, this time at June Lake. I had read that there are only 98 parking spaces at June Lake Beach and it fills up fast. I had also read that in April a $10 per car fee had been started, which isn't such a big deal to us. The folks at the motel had told us to go early in the morning, before the crowds descend. So, what we ended up doing is to check out at right before 7am, then head on over to The Lift a coffee-tea-cafe-wine bar that opens at 7.

IMG_0001b

There was actually a line of people waiting for the place to open. We got in, got our coffees, I got a ham and cheese croissant for my breakfast and we headed off.

The Lift
2587 Hwy 158
June Lake, CA 93529

We then headed off to June Lake Beach. The entrance booth where you now pay to enter wasn't open, we had been told by the folks at the motel that it's ok, just go ahead and park. So, that's what I did. It was a lovely morning.

The Missus inflated Her paddle board and sailed off.

I went and enjoyed the view with my croissant, which was still warm. Not really a croissant per se, the crust was crisp and flaky, but it had cheese melted on it, which wasn't a bad thing.

The interior was kind of doughy, a bit too moist, but this did the trick, at least on this day since I wasn't really expecting a classic croissant aux beurre if you know what I mean.

After my breakfast, I decided to take a walk around the lake. I saw a ton of deer hanging around.

Folks were starting to arrive, many of them with their "furry friends".

This pup really didn't want to get on the paddle board, but was eventually coaxed. It was quite humorous.

I enjoyed walking along the west side of the lake which had wonderful views.

Until I smelled a very unique "fragrance" and saw four dudes enjoying the "cash crop" if you know what I mean?

So, I headed back to the beach and walked to the car. I noticed a ranger putting slips of paper on vehicles windshield. I thought this would mean we'd pay on the way out. But no, it was just a count of cars, so they would know how many cars were in when the booth opened and note vehicles as they left. Remember, there are only 98 spaces.

I returned to a table and opened a book, taking time to watch this happy pooch playing fetch.

It was so relaxing.

Eventually the Missus was done. We cleaned up, packed up, and headed to our next stop…..Lake Tahoe!

Road Trip – Silver Lake, Silver Lake Resort Cafe, and Hiking the Gardisky Lake Trail (June Lake)

September 1, 2024 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

After having a little taste of SUP at Gull Lake the previous afternoon, the Missus was up and ready to go at sunrise the next morning. After getting organized, I thought that heading to Silver Lake early in the day might work out well. So, we headed out. We had no problem finding parking near the Silver Lake boat ramp and the Missus was off and ready to go in no time at all!

Like the day before, I took a walk, taking in the beauty of Silver Lake. I loved the light and reflections at this time of the morning.

It was breathtakingly beautiful.

And all you have to do is turn around……

Silver Lake is home to the oldest "resort" in the Eastern Sierra's; formerly known as Carson's Camp which was established in 1916, it is now the Silverlake Resort which has cabins, an RV Park, and most importantly (to me) a store and cafe, which opens at 7am.

There were folks waiting in when the place opened at 7. I decided to take a walk along the lake and returned about 20 minutes later.

I walked into the shop and over to the entrance of the cafe. I was going to write my name down on the waiting list, but I was waved on in. There were some seats at the bar, so I lucked out.

I loved the very "old school" look of the place!

The guy expediting behind the counter was super efficient and quite nice. Of course, I had to start with a cup 'o Joe, right?

Be it Folgers, Maxwell House, Kirkland, or whatever, I enjoyed this!

There were lot's of choices on the menu, I started looking over the specials.

Since I sat right across the window, I could see the breakfasts coming out. Some looked pretty hefty and I really wasn't in a position to head back to the motel for a nap. I did want to have a couple of items and I knew what to order when I saw the special.

So, I got the "Fisherman's Breakfast", nicely priced at $9.99.

With not too much of anything, I could try the biscuits and gravy. The gravy wasn't too salty or greasy, the texture was on the lighter side of things, but it wasn't bad. The egg was perfectly easy over, the yolk having no off flavors. The breakfast potatoes nice and crisp on the exterior, the breakfast sausage routine. This was good enough to bring back memories of old school – diner breakfasts I'd had in my younger days.

