Happy Holidays!

 From our house to yours, we wish you a very happy holiday season - no matter what you celebrate!

Wonderful Winter Solstice!  Happy Hanukkah!   Merry Christmas!   Blessed Kwanzaa!  And Fantastic Festivus for the Rest of Us!

Lake Tahoe in the Fall

 

We made a quick trip to Lake Tahoe since we hadn't been there for awhile. 

We picked the quiet season between the summer crowds and the winter skiers.   Beach is pretty quiet!

Great views as always.

Our hotel just a few feet from the shore.

We decided to have dinner at Riva Grill on the Bay.

The view of the lake from our seats.

My wife enjoying her first glass of wine of the weekend.  Well deserved!

I reached in my jacket pocket and was shocked to pull this out.

It is my badge from when we went to The Price Is Right in Los Angeles ten years ago!     It appears I don't wear a jacket often in San Diego!

I was also surprised to see this on the way of every business we went into - we have the same art on our wall at home.   It shows the depths of Lake Tahoe, with the deepest point being 1644 feet.  That equivalent to a 164 floor building!

We were visited by a giant frog as we dined.  I've always heard women love a man in uniform!

Yosemite: Tunnel View

This is the story of our first trip to Yosemite in October 2022. Having lived in California for over 40 years, it was embarrassing that we hadn't visited it yet, so we went.

We read that the Tunnel View location was spectacular at sunrise, so we left the hotel about about 6 AM to make the 50 mile drive and be there at 7 AM.  What a rookie city folk mistake...can't drive 60 MPH on curvy roads.  Once we realized this we resigned ourselves to missing sunrise.  Which was sort of true...while the sky was blue when we arrived, it had not peaked above the horizon yet so we were in luck!

My wife snapped this spectacular photo - kudos to her for one of the best shots we took at Yosemite!!

A shot I took with my camera.   

This location is called Tunnel View because it is located at the end of the tunnel on Wawona Road as the start of Yosemite Valley.

On the left is El Capitan, on the right is Bridalveil Fall and way in the distant right is a glimpse of Half Dome.

My wife.  She looks a bit cold but very happy - it was 30 degrees.  Luckily the air was perfectly still - no breeze at all.

Yours truly at the same spot.

Looking towards Bridalveil Fall.

Another shot (not sure why I included 2 in this post).

At this point we were across the road from the other shots.   A woman stands on the wall enjoying the view.

Looking back towards where we were, note there were about a dozen other people taking "sunrise" shots, some with tripods.

My wife again.  There's that smile!

And me.

Can't resist one more shot~!

OK one more.

I have to say I think Yosemite is the most beautiful place I've seen on Earth.  It is very impressive.

Long live California.

Yosemite: El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall

 

The first thing that took our breath away upon leaving Tunnel View was the view of El Capitan.

It was spectacular in the early morning light!   The sub-freezing temperature, the quietness, the majestic nature of the granite rising.  Mother nature at her finest!

I pulled the car over immediately and took a few photos...so did several other cars!

Bridalveil Fall was visible from the same location and was still flowing, even in the fall!

Not much water was going over the falls, but at least there was some!

Yosemite: Merced River

 

Walking along the Merced River provides peacefulness, serenity, and beauty that is equaled by few places on earth.

The Merced River flows very gently in the fall.

Coming from the hustle and bustle of San Diego,  it was very welcome change.

My wife on the Swinging Bridge.

There were a few other early birds out taking photos.  I believe the woman in red wore that outfit specifically for a photo shoot on the bridge.

El Capitan to the upper right.

Just an awesome place to stand and reflect.

There were many rock formations visible from Swinging Bridge over the Merced River.  Yosemite Falls is visible in the background of this shot.

More of El Capitan.

Looking towards Yosemite Falls which was dry - no water over the falls.

Merced River.

El Capitan.

Yosemite Falls.

Yosemite Falls framed by a Yosemite Valley meadow.

Cathedral Rocks.

Three Brothers rock formation.

El Capitan.

Yosemite: Southside Drive

 

Driving along Southside Drive in Yosemite Valley was incredibly beautiful.

Here is a view of Sentinel Rock.

There are many pull-outs along Southside Drive to stop and take photos.  They probably get very busy in the summer, but in the fall the park is not crowded.  We went early in the morning and there were very few people around.

A view from El Capitan to North Dome.

Very peaceful early in the morning.

My wife just east of Cathedral Beach.  Note the lack of cars in this lot.

Returning to the car.  This is probably about 8 AM.

A good view of Southside Drive. 

There were sections where the leaves were turning various colors - unfortunately there was no place to stop and take photos in those spots.