There is no place like home.

We spent a little time in Yosemite Village, and cruised out, in the rain. Since the Tioga pass was closed, from massive snow, we had to reroute our travels, and head south on the west side of the Sierra Nevadas, in lieu of the eastern route we planned. We stopped in some no name town, had some BBQ and a cold beer, then continued for a few more hours till we could drive no more. We stopped for the night just outside Bakersfield. I think the four of us were exhausted. Since we didn't have as scenic a trip into Yosemite as i had anticipated, i planned to make a few stops on the way back to Phoenix to make up for it.

The trip from bakersfield to the AZ state line was mostly highway. We did detour into Barstow on route 66 for fuel and a stretch. Once we crossed into AZ we headed down route 95 towards Lake Havasu, summer party hotspot, and spring break local of choice for local colleges. We cruised in, parked and walked around the lake area for a bit, saw and walked across the London Bridge ( yes they moved it from London, to AZ). We had dinner overlooking the lake and the bridge, then we made a few laps over the bridge in the Dart. Much to the delight of onlookers.


The remainder of the trip down through Parker, Quartzite and back into Phoenix was quiet. The scenery was beautiful. Red rocks just as the sun was setting, the colorado river popping into view around every other corner. A respite from the duldrum of everyday life. If i could make a living driving this car through this beautiful scenery sign me up and i would start right now. (Any TV execs reading? I could be packed in 2 hours)

We arrived home about 9:00pm Tuesday night, we had our typical Wednesday obligations of work and school, and the trip came to a close much to soon. The odometer showed we completed 1,765 miles in the 5 days. Coupled with the earlier journey around the country put us at 7,304 miles completed. Thats 7,304 miles in 23 days. But i have a promise to myself to drive back to exit 194 on I40 in new mexico, touch the sign, get back in the car and drive home. When i tell people that, i always get odd looks and some reasoning why i do not need to.

One of these days soon, ill end up in New mexico. With the Dart. Eating fry bread on the side of the road. Smiling. And for a period of time, the world will be in perfect balance.

Thanks for following along with me!!!

Bakersfield to Barstow

Always a welcome sight

 

London Bridge in the background

 

 

The bridge was moved 2 years after the Dart was originally manufactured.

 

Typical AZ sunset. On the Colorado River.

 

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Yosemite or Yellowstone...?

I am not quite sure why, but during the planning of the trip, and the trip itself, i must have referred to Yosemite as "Yellowstone" about every other time i spoke of it. My 12 year old daughter corrected me every time. I call her "red sharpie" sometimes. Given the chance she would correct every grammatical, spelling, and math error in any sign or advertisement. And believe me, i hear of every one in the blog.

Since i last updated i have downloaded another cameras worth of photos and i left the story off at the entrance to the park. We made the drive up, and down into Yosemite village unscathed. We were wet. We were cold since the temps were only in the high 30s to low 40s. On the drive into the park the pad for the accelerator pedal in the Dart fell off. Then, in the pouring rain, the wipers quit working. Of course they quit in the middle of the windshield blocking my vision. Did i already mention the rain and fog? A few times? Just making sure. I would love to be telling you about the grandeur of Yellowstone...or Yosemite, wherever we were. But truth of the matter it was so wet, and so foggy, we couldn't tell how pretty it was. Our treat was that since it rained...and was still raining, the waterfalls were flowing and made for some nice sights, from the car, with the windows down. We tried to make the best of it. Truth be told i was a bit disappointed to have planned the trip, driven that far, and had it rain everyday. It spoiled the sights and ability to take the great pictures that i anticipated. BUT, gave me incentive to make the trip again!!! Tonights pics will be Yellowsomite. Enjoy.

Street scene on the way into Yosemite

 

Route 120 into Yosemite rolling hills.

Destined to be one of my favorite photos. Outside Chinese Camp.

Before the road got wet and foggy, it was twisty and turney.