It wasn't too much and actually was better than I had thought it would be. No wonder the place is so popular! There were about 8 people waiting in line as I left.

Silver Lake Resort Cafe
6957 Hwy 158
June Lake, CA 93529

As I walked back to the boat ramp I could hear the whistling of air being released…..as I figured, it was the Missus deflating Her paddle board. I had perfect timing! Once squared away, the Missus told me "it's too early, we need to do something else before lunch, and you need to burn off your breakfast!" Luckily, I had something in mind. We headed north on the 158 loop, then turned north on the 395 to Lee Vining. From there we headed west on Tioga Road, which was somewhat familiar to us as we had driven here when we visited Yosemite in 2021. Tioga Road heads to the Tioga Pass entrance to the park. We wouldn't be driving quite that far. We took a right onto Saddleback Lake Road and eventually after driving a bit on a dirt road found some parking and the trailhead to Gardisky Lake.

I believe I mentioned before how the Missus enjoys Her non-switchback straight up and down trails. Well, according to Alltrails, this was but a 1.8 mile out and back, but with a 750 foot elevation gain.

At the beginning it was rather easy.

Yes, it was a climb, but the views were quite nice.

Walking alongside the river flowing downhill; it was apparent that the winter snow and ice was still melting. And this was in July!

The portions with all the rocks and boulders were the hardest. You had to be aware not to twist an ankle or fall here.

At the top it really looked like an Alpine Meadow. I guess this is why folks call the area the "Switzerland of California".

The Lake itself is not very large.

But with no one in sight, we did not see anyone else on the trail, it was quite peaceful. Check out the snow still hanging around the lake!

We didn't run into anyone else hiking on the way down either.

All in all, a steep, but very nice short hike.

Now the big question was; where we were going for lunch?

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip – Lone Star Bistro (Lone Pine), Gull Lake, June Lake Brewing, and the La Parilla Truck (June Lake)

August 31, 2024 mmm-yoso Beer, Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Pubs and Pub Grub, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

During our trip to the Galapagos back in April-May (yeah, I know, I'm really behind on my travel posts), the Missus really took to doing stuffs in the water. One thing She picked up on was SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) and in fact, we ended up getting one for Her. Several of Her coworkers are really into the kayak and paddleboard thing and will often plan their road trips around camping and those type of activities. So guess what the the Missus wanted?

Yep, She got some recommendations of areas to paddleboard and soon enough we were headed up the 395. Final destination a little town on the west bank of Lake Tahoe named Tahoma. But first, it was recommended that we spend a couple of nights in an area east of the Sierra's named June Lake. My mission as official planner and chauffeur for the Missus? Well, plan things out.

So, it was going to be like a 7 hour drive to where we were staying at in June Lake, which ended up being a comfortable motel/lodge named the June Lake Villager. Of course we needed to stop for lunch. It was early July and super hot, we ended up taking a break in the town of Lone Pine. I had a place picked out for a quick meal; the Lone Star Bistro. Yes, the Alabama Hills Cafe is much loved, but man, it was so busy. So instead we entered this combo ice cream-cafe-coffee-gift-sandwich shop. The place was fairly busy and we even saw some remote workers doing their thing as well. In Lone Pine!

I walked up to the sandwich counter and the friendly young lady filled me in on the "drill".

I basically filled out an "order form" and the Missus handed me two bottles of sparkling water.

I ordered the "signature" sandwich called the "Lone Pine Charmer"; with bacon, turkey, avocado, provolone, it sounded like a single sandwich would be enough for the both of us. I asked that they cut the sandwich in half, paid, and we took a seat in the covered back patio, which wasn't too hot.

The young lady who dropped off our sandwich wasn't quite as friendly….when I thanked her, she went "umph….." Can't win 'em all, right?

