Yosemite National Park (Tucson, AZ)

We are settled in Tucson for a few more days.  We have been busy shopping and getting prepared for our winter stay in Patagonia.  We plan to move to the preserve on Monday.  

I finally finished editing my photos from Yosemite National Park.  The scenic views were breath-taking and hard to capture with a camera.  We visited during the off-season and the place was still busy.  

Yosemite National Park - Valley

Traffic in Yosemite was almost as bad as being downtown.  They say this national park is one of the most visited parks.  I think that is an understatement.

Yosemite National Park - Valley

I did manage to get quite a few shots with no people in it.  Timing is everything!

Yosemite National Park - Valley

Yosemite National Park - Valley

Yosemite National Park - Valley

We had lunch at The Awhahnee in Yosemite Valley.  A little pricey, but my Waldorf Chicken Croissant was delicious!  Sitting outdoors on such a beautiful day was so relaxing.

 The Awhahnee

We had entertainment too.  This is just one of many squirrels that were running around under our chairs and tables.  Snooping for dropped food and every once in a while looking up at people to see if they would take pity on them.  One even tried to go inside except one of the staff saw him coming and scared him away.  

Got lunch?

Funny, he doesn't look like he is starving.  Oh, there were "Do Not Feed" signs up everywhere so it must be all those acorns he has been eating.

After lunch, we went to Glacier Point to see El Capitan and Yosemite Valley.

Yosemite National Park - Glacier Point

Now that's quite a view!

Yosemite National Park - Glacier Point

There was a B&W photo of women posing on this over hanging.  I guess they have no fear of heights.  I'll stay behind the railing, thank you!

Yosemite National Park - Glacier Point

Happy Trails!

Acorn Woodpecker's Tree (Coarsegold, CA)

We head east tomorrow.  We were going to stay another week near San Diego, but we decided we were ready to leave California.  Too much traffic and way too dry.  I don't mind desert areas, but it is hard to look at a landscape filled with dried up trees.  Poor things look so thirsty.

Acorn Woodpecker's tree and Bat Motel

During our tour of the park, we were shown this tree inside the RV park and found it very interesting.  The Escapees put up bat houses around the park, but it is what the Acorn Woodpeckers have been doing to the old tree that caught our attention.  I like all the carving they did on this one limb.

They also store acorns in every little nook and cranny they can find.  If you click on the photo below, you can see the acorns stored in the cut off limb.

Even the bark has acorns stored in it.

The Acorn Woodpeckers were not wanting their photo taken.  I managed to get this one, but I cannot figure out what he is..a Sapsucker?  Maybe my birding friend will know...

Here's a couple of photos from Yosemite National Park.  I'll either post some more later or put them in Webshots.  Below is a photo of Wawona Hotel and the front lawn.  Doesn't this look inviting?

Come sit a while ~ Wawona Hotel

We walked through the Mariposa Grove to see the Sierra Redwoods.  These trees are too tall for my regular lens so I used my fish-eye wide lens.

Standing among the giants

California Tunnel Tree

I'm still editing the other photos.  I hope to have them uploaded soon.

Happy Trails!