Yosemite-Tahoe Vacation Trip Report

I just returned from a 9-day trip to the Yosemite-Lake Tahoe region.
Here are some of my hightlights.

Day 1 - Travel from Atlanta to Oakland on JetBlue. Flying JetBlue is
a pleasure. Every seat has a DirecTV screen. The service from
check-in through the entire flight is great. I hope that JetBlue will
add more flights from Atlanta. After arriving in Oakland, we rented a
Ford Escape. Be warned - the car rental agency indicated that they
had 100 cars for 500 reservations. We had to scream to get our
reserved sports utility. A full-size car would not have worked nearly
as well with out electric scooter/wheelchair.
We then drove to Mariposa and stayed at a local hotel (Miner's
Inn). We walked through town and found an excellent restaurant, Red
Fox Inn.

Day 2 - We drove the 43 miles to Yosemite Valley. My wife and I
traveled on most of the bike paths on the valley floor. Bike paths
worked extremely well with my wife's scooter. The ride to Mirror Lake
was a highlight, but all of the sights of the Yosemite Valley were
awesome. We must have covered 10 miles that day. Dinner was again at
the Red Fox in Mariposa.

Day 3 - We travelled to Oakhurst and then to the South entrance of
Yosemite. The Mariposa grove of Sequoia redwoods are located near the
entrance. My wife and I drove (her scooter) and walked up the entire
mountain. It was great. Many of the roads in Yosemite have been
closed to auto travel. This makes walking, biking, or travelling in a
wheelchair/scooter to be very comfortable. The day ended with a trip
to Glacier Point. Glacier Point must be a part of every Yosemite
trip. The views of the valley and surrounding peaks are magnificant.
We stayed in an Indian resort in Coursegold. Chukchansi Gold. This
was among the best casinos and hotels that I have encountered.

Day 4 - We made the trip up to Tioga Road. There was another grove of
Sequoias at the start of the Tioga Road. Again, no cars are premitted
on the paved road. The real highlights were the many spectacular
views from the Tioga Raod. We stayed in Bridgeport, a small community
on US 395.

Day 5 - We continued up US 395 to Highway 89. Please do not miss this
way to get to Tahoe. It has spectacular scenary. Just before Tahoe
we stopped at the Bay Meadows trailhead for the Pacific Coast Trail
and Rim Trail. The trailhead's campground was built along a winding
paved road. It was a great walk.
Arriving in South Lake Tahoe was a bit of a shock. It was a
somewhat congested town that wasn't that pretty. We travelled through
the town and Stateline, Nevada before selecting a motel. We used the
town's bike path and explored the town on foot. Dinner was the
seafood buffet at Harvey's. It was pretty good. The casinos were
smoky. Harvey's slots weren't easy pay. They also had a $10
promotion that proved irritating; you couldn't move between machines
due to the lack of easy pay.

Day 6 - Although the Lake was pretty, we didn't like Lake Tahoe based
on South Lake Tahoe. However, this changed immediately upon exiting
town to the west. The Forest Service has a vistor center. The
Rainbow trail was constructed through a marsh and features an
observation chamber that allows a cross-view of the stream. It was
beautiful and great. Trails also connected the visitor center with
the Tallac historic site. This site is based on an early 1900's
resort and mansions that are now controlled by the Forest Service. A
bike path connects the buildings. We thought that AAA should have put
more emphasis on this attraction; it was great.
Based on the recommendation of the ranger, we continued to Emerald
Bay. This was a spectacular view of a lake inlet that was suggestive
of Norway. A 1929 mansion, the Vikingsholm, had been built along the
shore. This home was reached by a steep mile trail down the cliff.
It was gorgeous. After walking along the beach and around the
mansion, we started back up the mountain. Halfway up, my wife's
scooter quit and started backward. She was able to stop by turning
off the motor. I had to push the scooter and her (most of the time)
up the mountain to the parking area.
Due to the scooter problem, we returned to South Lake Tahoe and
the same motel. No repair shop was located.

Day 7 - We were referred to a wheelchair repair company in Reno. We
were given a mid-afternoon appointment. We drove along the eastern
shore of Tahoe. It was a beautiful drive to Incline Village. We then
took highway 431 to Reno, a highway that cut across a high mountain
pass.
We dropped the scooter off at the repair shop. The shop was
adjacent to the Peppermill casino. After receiving the bad news that
the scooter's motor had burnt out, we visited the casino. It wasn't
Vegas, but the casino was far better than the Lake Tahoe casinos.
However, there wasn't any non-smoking area. The buffet was not
suitable for my wife's rented scooter. We ate at the coffee shop
which was idenitical to the Peppermill restaurant in Las Vegas.

