California

OK - here's a little info about my trip. San Fran was lovely, the weather was cooperative, if a wee tad on the chilly side for a palm-tree environ. But 60 / 65 is nothing to complain about relative to Massachusetts for this time of year!

I applied at Macy's. Takes like 45 minutes. First thing in the morning I get the rejection. Wow... Checked out Craigslist and found a couple possibles. Sent of a resume. Never heard back. Sigh...

So, did some shopping. Nauber is fond of the A|X, so I got him a shirt.



Mykael had given me a $20 to pick up some Japanese candy, so I took a walk down to Japantown and perused the IchibanKan.



But the main excitement of the trip was heading out to Yosemite National Park for the weekend. Brad had booked a room at the Lodge at the Falls (the reservation lady said the other hotel, Ahwanhee, was booked), so Thursday he ditched work at lunch and we drove out. He would get excited every time he saw a waterfall. Every time. Even if it was the same waterfall we had just seen 30 seconds earlier.



(Click photos to see full size. Scenery shots are better in full size!!)
This being the "Lodge" and the "Falls" mentioned in the name; specifically, this is Yosemite Falls (upper). When we were checking in, the clerk asked what room we wanted. I couldn't think of anything else to say, so said, "One with a good view." Our room overlooked the bike path. Spiteful... Brad was displeased with the hotel. Kind of like a Days Inn painted brown. With lots of warnings not to leave anything in your car (bears) or not to leave your windows open (raccoons). We only saw deer and squirrels, though. Dinner that night was good. Brad was lusting after my cobbler after he tasted it and felt it was better than his creme brulee. The blueberry martinis were yummy, too.

Went for a little hike the next morning. Ended up at Mirror Lake.



(Click to see full size!)
On our way back, we saw more rocks, and trees, and trees in rocks, and rocks in trees, and butterflies, and babbling brooks. All of a sudden we come across a clearing with a big building in the middle.



I asked if this was the Ahwanhee. He said it must be. I said let's go check it out. It is gorgeous. Compared to the Lodge, this place was stunning. It is a AAA Four Diamond, and on the national register of historic sites. Brad said he should talk to them about hosting conferences, so he can score some points at work. While chatting up staff at the front desk, Brad mentioned we would have stayed there, but they were booked. The desk clerk, Joshua, said they were nowhere near booked. Made a few computer entries, and a quick phone call, and we were 'upgraded' to stay there that night, for substantially less than would have been charged. Brad said he would buy Josh a drink as a thank-you. He said he'd accept. We ended up having several drinks that evening at the lounge, then he joined us for dinner. This dinner was excellent. Brad was happy with his pineapple tart, so I had my tiramisu in peace. Our waiter was a big homo, and Brad even made a suggestive remark at one point, but we were not exactly able to figure out Josh. He had a staff party to go to, so eventually he left, but texted Brad right away to thank him for the lovely evening, and the drinks / dinner. Brad started getting excited. They've texted a few more times back and forth, though I recommended Brad not get too needy or crowding. I thought the best plan of attack was for him to pick a weekend to go visit, call reservations to book at the Ahwanhee (which Josh already said is booked through the peak summer season) and then when he can't get a room call Josh for help. If the response is "Stay at my place!" then he's in. If the response is "Well, let me check if there's anything at the Lodge..." then he is NOT in.

But it would be cool to go back and have a guide there who knows the real ins and outs, and where to go, and when, and how to get there. He mentioned that most of the really cool stuff is off the paths, so most tourists never see it.

Brad wanted to go to the Half Dome, but the snow isn't gone yet, and the paths at the top are closed until about the first of May, so we only got to see it from the tourist paths.



We were also told that the falls had just started flowing about two days before we got there, as the snow-melt kicked into high gear. We ended up picking a good time to go in some respects, and the trip was quite - uhh - fruitful, even if we didn't get in as much hiking as expected.

And one last bit of advice, if you are booking flights to San Francisco, and plan on using public transportation to get to and from SFO, remember the BART train does not start until 8am on Sundays. I ended up taking a cab because I was not aware.