Via Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite N.P. back to San Francisco

From Lone Pine, on the 17th day of our trip, we drove about 100 miles north to the eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, to the skiing and hiking area of Mammoth Lakes. In the afternoon, we rented a motorboat on Mary Lake and enjoyed the surrounding mountains from the water. The next day, we continued north and then west over the Tioga Pass - the highest highway pass in California at 3,031 meters - into Yosemite National Park. We enjoyed the drive through the mountains, which is very similar to those in Switzerland with its valleys, high cliffs, forests, and mountain lakes. We first drove west and then south to Mariposa Grove, where we took a hike among the giant and ancient Sequoia Trees. The oldest of these mammoth trees are over 2,500 years old. During the drive towards the west entrance of the park, we noticed the towering tree trunks that stood like black toothpicks over the wide hillsides. The extent of last year's devastating forest fires was unmistakable. Right after leaving the park, we checked into a cozy hotel in Groveland and relaxed in the whirlpool in the evening. The next day, we left early in the morning and reached San Francisco by late morning, where we strolled along Fisherman's Wharf once again. Then we took our car for a drive on the steep streets of the city, including the hairpin turns of Lombard Street, and made a detour up to Telegraph Hill, where you have a great view over the city. On our last evening here in California, we were drawn to the Pacific coast once again. In Half Moon Bay, we enjoyed another beautiful sunset and treated ourselves to a delicious dinner at an Italian restaurant. Before going to bed, Domi finally completed his sports session, albeit not entirely voluntarily. Unfortunately, we couldn't film his "record-breaking" sprint across the hotel parking lot, which he performed with a terrified expression on his face after noticing the three raccoons playing around with some garbage. The next morning, it was time to pack our bags and head to the airport, where we said goodbye to our loyal and reliable rental car after 2,800 miles and took the flight to NYC. Once again, we spent our wedding anniversary above the clouds ;-)... Bye bye West Coast! Here we come, Big Apple!