Visibility on the drive in

Best snow pic we could manage, in the rain, with no wipers.

We have arrived!!!

 

 

One of several waterfalls

Fall colors, waterfall, and my girls!

Pretty sure this is El Capitan

The Dart and the back up plan (Clints white Dodge ram)

 

To give you perspective, those Redwoods are HUGE.

The longer, and extremely cool tunnel in Yosemite.

 

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Untitled

I'll have to back track a bit. I'm writing this from the comfort of my home, dry and warm, unlike northern CA earlier this week.

We drove out of Boulder Creek with full bellies of some great grub, our destination to be Yosemite. The trip to Yosemite was just the three of us in the Dart, and Clint in his Ram 2500. The others had obligations that prevented that part of the trip. As i said before the skies were soggy, it was foggy and mostly cool, not what i had expected since the forecast called for cool and no rain. We tried our best to get a forecast for Yosemite while driving but had conflicting information. I let Clint lead the way, he had the newer vehicle with gps etc we stopped a few times along the way, for gas, information, and to stretch. The drive was mostly boring highway, in the rain and fog. Not until we got close to the Sierra Nevadas did the scenery open up, the landscape change, and things started to look up. The clouds started to break up, and the rain stopped. When we got to the visitors center for Yosemite, we still could not get clear information for what the weather was like in Yosemite Village. The nice woman at the desk "promised" us it would be ok. Let me interject here that despite the fact the Dart had a few miles on it across the country, and had been in the rain and proven itself relitively waterproof i was not willing to chance it getting stuck in Yosemite in the snow, and or torrential downpour that we could experience. After all i did just spend 5 years building the car, detailing every inch of the car and returning it to much much better then new condition. I wasn't willing to throw it off a cliff, especially with my family inside.

The drive on route 120 into Yosemite was spectacular. The scenery was amazing. The road was just like i would have wanted it, twisty, turney, full of switchbacks, with elevation changes, wildlife, sheer drop offs and lite traffic. Once into the park there is a ranger station, you pay your vehicle entry and continue along. At the station i asked the ranger what the weather was like (it was still raining at this point). His answer was raining in the Village, and snow at 5,000 feet. I asked, "how far does the road climb in elevation? He said "about 5,000 feet". He also said there was slush in the road about 8 miles ahead but only for about 10 minutes of the drive. It was then that i started to contemplate continuing on. Visibility was already diminished because of the rain and fog. And now slush? I paid my park fee, shifted to first and motored along. Clint who was following at this point, had a Cummins 2500 4wd and i had already confirmed he had a tow rope. Aside from the pack... herd...group....clan....aside from the whatever you call a collection of deer darting out in the fog right in front of the car, the trip into the Village was without incident. The ranger was correct that at the highest point, there was snow on the ground and slush in the road. I drove the rotisserie fresh Dart through The highest point of Yosemite, in the slush, with snow on the ground. And i would do it again. Because John would.

Enjoy the pics, and i'll update more later. Since i have consolidated some of the pics i'll get you caught up.

More tomorrow.

On the grass at fall fling with Tim Herrens 71 satellite

 

My brothers Mustang meeting us for the morning cruise up PCH

 

 

 

 

 

On the cruise Sunday morning.

Passengers not very happy, and Tim wielding a weapon of mass destruction.

Lots of looks in morning traffic

Piedras Lomas lighthouse on PCH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everywhere i go with Tim, the cops show up.

Sunday morning drive up the Pacific Coast Highway

 

Really wish i had the dart in this photo.

 

Self portrait, jeffs mustang following.

 

 

Yes, Tim was present for these cops too.

 

Boulder creek redwoods. Breathtaking!

My wife doing her best rain avoidance under the awning.

 

All the cars and all the people.

 

Thank you Keith, Becky, Clint, Jeff, Tim, Maria and Regina.