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Marbled Rye was used, which added an interesting yeasty-tangy-sourness to the sandwich. As a whole, a routine sandwich, basic mass produced sliced turkey; we enjoyed the cucumber and sprouts the most. It was enough for our lunch and we walked thru this western theme town to our car and headed off.

Lone Star Bistro
107 North Main St.
Lone Pine, CA 93545

From here it was up the 395. I had wanted to stop at Manzanar, it's one of those places on my "list", but it was over a 110 with crazy winds as we drove by, so that visit will have to wait until the next time.

About two hours later we got to the southern junction of I-395 and I-158. The 158 is a loop road, known as the June Lake Loop and passes four different lakes before reconnecting with the 395 just past SR 120. It was a fairly nice drive up to about 7,600 feet.

We arrived at the charming little village of June Lake and went to the motel to see if our room was ready. It was a bit too early, but I had a plan just in case. Gull Lake, the smallest of the four lakes along the loop is close by. And the Marina and launch area was just a few blocks away.

We easily found parking and the Missus set off on Her adventure.

I took a stroll around the lake a bit and then headed to the Marina Shop, which does boat rentals….I saw families and folks fishing off boats in the lake.

The area is quite charming……

I walked into the shop to get some sparkling water.

And I asked about the sign above, which cracked me up. I was told that the cats here are really tough and territorial; "they don't play around!" But there was a sweet pooch hanging out by the sign? I was told "oh, he knows better….he learned his lesson a long time ago!" I would actually find out that the sign is true a bit later on during our visit.

IMG_9880a

I had a seat and checked emails and stuff.

Looking over the lake, I felt so relaxed…..

Soon, I got a text from the motel telling me our room was ready. The Missus had the car keys with Her, so I took the short walk up the hill and got the room keys. When I walked back down to the lake, the Missus was packing things up.

Once in the room, which was quite large, it was a one bedroom unit with a kitchen; the Missus freshened up and then we took a short walk . Most of the restaurants, the general store, and businesses were on the main road. But there were some nice shops down driveways and side streets.

We weren't particularly interested in any of the restaurants; so we decided to head on over to the June Lake Brewery which was basically around the corner from where we were staying….but most everything was!

The brewery had a large, welcoming outdoor space, with a food truck at one end of the lot.

Boy was this place popular! It was the most people we'd see during our time here.

While I went to get our brews, the Missus went to order our food at the truck.

The two gals pouring the beers were so nice and friendly.

We wanted something on the lighter side since it was pretty warm out; so we got the two lagers, both were under 5% ABV.

I found us a table and waited for the Missus. She soon arrived with a buzzer which would go off when our order was ready. The Missus took to the Japanese Lager, which She thought was smoother and easier to drink than the lighter "Lager for Joggers".

There were some pretty interesting "seats" in the place.

Soon enough we got "buzzed" and I went to pick it up and return to our table.

We had gotten the "Boss Nachos" with Carne Asada. The portion size was large and this supposedly was quite spicy, the Missus was warned, but it wasn't overly hot to us. The portion size was quite generous.

The carne asada was nicely grilled, but quite chewy, and mildly seasoned. There was just a small amount of ghost pepper cheese on this, which had some kick, but there wasn't enough to really matter. The chips were routine, there was sour cream and guac added. Overall, just like what you'd get at an Americanized Mexican spot here in San Diego.

I had wanted to try the Al Pastor, so we ordered a taco.

From the bland and brittle tortillas, to the dry and flavorless al pastor, this was not to our taste.

Still, we enjoyed the vibe of the brewery and the service was quite friendly. We'd return for a brew on the following evening.

June Lake Brewing and La Parrilla Grill & Tacos
131 S Crawford Ave.
June Lake, CA 93529

After dinner we walked back down to Gull Lake and took in the view.

It had been a pretty long day; but I'd say the view and vibe was worth it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Tuolumne Grove (Yosemite), Mountain Sage Coffee, Iron Door Saloon (the oldest continuously operating saloon in CA), and Dinner at the Groveland Hotel

March 12, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cocktails, Pubs and Pub Grub, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

After a restful night of sleep at Rush Creek Lodge, we woke early to check out. You see, there was one other place I had on "my list".

