6 Years Ago: Yosemite National Park

Above, following my walk to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls.

Leave it to Facebook to remind me of where I was and doing six years ago this week.

In was in April 2016 that my cat Sierra and I took a little trip to Yosemite National Park for some camping at North Pines Campground in Yosemite Valley.

Above, The Beast at North Pines Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The trip was in the middle of the trademark dispute between the government and Delaware North, the former concessionaire of Yosemite's visitor services. Several of Yosemite's attractions were renamed due to the dispute and lawsuit. The names were reverted back following the settlement of the lawsuit.

Above, a view of Half Dome from North Pines Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Still, I had a good time enjoying the park, even though it rained there much of the time. I made good use of the shuttle system to get around Yosemite Valley. I made my camping reservations the previous November then they opened up. Thanks to my senior lifetime national park pass, I didn't have to pay to enter.

The night before arriving at Yosemite, I stayed at the Blackstone North RV Park in Fresno. It was a nice RV park, one that I would stay at again should the opportunity arises. 

Above, a cigar store Indian at Bravo Farms. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Along the way, I stopped for a break and lunch at Bravo Farms Cheese Factory in Traver. If was a fun stopover with good food and shops to explore.

Above, Sierra enjoying the coffeemaker box. She couldn't fit in it now. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was an enjoyable trip, one that I would recommend.

RV Life's RV Driving Tips

Above, The Beast at Bravo Farms. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I bought my 2015 Winnebago Minnie Winnie 22R six years ago, I was a little intimidated driving it due to its size and weight even though I had a Class C motorhome 30 years previously. That one was smaller, lighter and on a Toyota chassis.

But in a short while, I got used to it and is is just second nature to me.

This brings me to the subject of this blog post. It is on driving tips (8 of them) posted by RV Life that could save your life. The ones that apply to motorhome driving I already do, but it is always worth being reminded of them from time to time.

They begin with:

Driving or towing an RV is an exciting experience, but it’s a totally different ballpark compared to driving a car. You’re dealing with a lot more weight and bulk, which will give you less control and precision on the road. 

Many people have been driving RVs for years, so it’s almost like second nature to them. But we should never be too confident in ourselves, because accidents can happen to anyone. The RV driving tips below will help any driver stay safe, whether they’ve been driving for years or are just getting started with their first RV.

To see what they are, go here. 

RV Safety Tips For Virus-Free Stops

Above, The Beast at a stop at Bravo Farms in Tulare, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Travel, in a RV or otherwise, is not encouraged at present. But some people are on the road out of necessity and find themselves having to make stops along the way.

Do It Yourself RV has 19 safety tips for RVers during the coronavirus shut down.

They begin with:

We all know that in order to keep everything as virus-free as possible, travel isn’t recommended during this time. That said, some RVers will find themselves in situations that require it. Whether you need to head back to family or find a more comfortable place to park your rig for a bit, you could very well find yourself on the road before this pandemic has ended. 

If that’s the case, you will not only need to deal with all the usual travel-day challenges, but the COVID-19 emergency has presented new challenges as well. In particular, you will need to find ways to stick to your own space and avoid public spaces and interaction with other people as much as possible. This is easy enough when you’re in your vehicle, but becomes much more difficult when making stops along the way. Below are our top tips for virus-free stops while traveling during the pandemic.

To read more, go here. 

One Year Ago: On The Way To Yosemite

Above, The Beast at Blackstone North RV Park in Fresno. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Sometimes it is hard to believe how fast time flies.

One year ago today, Sierra and I headed off for a few days at Yosemite National Park. I decided to go about 3/4 of the way up and spend the night at Blackstone North RV Park in Fresno and then drive to Yosemite the next morning.

Above, The Beast at Bravo Farms Cheese Factory. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I liked Blackstone North. It was a quiet and clean RV park. We did have some rain that evening. It rained off and on in Yosemite for the next few days.

Before reaching Fresno, I stopped along the way for some food at Bravo Farms Cheese Factory. It was a kitchy roadside stop with western style buildings. It was definitely put there to get travelers to part with some of their money. They did have a burger stand that served excellent hamburgers.

I wandered around there a little bit before heading off to Fresno.

When I reached the RV park, it only took about five minutes to check in as they had my paperwork all ready at the office.

It was a nice relaxing stop with fast food restaurants across the street.

I was looking forward to camping in Yosemite Valley at the North Pines Campground. It was the first time I camped at Yosemite. I had previously visited Yosemite twice, but those were day-trips.