 

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Fun with friends and family

First let me say that once again i have 3 cameras as well as this ipad camera, several friends with pictures, hundreds of images. Its 11:03pm and im lying in a hotel room, tired as a dog, not wanting to consolidate ALL the pictures i have. For now ill just update and post a few.

We arrived to our destination last night about 7:30 after a run up highway the 9. ( thats for you keith). Clint met us there and beat us by a good 2 hours. The beer was cold, the company was great. There was a lot of story swapping, new friendships were made, and the 8 of us, Rick, Becky, Regina, Jeff, Tim, Marisa, Clint, and Keith, and for a short while Chris, had a great time. We stayed at a small inn, among the redwoods with a little stream onthe property. It was already dark when we arrived and i couldn't wait to see the place in the daytime....mother nature had other plans for us.

Sometime during the night, i heard the pitter patter of raindrops. Once the alarm sounded and i peeled back my eyelids reality set in. It was raining. We met up with our host Keith at a quaint spot in town for breakfast. The locals must have thought something was amiss as well all got to street park. Think small town USA, 100+year old town, and everyone knows your name. As we ate we planned how our day was going to go. My brother Jeff was headed back down to his place in Riverside area, Tim and Maria were headed back to LA, and Clint had decided to hang with us throughYosemite. It rained all through breakfast, with the sun poking through a few times for some cool pics of the cars on the street. The road out of Boulder creek, was just as fun, if not more fun, than the road into boulder creek. Twisty, sharp turns, elevations changes, and just keeping you on your best driving behavior.

Once we hit the highway, it was a mostly boring drive up northeast....in the rain with the sky ahead looking more ominous as time went on.

Alot of american muscle in boulder creek

On the ride up PCH.

Must be early the top is still up.

 

The ride out of boulder creek. Twisty, turney and wet.

 

Chinese camp en route to Yosemite.

 

Her is a teaser for the set of Yosemite pictures.

 

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The OTHER coast

We woke up early in the morning (6:30) to prepare ourselves for the long journey ahead. Packed up our bags, chowed down on hotel breakfast, and waited for My brother Jeff to drive in from Riverside area in his 66 mustang fastback to cruise with us up north. One of travel partners Tim had a few hour head start in his 71 Satellite, and yet another was cruising in from Palm Springs. It was a chore to get everyone organized.

The plan was to start the drive up the coast on the 101 freeway, then cut across to pacific Coast Highway for the most scenic part of the drive. We left Van Nuys under a light rain, and as we climbed in elevation the fog just kept getting thicker. In Santa Barbara we took 154, a nice twisty road with switchbacks, climbs, dips, bridges, lakes, cows, farms, and few cars. At the highest point the fog was so thing visibility was about 50 feet. I loved that part of the drive. Car still performing flawlessly, and my brother Jeff trailing us in the Mustang. We met up with Tim and his traveling companion Maria in Solvang and continued our journey up the coast.

In san Luis Obispo we headed back to Pacific Coast Highway for the remainder of the trip. Beautiful ocean on the left, mountains, cows, and beautiful farms to the right. As the 3 of us were driving we were swapping positions so we always had a different view of the cars ahead, and we also swapped rides, and passengers. The day was just beautiful. We dropped the top about mid day, the sun was out and although cool, the ride was just perfect. I'lll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

Internet signal is sketchy at best here, so our updates will be few. Today, Monday, we head east towards Yosemite. It has been raining all night, and the forecast puts rain on our schedule for the day of driving. A bummer, but we'll make the best of it.

 

My brother Jeff's mustang at our first gas stop

About 9:15 sunday morning we finally reached the left coast

Still a bit hazy, but a nice ride

 

 

Tim and Maria

 

An impromptu tire clearance adjustment on the Mustang with a torque wrench!!

 

At the elephant seal viewing area on PCH

 

 

 

 

 

My cold girls at the coast

 

Trailing the mustang

 

 

 

 

Our late linch stop in Big Sur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was Tim's fault!

 

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