We stopped for one night at the Mammoth Mountain RV park which was no great shakes but enabled us to get to Yosemite fresh the next day. Unfortunately the best area to have been in this area would have been the lakes but we were some distance from there and didn't get to see them. Looking at information on the lakes area it would seem to be a great place to visit - maybe some other time. On the way to Yosemite we did stop off at the lakes at Tuolumne Meadows which I believe are very close to Mammoth Lakes and part of the Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite National Park is a massive tourist attraction, especially as it is not that far from San Francisco and was our last major stop before ending our tour.  The scenery is stunning and there is quite a lot to do if you like the outdoor life with activities like trekking and rock climbing; there is a wide variety of wildlife with a variety of rich habitats and over 400 animal species.  Almost 95 percent of the park’s 747,956 acres is classified as wilderness.

The park is known for its Giant Sequoia trees, which are estimated to be over 3,000 years old and are quite awesome.  We rode our bikes around the valley area and tried to make our way to Yosemite Falls which is a fairly stiff hike; however, part way there some tourists informed us that the waterfall was dry and so we turned round and made out way back.  The best time to see the waterfalls (of which there are many) is during spring, when most of the snowmelt occurs.  Peak runoff typically occurs in May or June, with some waterfalls (including Yosemite Falls - left) often only a trickle or completely dry by August.  In September, we had very little chance of seeing the falls in all their glory.

The journey home was fairly uneventful with an overnight stop not far from the depot where we had to return the Winnebago.  Jane and Sue made friends with two local cops who allowed them to sit in the back of their car; I attempted to bribe them to take them away but to no avail.  The following day we took the RV back and made out way to the airport for the flight home.  An excellent holiday which we will remember for a long time; in fact my memories are sufficiently fresh that I have been able to put together this journal after more than 7 years.