After a few days, we were tooling further south in our rental car headed for the beaches of Santa Cruz. Driving along the Pacific Coast had its highlights, but we were dismayed by the fact that the temperature did not increase. After spending a few hours of bundling up at the beach and trying to keep our pizza plates from blowing off the table, we bought a highway map of the state and used our iPods to get current weather reports. The next morning, we took off, headed inland for Yosemite National Park. We cheered with every increase on the car's thermometer as we climbed the coastal mountains. leaving the ocean breezes behind us. We were giddy when we could actually open the windows and feel the warmth.
We discovered a roadside berry stand and loaded up on strawberries, cherries and free garlands of fresh garlic. By the time we hit a town with a fast-food restaurant to get some lunch, the temperature had risen about forty degrees and we had to restrain ourselves from dancing around the parking lot.
Our luck held as a woman at the Welcome Center in Mariposa helped us find the last motel room "within 80 miles." The next few days were positively hot! We hiked, swam and relaxed in the over 100° heat, relishing every degree of it.
While we have fond memories of the walruses at Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, Muir Woods and The Stinking Rose, our favorite memories of the trip were of our glorious days at Yosemite - the destination that rescued our vacation!
