A Sneak Preview of Yosemite National Park

Some days we just kind of wing it.  Actually, lots of days are that way.  Following breakfast we decided to drive into the nearby mountain town of Coarsegold and then on to Oakhurst. 

Typical scenery as we drove into town 

While in Coarsegold we stopped at the local post office to pick up our mail.  I needed to find a general dentist to make an appointment to get my teeth cleaned, and we hoped to find a dog groomer for Trixie.  Missions accomplished.

These flowers were outside the post office.  Doesn't look like the post office in Barrington, IL

We also wanted to drive the 30 some miles to the south entrance of Yosemite National Park to kind of check it out.  Now, you might ask: how does one "check out" a 12,000 square mile national treasure?

Well, we started by talking with one of the attendants at the south entrance and telling her that we had never been in the park and needed some information.  She gladly gave us a 4-color brochure and  the April 14 to May 25, 2010 Yosemite Guide.  We took those home to formulate our plans.

We haven't seen snow on trees since March of 2009

On our drive up into the High California Sierras we went from an elevation of 2,000 to just over 5,000 feet.  It had snowed at the higher elevations of the park last night and as we drove higher the trees became covered with snow and the air became colder.  We also saw signs informing motorists that tire chains or snow tires on cars were required. That was another reason we didn't want to drive into the park today.

We did see some great scenery.  We will be back to the park and more than once. After all we have from over 12,000 square miles from which to choose our visits.

So stay tuned.