• California Part 2, Yosemite.

Day 4, Yosemite. We checked in to our surprisingly comfy B&B in the middle of no where, the Yosemite Springs in Greeley Hills. Jim and his daughter Whitney were more than accommodating and resourceful. I highly recommend it. Just be sure not to listen to any stories about the surrounding areas or the home until the morning AFTER you spend the night there. Let's just say you won't sleep. At all. You've been warned.

Yosemite was as beautiful as I remember it. I hadn't been there in over 5 years when I hadn't taken any photographs. I obviously overcompensated on this trip. I can only describe the scope of the scenery like this : Envision the tallest, sheerest cliff, then imagine that you're an ant looking up at it. That comes close.

My friend, Gilroy portrait photographer Rosemary Rideout and her husband Bruce joined us. We made the hike up to Sentinel Dome, where the very famous Jeffrey Pine, that Ansel Adams photographed, once stood and now lays.

I even got a glimpse of my beloved snow covered Sierras in the distance.

The green in the valley was electric. This is straight out of camera.

The sunset was magical.

After a much needed good night's sleep, on Day 5 we took a walk with Jim around his property. There's some serious history in them hills, and other scarier stuff...

Next, we were off to the old mining/semi-ghost towns of Columbia and Murphys.

We stopped at the adorable Columbia Kate's Tearoom. I need one of these much closer to home.

Many windy roads later, and we were back to Oakland for our redeye to Boston. We had a great time and are already planning what's next.

Enjoy!