Tag 3 - Off to Yosemite

Hello everyone,

where should I start, where should I stop? Actually, today was just about shopping and driving, and yet we experienced and saw so much...

It all started when we drove from San Francisco to a large outlet center. We arrived half an hour before opening and that was our luck... at 10:00 am when they opened, there were no more parking spaces... and that with what felt like over 1000 spots. We started with a leisurely breakfast at Starbucks and then shopped with great American outlet prices :-) After a small lunch, we continued to our main destination, Yosemite Park.

And then 'America' began... first the 7-lane highways, which you have to get used to. I don't know the law, but it seems that overtaking is allowed on the right as well as on the left. One comes from the right, the other from the left, pulls in front of you, overtakes you, and then pulls back in front of the next one. But you just have to have no fear and adapt to the Americans... and suddenly you're flowing with the current... straight ahead... forever far. There is already so much to see on the highway. All those trucks (in German, 'pick-ups')... some with 4 wheels at the back, others 3 meters high-tuned with springs above the axle. Unimaginable in Germany.

On the way, we also saw a few typical American residential areas, which I personally really liked. Everyone has their little house, a basketball hoop for the kids in front of the door, and their pickup or Nissan GTR. All stereotypes fulfilled :-) but super nice.

Then there was a small, unplanned highlight for me. A Bass Pro Shop right next to the highway. Of course, we had to turn right there. A huge paradise for hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts. We spent at least an hour here and bought a few more tools (which hopefully won't cause any problems with customs on the way back).

Afterwards, we could finally continue our journey to Yosemite Park. Except that sometimes the navigation system led us to roads that not even a pick-up like the one shown in the picture could drive on... everything went well. However, we still lost about 1 hour because of it, and the way was probably not very good for the car... I have to take a look underneath. On the further way, the American feeling of freedom finally came... freedom as far as the eye can see. 360° - all around - nothing at all. Except for a few mailboxes on the side of the road, for the people who live somewhere in the hills:

Now we finally arrived at our accommodation, which actually deserves its own chapter. Just perfect. A lodge just before the southern entrance to Yosemite Park. An older lady rents out a room here. In total, she rents out 3 rooms (each with its own bathroom) and there are also common rooms for exchanging ideas, a huge DVD collection, and breakfast tomorrow according to the wishes of each individual. The house is just super beautiful (the house itself... and the location too) and everything is well thought out and decorated with love by this woman. But the following pictures probably say more than 1000 words... and in real life, it's 1000 times more beautiful:

I hope I haven't forgotten anything, because today there were really, really many impressions and I feel like I can't put it all together anymore. Now we're quickly going to a grill restaurant to eat something and then off to bed. Tomorrow will be exhausting. Hiking is also on the agenda. Oh yes, it was very hot today, at 38° (or 101° Fahrenheit as they say here).

Just let all the pictures sink in (today there are a few more).

See you tomorrow,

Dean + Luisa