Here are some photos from the first day:

Above, Bravo Farms Cheese Factory. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Bravo Farms gift shop. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Bravo Farms hamburger stand. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a cigar store Indian, but there was no cigar store. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Bravo Farms patio area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a sign over the men's room urinals. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Blackstone North RV Park in Fresno. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Blackstone North RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yosemite: Day Four

Above, Yosemite Valley just before sunrise. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Most everything in The Beast was packed away the night before in preparation to heading back to L.A.

I woke up around 6:00 in the morning. The weather was cool, clear and with some clouds. But it was bright out. The sun would be rising within 45 minutes.

Above, a meadow with Upper Yosemite Fall in the distance. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Once all the remaing items were stowed way, I started up The Beast and let it warm up. After a few minutes, I moved it off the leveling blocks and stowed them away. I was now ready to go.

I wasn't in a big hurry. The day's drive will be around 300 miles.

Above, Half Dome in the morning. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As I was leaving Yosemite Valley, I made a couple of stops. One was to take some photos, including Half Dome. The other was up at Tunnel View to get some shots of the Valley. I stopped there on the way into Yosemite, and at that time, much of the Valley was shrouded with clouds. It made for some interesting photographs

Below, is a photo of Yosemite Valley as I was driving into Yosemite April 9. The one below it was taken on the way out on April 12. Both were taken from Tunnel View. Bridalveil Fall can be seen in both photographs. There was still some snow in the upper elevations of the peaks.

Above, Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Yosemite Valley three days later at dawn. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As I was driving out of Yosemite Valley, I saw several deer alongside the road. Later, as I was driving through the mountains, I saw a coyote running along the opposite side of the road in the the middle of the lane. About a quarter mile ahead, several vehicles were approaching. If that coyote doesn't get out of the road, he's a goner. Unlike the mangy and skinny coyotes in Los Angeles County, this one had a beautiful fluffy coat and he looked well fed. One of the shuttle drivers mentioned that the Yosemite coyotes are often mistaken for wolves because of their coats. She also said they eat well in the park.

After leaving Yosemite National Park, I headed down Highway 41 towards Highway 99 and to Los Angeles.

I made four more stops. The first was to Bravo Farms to pick up a couple of diecast cars for Denise's son Aiden. Then another stop for gasoline and one for breakfast in Delano. The forth, and last stop, was at Camping World in Valencia to empty the holding tanks (Good Sam members are able to dump their tanks there at no charge) and to pick up a couple of bottles of Aqua-Kem for the the black water (toilet) tank.

Above, Tunnel View parking lot. The Beast is at right. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

About 40 minutes later, I reached home in Tarzana.

It was a good trip and I enjoyed myself. Sometimes "alone time" is good. This one was good.

I am not finished with camping for this month. In two weeks, I will be heading to Tehachapi for some camping with Platrix No. 2 of E Clampus Vitus.

Previously:

Yosemite: Day One

Yosemite: Day Two

Yosemite: Day 3

Roadtrip To Fresno

Above, a cigar store (?) Indian in the patio of Bravo Farms. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today, I began my trip up to Yosemite National Park.

I left Tarzana around nine o'clock this morning. The weather was cloudy with occasional light rain. Not too bad.

Above, The Beast across from Bravo Farms. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I headed north on Interstate 5 and then merged to U.S. Highway 99 in the Grapevine area. The road conditions were pretty good, with only one stretch of rough road.

Above, the entrance to Bravo Farms gift shop. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Joining me on this trip is my cat Sierra. The last time she was in The Beast was when I brought her home from the shelter. She spent most of that ride exploring around. This time, she's been skittish and spent the whole trip from Tarzana to Fresno in my bed and hiding under the pillows.

Above, the sign over the urinal at Bravo Farms. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I made a stop at the Flying J truck stop just north of Bakersfield for fuel and then at Bravo Farms Cheese Factory in Traver for lunch. I had a cheeseburger. It was great! I recommend a stop here if you happen to be traveling up U.S. 99!

Above, some of the shops at Bravo Farms. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Bravo Farms has a gift shop with all kinds of "tourist trap" stuff to choose from.

The men's room was covered with vintage and humorous signs. One sign made me laugh. It was above the urinal. I had to take a picture of it.

Above and below, the snack bar at Bravo Farms. Photos by Armand Vaquer.

My stop for tonight is the Blackstone North RV Park in Fresno. I will rest up there tonight and head into Yosemite National Park tomorrow morning. This stop will serve another purpose: empty the holding tanks and to fill up the water tank.

Above, yours truly and The Beast at Bravo Farms. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

So far, I am enjoying this trip. It is nice to not be in any kind of hurry. If something seems interesting (like Bravo Farms), then I will stop to check it out.