Two valleys: Napa & Central

8 August 2010
Sunday

We left Mendocino in the fog and headed east into the redwoods and out of the fog along the Navarro River. As we ventured further inland we found ourselves surrounded by grapes! And the temperature was going up. Soon palm trees dotted the landscape and we were in Napa Valley, unplanned but we enjoyed the drive along with half the population of California, I think. We stopped in Napa, the town, hoping to do some wine tasting but instead found some postcards and got back on the road.

Soon the land was flatter and very, very dry-looking. Giant dill plants were growing all along the roadside. Smelled good. And then we needed to spend some time on I-80: all 12 lanes of it! Help!

Next we cruised into the Central Valley: sunflowers to the right, almonds growing on the left, sweet corn by the acre. At a roadside market we bought some peaches, dried mangoes, onions, potatoes and fresh almonds. Finally we were at a market when it was open.

Just out of Escalon we met a very long line of cars coming out of somewhere: literally miles of cars and boats and campers. could all these people have been in Yosemite? We passed through interesting changes in the landscape: a giant field of boulders, lava folds, a huge reservoir and then we began to climb and climb and climb. We entered the Stanislaus National Forest and found a campground.

Tomorrow, Yosemite!