- Mini shopping and gambling before we get on the road to Yosemite. The road to Yosemite is mostly up and up and down and down and up again and winding all around. Seemed like it should only take a couple of hours but it’s really more like 6 all told. As we were crossing into CA from NV there was a checkpoint all cars had to pass through. They asked us if we were transporting fruits, veggies, plants or pets. Hello?? We have now been through maybe 12 states or more (and Canada too) and have never been asked this. What could we possibly be bringing in from Jersey that CA didn’t already have?? If anyone knows anything about this, please let us know. Stopped for lunch at Nicely’s diner in Lee Vining, CA, a real old school diner.
- We made it to the East Entrance of Yosemite and wow!! What huge granite mountains face us!! We wound our way to the middle of the park first and then ultimately to our hotel closer to the South Entrance. En route we saw many sites:
Their Jackets read: Dykes on Bikes… a happy group had just posed for pics
- We took in the movie about Yosemite at the visitor center and then drove toward our hotel. We stopped first to view El Capitan, the big iconic granite rock face. We saw several groups of climbers scaling the face of El Capitan. This can take several days we were told and the climbers must carry loads of equipment, food, water etc. They apparently sleep on the rock face hanging on there somehow. Sound fun???
Climbers in red along the crevice.
Jersey Junction
We finished snapping photos of El Capitan and walked back to our car where a couple of climbers were packing up their truck. The husband noticed our Jersey plates and admitted he was originally from Princeton. He was so nice, filling us in on things to do in the park. His wife answered Sue’s many probing questions on the details of rock climbing including the climbing up and down plus a short discussion of the bathroom situation and waste removal. The husband drew maps for Glenda on how to travel through the park and other interesting things to see outside the park. Such a nice, friendly couple! Of course he was from Jersey!!!
Theme of the Day: ROCK n Roll
Up Next: Another day in Yosemite!
Almost as nice as the Kittatinny Mountains of Jersey…
Yes and you have given us fodder for our today’s Jersey Junction…thank you very much…a simple comparison between Yosemite and Jersey. Now I see so many similarities. Thanks Pete for opening up our eyes!!!
Almost!!!!
PS: And it would never occur to me to ask about the bathroom situation with rock climbers! Takes a truly inquiring mind to ask.
It must be the Jersey bugs they want to make sure don’t enter California–thats my only guess
Hellooo who has the hantavirus..Jersey?? I think not!!! Yosemite and CA. Ha!!
Marge you were right!! My cousin Bob confirmed it. No Jersey pests for pristine Cali!!!!
You have raised an inquisiitve daughter. But I still didn’t really get the whole scoop. Perhaps we will learn more about this whole interesting aspect tomorrow on our way out. But if we don’t, I will be sure to ask again!!
After infestations of various kinds wiped out various of California’s export crops, they became quite rigorous to prevent anyone bringing in fruit flies, Japanese beetles, other invasive pests. They are the strictest state–so you probably won’t be asked again.
Just don’t try to bring any pests out.
Bob well I still wonder what all the fuss was about since NJ has not suffered any cases of the hantavirus as Yosemite has this year. Don’t all those bugs you mentioned already live in Cali? Well it was an interesting stop and reminded me of mad cow checking several years ago.