Bad Day

May 28 - 29
Miles Driven:1,093
Funds Raised:$182

Well, this is was not the best day of my trip. It started out with lost cameras and ended with the highway patrol.
Yes, unfortunately, somewhere in Murphys, CA someone has a nice digital camera and a brand spankin' new camcorder. So, unfortunately, I can't show you the giant pancake (14" in diameter!) that they serve at "Coffee And" in Truckee, CA. Nor can I show you the statue that honors the Donner party, those pioneers that attempted to cross the Sierra Nevada. Unfortunately, they attempted to cut off 200 miles with a shortcut that wasted 6 weeks. They then, tired and beat, rested for 5 days before setting off again. This was their fatal mistake. Winter set in early, half of the party (42) died and the other half survived by eating some of the dead. Too bad they couldn't have gotten their hands on some of those giant pancakes.
I picked up my brother Paul on Sunday. We stopped in Angels Camp, CA to say hello to George and Pam. George runs O.A.R.S. the adventure travel company that ran the Galapagos trip I went on. We just missed the hopping frog festival the week before, rats! We then headed to Murphys, CA - one of the top ten coolest small towns - rated by Budget Travel Magazine. Well, it seemed cool, however, I couldn't really fully embrace the town knowing someone is now in possession of my cameras and all the video footage of my trip thus far. There is a historic hotel, Murphys Hotel, where loads of important people have slept including John Astor, Samual Pillsburg, Thomas Lipton, Mark Twain, Daniel Webster, William R. Hearst, J. P. Morgan. I also thought WC Fields slept there, until I figured out the W.C. was on the door to the bathroom (Wash Closet).
Ulysess S. Grant's room

We had a good breakfast at the counter at Grounds, posted a reward sign for my cameras and set off for Yosemite National Park. I popped in my Johnny Cash CD to cheer me up, sang along to Cry,Cry,Cry, which is what I felt like doing.
Yosemite is bee you tea full! Say that fast. Although it was Memorial Day and therefore really crowded, it didn't take away from the breathtaking waterfalls, huge granite rocks and towering pines. We hiked up the side of a waterfall. I had to stop at one point, because the ledge was just too scary for me. (I suffer from a pretty bad fear of falling). Yosemite National Park
My brother Paul and me, Yosemite
Yosemite National Park

We left the park before sundown and were sailing along, pretty happy with ourselves that we took a route with no traffic. Paul was at the wheel and just after he mentioned "hey, I'm going 80 down this hill without even touching the gas" we were soon joined by a highway patrol car that pulled both us and the car ahead of us over. California Highway Patrol
So, not really my favorite day, but at least nobody had to eat anybody.