Avoiding a storm and reverse parking for the first time

We’ve been RVers for over a week now and learnt a few lessons on the way.  The most important one being to make sure you are on level ground although it is quite entertaining chasing your wine glass round the table.  Not quite as much fun for the person in the bunk room where there is a tendency to roll out of bed.

Wooden sidewalks at Virginia City

From Bonneville we drove across the top of Nevada towards Reno.  Bypassed Reno and headed towards the historical town of Virginia City.  What an amazing place.  Wooden sidewalks, old saloons, toothless characters (and I suspect just a wee bit under the influence).  Had a beer at the Ponderosa Saloon then went on a short underground mine tour from the back of the bar. 

What do you plumbers think of this spouting?

Also took in a quick tour of Virginia City by way of an old tram.  Chatting with the operator who, when we told him of our intention to go to Yosemite, told us to hurry on our way, there’s a huge storm coming and very likely that Tioga Pass through Yosemite will be closed if it wasn’t already (it was).  He gave

Beers at the Ponderosa Saloon

 

us an alternative route to Jackson, a town he thought would be low enough not to get into trouble with the fifth wheel, but that road was closed as well so we did a rethink and did manage to miss most of the storm, arriving at Jackson about 8.30 that night.  Yay, night time driving, rain and narrow roads – just what every novice Fifth Wheel operator wants.  Drove through South Lake Tahoe area on the way.  Very pretty area but must get crowded with tourists.  It snowed lightly driving through Tahoe but after that it mostly rained – the first rain of our trip.


Remembered at the last minute we were 12'6 so scooted to the middle of the tunnel. In case you can't read it, the height on the right (where we are driving) is 12'4

 Stayed at an RV park on the outskirts of Yosemite.  No laundry, no Wi-Fi and, worst of all, no pull-through parks.  Sue had to reverse the 5W for the very first time.  The park owner did give us the easiest park to reverse into for which Sue will be eternally grateful.  Took a bit of to-ing and fro-ing but she did it and was straight.

Half Dome at Yosemite

Yosemite Falls

Jean & Sue at Yosemite National Park

Then there is Yosemite Park itself.  There are not enough superlatives in the English language to describe this park and we were only in a very small corner of park competing for the views with hundreds of other tourists.  Just beautiful.  Two days of hiking (yes, I’ll admit, they were short hikes and not overly strenuous, but they were still hikes and enough to get sore feet both days anyway).  Jean is missing her spa pool terribly and wants to find a way to include one.  Sue will settle for the wine that Jean used to drink while relaxing in the said pool.

Lunch in the snow at Mariposa Grove, Yosemite

Contemplating which local brew to have next