Since we were in Yosemite, the Missus and I really wanted to see sequoias. And the usual place for this would be the Mariposa Grove. There are however, three giant sequoia groves in Yosemite and one of the reasons I chose to stay at Rush Creek was that it was just a mile from the Bog Oak Flat entrance to Yosemite and the Tuolumne Grove is just a fifteen minute drive from that entrance. The strategy was to checkout and drive back into Yosemite, hike the short trail (less than 3 miles in and back). We found that much of it was paved, we loved the tree stump with the rings and date places were built….man, would you believe we've been to six of the seven places listed!

We weren't overly impressed at the beginning of the trail….but then, you come across a huge sequoia….the photo doesn't do it justice.

And then the amazing Tunnel Tree.

From this point on, you could really enjoy the majesty of the sequoias. There were trees with huge burn scars and trees that didn't have a sizeable (it's relative) circumference, but seemed to rise to the heavens. It was such an impressive site and possibly my favorite hike of the trip.

Since this is a nature walk, mostly paved, the grove is actually a short loop trail, we started seeing families and pooches arriving.

Along the way there was a fallen tree; I believe the NPS left it in place so one could really see and experience the grand size in person.

The second photo below if of the Missus walking into the trunk! Amazing!

We spent a good 2 1/2 hours exploring the Tuolumne Grove. It was now time to head on back to the car and our next destination.

It was good thing we had a bit of an early start since we had no problems finding parking. And like the other places we parked in Yosemite, there were cars waiting for parking as we left……..it was good to get an early start.

A tad over 20 miles from the west entrance of Yosemite is the town of Groveland. Founded in 1848 as "Big Oak Flat" Groveland was a gold rush town, it then became the headquarters of the Hetch Hetchy water project which provides water to San Francisco. I thought it would be fun spending the night in this interesting little town.

We first stopped at the local market; Mar-Val Food Store where we restocked on water and a few other "stuffs".

Mar-Val
19000 Main St.
Groveland, CA 95321

I booked us a room in the historic Groveland Hotel which was built in 1849……don't worry, it was renovated in 2018.

And, much like our experiences at other historic hotels, Groveland Hotel is said to be haunted, by the spirit of a miner named "Lyle". No, we didn't book "Lyle's room"….nor did we see anything strange during our stay.

We were of course too early to check in; so we dropped off our luggage; the folks at the front desk were very friendly. And then headed out down the one main street of Groveland. Two blocks down from the hotel was a quaint coffee shop – art gallery – gift shop named Mountain Sage.

The Missus had a Pour Over (of course), I had a cold brew….and I also ordered a brownie for the Missus. We grabbed a table out on the porch and just relaxed.

The Missus really enjoyed the brownie. This was such a nice stop.

Mountain Sage
18653 Main St.
Groveland, CA 95321

After this really nice break; we decided to take the short walk back to the hotel…..while checking out the shops along the way.

After which we headed to the hotel and luckily our room was ready. The rooms were predictably small, but we were given one on the opposite side of Main Street which was much more quiet. Once we freshened up, we decided to head back out.

We'd be having dinner at the Hotel restaurant, Provisions Restaurant in the back courtyard of the hotel.

We had reservations at 5pm, so we decided to head over to a place I had wanted to check out.

Iron Door Saloon is the oldest continuously operating bar in California!

The place definitely had character; that's for sure….

Check out the dollar bills on the ceiling!

The Owner was awesome; his name is Chris and is Asian! I believe he and his wife are from Oakland and own the bar.

He also makes a decent Old Fashioned!

It was chatting with him and also the gentleman sitting next to us who is a contractor….we were told it was great we were here on Thursday; from Friday on the place is filled with tourists. Apparently he has a bunch of projects going for folks who are building homes in the area.

The Missus was feeling a bit peckish so we ordered some Sweet Potato Fries which were pretty good; crisp outside, creamy inside.

