Wednesday, May 21, 2008, early morning
5:30, no need for alarm, once again! The alarm clock is set in an hour, so we have plenty of time to shower, get ready to go to lunch and our suitcases. And, pending the departure expected around 7:45 to go get some air. This morning, moreover, there is little wind, but it is 17 ° C, the day looks fine.
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| An American truck, among others ... |
ritual question, what about the hotel? Here, for once, we have not slept too well, on reflection. The railway, as highway moreover, are not very far, but the hotel is quiet. In fact, I believe that the noise of air conditioning covered the rest, right? This is terrible, most of these huge machines date back several decades, and anyway the last century, and are not silent, it's the least we can say. Often we must choose: do not sleep because of the heat or the noise of the air conditioner. And, besides, it felt like sleeping in an ashtray, so carpets, drapes and fabrics were impregnated with the smell of stale tobacco, for ages.
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| Another, by the way ... |
So, a short walk outside before departure needed to oxygenate ... I wanted to try to photograph a few trucks, these trucks typical American. Why, exactly, there is one parked in front ...
In fact, I saw little to stop it must be said that we were not often arrested, or at least not on the car parks of this kind, but rather in the corners tourist, if you see what I mean. I crossed well on some highways, but some pictures , then, are a bit fuzzy. Sorry, we were driving in reverse, which does not help.
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| A School Bus, a ... |
Instead, I saw a school bus. So there, we say they are also very characteristic. You can not miss them. Then another fell, a third ... Finally, well, after a while I stopped to count them, they passed me in both directions, by dozens in minutes. And it was good!
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| And two ... Front |
What amused me was the name of the avenue, Childs. I do not know why, it just made me think of children. It must be said that this avenue a little further, there is a high school in Merced, the Golden Valley High School . In addition, the UC Merced , University of California was founded in 2005.
Other countries have adopted this principle School Bus . What is obvious is of course the color yellow, so you notice them much, if, if. They also have big red lights, front and rear. But do you know when they stop on the left side, a stop sign is deployed automatically, which require all vehicles to stop as well? Absolute prohibition of overtaking a stopped school bus in this case. Safety first!
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| From the back, this time: Notice the stop sign on the side, and the lights and markings, rear |
I mean bus, it is precisely the time to join ours, everyone is ready, the bags are in the coffers. We will start shortly before 8 pm, Merced and exit, we will not see more than that. I just know, through its site, it's a city of 79,715 inhabitants. Know that Merced, located in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, is less than two hours by car from Yosemite National Park to the east and Monterey Bay to the west.
We will travel the road to Mariposa CA-140. That, it seems, a typical city of the American West. Its main street reminiscent of old westerns, and the whole town is surrounded by pine forests. But today we have another forest to visit. Just before we turn on Route CA-49, Boot Jack Road, to join the CA-41. Note that I give you this information, in case you want to follow map because, as usual, you can still see the road through the cameras of Google. It's as if you were there, you can imagine, it's magic!
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| Riddle: what is there to School bus in this picture? |
At this intersection is Oakhurst, about twenty miles south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. At the same time, Oakhurst was the pioneer in 1980 to develop computer games, the famous Sierra On-Line . I now understand exactly where does the name! The first 3D adventure games like King's Quest or The Sierra Network , for connoisseurs, were born here.
Small break technique for us, if I remember correctly, at Raley's, a Shopping Center. Not to mention the logistics: Hervé has provided a small meal in the park at noon. And as we arrived late last night, he did not have time to shop ... It's wonderful to combine business with pleasure, no time lost, what is more!
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| South Entrance Ranger Station, Yosemite |
Finally, it is only 10 hours, and we enter the park through its southern entrance!
As for you, I think you'll still have to wait a bit ...
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