Copyright 2008 Lydia Hinshaw
SACRAMENTO -- Late Sunday we found out that Prince Charming and I would both have Monday and Tuesday off, the first such happy coincidence in several weeks.
We had an opportunity, and we needed a destination to go with it. We settled on the state capital as a good place to sample civilization again.
There was no time to plan. We just threw overnight stuff in the car early Monday morning and started driving. Sacramento is only about 160 miles from Yosemite, but probably two-thirds of that is on corkscrewing mountain roads. It is not a drive that can be done quickly.
And it wasn't a very pleasant drive Monday because of the pall of smoke that is lying over this part of California.
We've visited Sacramento only briefly before and had no real idea where we were going. Fortuitously, we stumbled upon an AAA office on the eastern outskirts of the city. There we looked up the nearest Honda dealership and a nice young employee printed out Mapquest directions.
While the Element got a minor physical, the Prince used the free wi-fi in the waiting room to find us a hotel along the river, with wi-fi, a pool and a hot tub. Back to Mapquest to figure out how to get there.
From the hotel, we walked along the riverside bikeway to Old Sacramento, a restored area of tourist-oriented businesses.
We had lunch at a riverfront restaurant. I had salmon for lunch, and later fish tacos for dinner. Seafood, for the first time in nearly two months!
In the Yosemite Valley, our dining opportunities are limited. After nearly six weeks, the pizza, tacos and gumbo all taste like the same bland meal. We find ourselves craving something, anything different.
Our day was completed with a soak in the hot tub, followed by a trip to the REI store (camping and sporting goods) and Barnes & Noble (books.)
Now we're enjoying the comforts of a motel room twice as large as the cabin we live in, with a private bathroom to boot.
Tomorrow we'll do some essential shopping before we wind our way back into the scenic confines of the Valley.
We had an opportunity, and we needed a destination to go with it. We settled on the state capital as a good place to sample civilization again.
There was no time to plan. We just threw overnight stuff in the car early Monday morning and started driving. Sacramento is only about 160 miles from Yosemite, but probably two-thirds of that is on corkscrewing mountain roads. It is not a drive that can be done quickly.
And it wasn't a very pleasant drive Monday because of the pall of smoke that is lying over this part of California.
We've visited Sacramento only briefly before and had no real idea where we were going. Fortuitously, we stumbled upon an AAA office on the eastern outskirts of the city. There we looked up the nearest Honda dealership and a nice young employee printed out Mapquest directions.
While the Element got a minor physical, the Prince used the free wi-fi in the waiting room to find us a hotel along the river, with wi-fi, a pool and a hot tub. Back to Mapquest to figure out how to get there.
From the hotel, we walked along the riverside bikeway to Old Sacramento, a restored area of tourist-oriented businesses.
We had lunch at a riverfront restaurant. I had salmon for lunch, and later fish tacos for dinner. Seafood, for the first time in nearly two months!
In the Yosemite Valley, our dining opportunities are limited. After nearly six weeks, the pizza, tacos and gumbo all taste like the same bland meal. We find ourselves craving something, anything different.
Our day was completed with a soak in the hot tub, followed by a trip to the REI store (camping and sporting goods) and Barnes & Noble (books.)
Now we're enjoying the comforts of a motel room twice as large as the cabin we live in, with a private bathroom to boot.
Tomorrow we'll do some essential shopping before we wind our way back into the scenic confines of the Valley.
No comments:
Post a Comment