Chris was great; he shared a bunch of stories with us…..we really enjoyed Iron Door.

Iron Door Saloon
18761 Main St.
Groveland, CA 95321

After our drink we headed back to the hotel and went to check in for dinner. I was looking forward to the dinner BBQ menu….but sadly, it wasn't available on this evening, oh well.

So, I got the fried vegetable plate……

And the Missus the Bratwurst.

The Missus enjoyed Her Scotch Tasting….

As the sun went down a guitar player appeared and there was live music.

It was a nice and relaxing time.

Provisions Taproom & Bourbon Bar (In the Groveland Hotel)
18767 Main St.
Groveland, CA 95321

We slept well.

The next morning we took a walk down Back Street which parallels Main Street for a couple of blocks.

We headed back to Mountain Sage….

And got some coffee to go….and another brownie for the Missus.

Before checking out then heading off to our next stop.

Yosemite sure was an amazing experience and we had fun in Groveland

But I was kind of tired of diner and fried foods………so…..we were headed back to Paso Robles!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Sentinel Dome, Taft Point, and Dinner at Rush Creek Lodge (again)

March 11, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

After a having a nice night's sleep at Rush Creek Lodge, the Missus was raring to go. After a light breakfast we jumped in the car and headed on out. We had place in mind and wanted to beat any possible crowds. It was going to be a bit of a drive first onto Wawona Road…where we stopped at the super popular Tunnel View…..it was early enough in the morning that there was no one else around. We had the wonderful view to ourselves.

From here we went onto Glacier Point Road and easily found parking at the beginning of the Sentinel Dome Trail. And so we headed up Sentinel Dome, which for some reason, I didn't find too difficult. You start in rather sandy ground and forest, eventually making your way up the granite slope.

And end up with an awesome 360 degree view of Yosemite.

That view of Half Dome is priceless.

And then there's this……

This fallen Jeffrey Pine was once the subject of one of Ansel Adams most iconic photos. Unfortunately, it died during a drought in 1977 and fell over in 2003.

From here we scrambled on down then took a detour through the forest to Glacier Point.

Which way too crowded for my taste….so we headed back up the switchbacks to the trail and then headed around to Roosevelt Point.

The view from Roosevelt Point was outstanding.

Though that could be said about much of Yosemite. From here it was back on the trail.

Taft Point was also a great stop……

Not only for the fabulous views of the valley and El Capitan…..

Which are fantastic…….of course, with a lookout like this…..we enjoyed this much more than Glacier View.

Still, it's the fissures in the seemingly impenetrable granite that we found so fascinating.

It was amazing to see these fissures carved into the mountainside.

Once we were done, we headed back to the loop trail which led us to our car.

Coming early was a good decision; there were cars lined up looking and waiting for a parking spot as we left.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in Yosemite Village (mostly window) shopping and then headed back to Rush Creek, where we had a short nap.

Since we went the packaged food route the previous night and the Missus wanted to have Her burger again, I made reservations at the restaurant at Rush Creek again. This time they sat us in the main dining room. It was a Wednesday and there were significantly more people at the resort.

We started with the "Garden" Board ($21), which wasn't such a big deal.

The Missus got the burger again ($20).

Ordered exactly the same as on our previous visit; this time it was overcooked…..so not nearly as good as before.

I went with the Brisket Tacos ($19).

The actual BBQ and seasoning wasn't too bad, but the brisket was dry and tough.

So…pretty much the same a before.

The Restaurant at Rush Creek Lodge
34001 CA-120
Groveland, CA 95321

Still, our room was super comfortable and the folks working at Rush Creek were really friendly.

And we'd had a wonderful of hiking in Yosemite.

We'd be checking out in the morning; but I had one more place on my list to check out…….

Roadtrip (During Covid) – Rush Creek Lodge and Spa, Hiking Around Rush Creek, and Yosemite Valley

March 10, 2022 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Beer, Burgers, Markets & Grocers, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

Here's a fairly quick post about our trip to Yosemite in October of last year.