Day 8 - We returned to the Peppermill and played some until we had to
return the scooter. We then drove through downtown Reno and out I-80.
After a quick stop at Boomtown, a highway hotel/casino, we continued
to Truckee. There were no suitable hotel rooms available. Auburn and
Sacramento were long trip across the mountains and we did not want to
miss the geography in the dark. Following a hunch, we returned to
Lake Tahoe and found a hotel, the Travelodge, in Tahoe City. It was
somewhat pricey, but we were happy to find it. Dinner was at the Blue
Agave mexican restaurant in Tahoe City. The Aztec combination meal
was fantastic.

Day 9 - The day started with an excellent breakfast at Rosie's in
downtown Tahoe City. We drove south along the lakeshore for about 5
miles and then headed towards Truckee. Highway 89 follows the Truckee
River and passes Squaw Valley's entrance. We stopped at the Donner
Pass State Park. The museum was diasppointing, but the film and story
of the disasterous pioneer expedition was very good. Donner Lake was
very beautiful.
Following our return to I-80, we travelled towards Sacramento.
It was a very pretty drive. We drove through Sacramento to Vallejo.
Following Vallejo, we drove down to Walnut Creek, a very attractive
city. We tried to reach Mount Diablo State Park, but we couldn't find
the entrance road. With the possibility of travel difficulties due to
our broken scooter, we then headed to the airport and our return to
Atlanta.

Overall - It was a great trip. Yosemite and Lake Tahoe are special
places. The views are just awesome. The closed roads in Yosemite and
the bike paths in Yosemite and Lake Tahoe are great ways to explore
the areas. We were also impressed by the food in this area. Almost
all of the meals were excellent. We highly recommend this area

Seb

Thanks for the nice trip report. If I were planning the same trip, I
would stay in Yosemite, or at Yosemite West, in order to avoid the long
drives from places like Mariposa, Oakhurst and Coarsegold. But
Mariposa, at least, is worth seeing.

The mess of motels and fast food places in South Lake Tahoe is a
problem. I think I would opt to stay at one of the big, self-contained
casinos on the Nevada side (to minimize the driving through traffic), or
else somewhere along the North Shore (CalNeva Lodge?), or maybe Incline
Village.

It seems to me I heard somewhere that Seb wrote in article
:

Thanks for a detailed, well-written, report. I'm snipping the detail to
make just one observation.

Following our return to I-80, we travelled towards Sacramento.
It was a very pretty drive. We drove through Sacramento to Vallejo.
Following Vallejo, we drove down to Walnut Creek, a very attractive
city. We tried to reach Mount Diablo State Park, but we couldn't find
the entrance road. With the possibility of travel difficulties due to
our broken scooter, we then headed to the airport and our return to
Atlanta.

It's unfortunate, but the two entrances to Mount Diablo State Park are
terribly managed, even for people like us who used to live in the East
Bay. Both entrances look like farm roads and not like entryways to a
major historical and scenic attraction. The park is well worth the
effort to get there, but if the state can't find the money to improve
the roads and the signage the local communities should do it to
encourage tourism for their own benefit.

Overall - It was a great trip. Yosemite and Lake Tahoe are special
places. The views are just awesome. The closed roads in Yosemite and
the bike paths in Yosemite and Lake Tahoe are great ways to explore
the areas. We were also impressed by the food in this area. Almost
all of the meals were excellent. We highly recommend this area

We've been to all those places at one time or another, and reading your
report was like doing it all again. Thanks.
--
Don

(Seb) wrote
Overall - It was a great trip. Yosemite and Lake Tahoe are special
places. The views are just awesome. The closed roads in Yosemite and
the bike paths in Yosemite and Lake Tahoe are great ways to explore
the areas. We were also impressed by the food in this area. Almost
all of the meals were excellent. We highly recommend this area

A very nice report but, as I read it, you made one big mistake:

From Donner State Park you should have turned left to go along the
lakeside and up the Donner Pass Road to go through Donner Pass (prior
to the '60 Olympics at Squaw Valley, that was THE road!). At the top
is a nice bridge and parking area with a spectacular overview of the
lake. From there the road winds through ski resorts to the freeway
whence it's all downhill.
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From Donner State Park you should have turned left to go along the
lakeside and up the Donner Pass Road to go through Donner Pass (prior
to the '60 Olympics at Squaw Valley, that was THE road!). At the top
is a nice bridge and parking area with a spectacular overview of the
lake. From there the road winds through ski resorts to the freeway
whence it's all downhill.

We actually went by the lake and started up the mountain. However, we
unfortunately turned back before reaching the ski resorts. We realized that
we had made a mistake after we saw the exit on the interstate.