After heading out from Paso Robles, we took a bathroom break and filled up our tank at Bravo Farms outside Kettleman.

Bravo Farms is one of those…..well road side stops with everything from a diner – food court – mercantile, which means all kinds of stuff you never knew you needed, it has some places for kids to play….all in the middle of…well…not much.

I did really enjoy the signs in the very clean restroom which cracked me up.

It was a good place to stretch our legs since we wouldn't be stopping until we got to Rush Creek Lodge and Spa. I chose the place, which was kind of remote mainly because of the location, 1 ile from the west entrance to Yosemite and size of the rooms; we got a Hillside Villa with our own private and a nice view.

We arrived a bit too early to check in. I had told the Missus that there were hiking trails around the lodge…..so guess what we did?

I parked the car in the lot where our Villa was located and we headed up to where the trails were.

I asked the Missus which trail She wanted to do…big mistake….Her answer? "All of them." Which is what we did.

It did us a nice "taste" of the beauty of the area.

And once we returned, our "Villa" was ready……it was quite large.

And the view….

There were a couple of shortcomings with the unit. It had no microwave, so you'd have to eat in the resort or drive the 20 or so miles to Groveland. But, there was a Restaurant, Tavern, and a General Store.

I had made reservations for dinner at the restaurant….during these times of Covid, it was optimal to do so. And on this day, we were seated in the Tavern.

The tables were nicely spaced out.

I started with a Big Sky Brewing Moose Drool ($9), a nice Brown Ale.

I was interested in trying the Crispy Fried Cauliflower ($17), which proved to be a mistake.

This wasn't particularly crisp and the sauce…..was like something from Panda Express; it was teeth rattling sweet.

We also got the Tomato and Roasted Garlic Soup ($14).

This lacked garlic flavor. Though it still wouldn't have been too bad if it had been served at a better temperature. It was barely lukewarm.

The Missus ordered the Rush Burger ($20).

After the two appetizers, we didn't expect too much….especially when they asked the Missus how She wanted the burger done. In many places, asking that question is just going thru the motions and you'll get your burger well done. This burger however, was cooked exactly how the Missus wanted. It also had a nice char adding a nice smokiness. The fries had a decent crispness.

I ordered the Lamb Shawarma ($21).

This wasn't very good either. The flatbread was really tough; so was the dry lamb which really lacked flavor.

Overall, very corporate food…our dinner was a $100 without tip! I guess most folks were a captive audience and there's no microwave in the rooms. At least the Missus enjoyed Her burger. And I guess we really weren't staying here for the restaurant, right?

The Restaurant at Rush Creek Lodge
34001 CA-120
Groveland, CA 95321

One of the reasons we stayed at Rush Creek was the distance to the West Entrance to Yosemite; it was less then a mile!

We got an early start and headed into Yosemite, making several stops along the way.

And then we entered the park.

The Missus was so excited about doing some hiking; unfortunately both of the trails we selected we closed as trail, road ,and parking lot work was going on. Sigh…..

We then headed to Yosemite Village and the visitors center, spoke to some rangers and decided just to do some trails in the area.

We first did the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail, an easy trail. The water was just a trickle on this day….and few weeks later there would be a major storm and waterfall would be going like crazy. Just our luck on this day.

From here we walked thru Cook's Meadow….I really enjoyed the views from here.

And from here we headed to Mirror Lake via the Valley Loop.

Because parts of the trail parallels the road, there was a lot of vehicle noise; it's also a pretty busy bike path…..and of course, because of the season, Mirror Lake was dry. It was still quite beautiful though.

And we took the loop back to Yosemite Village and our car.

We drove back to Rush Creek and relaxed for a bit. The Missus and I just weren't up to having another meal in the restaurant and we didn't want to drive to Groveland. We went over to the General Store and picked up a bottle of wine for the Missus and a beer for me. I had done some planning and brought along a self-heating Omeal and also a portable heater-lunch box; we had brought packaged meals. I put my package of basmati rice in the Omeal bag, so it heated up along the vegetarian chili.