Thanks,
Seb

"Don Kirkman" wrote in message
...
It seems to me I heard somewhere that Seb wrote in article
:

Thanks for a detailed, well-written, report. I'm snipping the detail to
make just one observation.

Following our return to I-80, we travelled towards Sacramento.
It was a very pretty drive. We drove through Sacramento to Vallejo.
Following Vallejo, we drove down to Walnut Creek, a very attractive
city. We tried to reach Mount Diablo State Park, but we couldn't find
the entrance road. With the possibility of travel difficulties due to
our broken scooter, we then headed to the airport and our return to
Atlanta.

It's unfortunate, but the two entrances to Mount Diablo State Park are
terribly managed, even for people like us who used to live in the East
Bay. Both entrances look like farm roads and not like entryways to a
major historical and scenic attraction. The park is well worth the
effort to get there, but if the state can't find the money to improve
the roads and the signage the local communities should do it to
encourage tourism for their own benefit.

Maybe the local communities (which are expensive bedroom communities) don't
want the traffic a major entrance will attract to the area. As it is, not
too many people are turned back because they can't find it. It's only the
tallest mountain for miles around.



Overall - It was a great trip. Yosemite and Lake Tahoe are special
places. The views are just awesome. The closed roads in Yosemite and
the bike paths in Yosemite and Lake Tahoe are great ways to explore
the areas. We were also impressed by the food in this area. Almost
all of the meals were excellent. We highly recommend this area

We've been to all those places at one time or another, and reading your
report was like doing it all again. Thanks.
--
Don

in article , Peter L at
wrote on 9/24/03 4:52 PM:


It's unfortunate, but the two entrances to Mount Diablo State Park are
terribly managed,

Ac+ually, +here are +hree en+rances. ,,

even for people like us who used to live in the East
Bay. Both entrances look like farm roads and not like entryways to a
major historical and scenic attraction.

Don't qut.seethedfferencevte

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area. As it is, not
too many people are turned back because they can't find it. It's only the
tallest mountain for miles around.

in article , Carmen L. Abruzzi at
wrote on 9/24/03 11:42 PM:

in article , Peter L at
wrote on 9/24/03 4:52 PM:


It's unfortunate, but the two entrances to Mount Diablo State Park are
terribly managed,

Ac+ually, +here are +hree en+rances. ,,

even for people like us who used to live in the East
Bay. Both entrances look like farm roads and not like entryways to a
major historical and scenic attraction.

Don't qut.seethedfferencevte
!

Sorry, keyboard was not responding.
Anyway, I meant to say, there are three entrances, one is on the backside
(east side, that is), and but dead ends before going up the hill, so really
not relevant, unless you want to do some hiking. But the two main
entrances are locked at sunset, and that means just as the sun goes below
the horizon, long before dark. So you can't watch sunset from the mountain.
Also, no alcohol is allowed.

As it's a suburban area, I took it this is to prevent high school kids from
having after-hours drinking parties in the park, which would be very
dangerous since the area is extremely prone to wildfires in summer and fall.

It seems to me I heard somewhere that Peter L wrote in article
:

"Don Kirkman" wrote in message
.. .
It seems to me I heard somewhere that Seb wrote in article
:

Thanks for a detailed, well-written, report. I'm snipping the detail to
make just one observation.

Following our return to I-80, we travelled towards Sacramento.
It was a very pretty drive. We drove through Sacramento to Vallejo.
Following Vallejo, we drove down to Walnut Creek, a very attractive
city. We tried to reach Mount Diablo State Park, but we couldn't find
the entrance road. With the possibility of travel difficulties due to
our broken scooter, we then headed to the airport and our return to
Atlanta.

It's unfortunate, but the two entrances to Mount Diablo State Park are
terribly managed, even for people like us who used to live in the East
Bay. Both entrances look like farm roads and not like entryways to a
major historical and scenic attraction. The park is well worth the
effort to get there, but if the state can't find the money to improve
the roads and the signage the local communities should do it to
encourage tourism for their own benefit.

Maybe the local communities (which are expensive bedroom communities) don't
want the traffic a major entrance will attract to the area. As it is, not
too many people are turned back because they can't find it. It's only the
tallest mountain for miles around.

Good point about the local communities. Not such a persuasive point
about being able to see the mountain. Yeah, sometimes we can see
Catalina from LA, but that doesn't help us get there. The entry roads
are several miles from the mountaintop, in flat country with open
fields. Should the tourist unfamiliar with the area take Smith's Lane,
Road 184, Henry's Creek Road, or just what to get to the top of the
mountain several miles away?

Neither access road is a straight shot but winds through valleys and up
hill sides, sometimes intersecting with other roads. Left or right or
straight ahead? :-)
--
Don