Crinkly's Good Ole American Family Road Trip Day 21: Continuation of the road trip – Yosemite (9/17/15)

Grab breakfast at the hotel (Comfort inn and suites in Galt) and head out on the road. Get to the lodge (cedar lodge resort) and check in. In the lobby, I notice the coffee says that its 2$ for a cup and I start to realize a trend with this place. Its not a bad location/lodge, but they nickle and dime for everything; internet (we are in a dead zone) is 10$ a day for wireless/device.

Crinkly taking in his first Yosemite waterfall.

The waterfall we hiked to see. End of the season (esp since California was in a drought this year) not the best time to see water formations.

Crinkly posing with el capitan in the background.

Little panoramic view of el capitan.

Berry showing how old these trees are and it is fascinating.

After coming from the redwoods one would think tall trees is unimpressive. These guys are tall and massive.

As we walk around this small sequoia enclave, come across the path going through one. Crinkly posing with my family in the background admiring the sheer size of these trees.

Crinkly about to follow my dad through a sequoia tree trunk tunnel. 

Crinkly nestling himself in the bowels of a sequoia. Pretty impressive these trees.

Crinkly trying to measure up to a sequoia. Hes got a lot of growing up to do.

Crinkly taking in a far off view of the half dome formation and the expansive forest before it.

Half dome rising up among the other rocks.

This is Yosemite. Just pure natural splendor. 

Crinkly enjoying the great outdoors.

On top of that, breakfast is 12$+tax, which isn't bad but that doesn't include juice and milk is “only for cereal”. I digress. After checking in and unloading the car, we eventually head into the park and drive around seeing some of the sights (the west entrance has a cool rock overhang tunnel as soon as you enter and then you are in the thick of the giant rock formations on each side. We go see Bridalveil falls, which were practically dry and a big disappointment. We then head up to the toulime grove to check out some giant sequoias. After the little walk down, we see one and they are massive; it makes me look forward to the Sequoia national park in a few days more. Walk around that area a little bit, then head back to the car and head back to the lodge to grab dinner. Go to the bar/grill area instead of the restaurant and grab a drink and we order some food; no one really likes their food other than the fish and chips – my melt is a sorry excuse for a melt that doesn't taste too bad but I have had way better. After our meal, we head back to the room and hang out for the night.

Crinkly's Good Ole American Family Road Trip Day 20: 2 day trip back home for award presentation (9/15-16/15)

Headed to airport to go home as I have to present my work for a presentation I won prior to graduating. Get to the airport and it turns out if you don't individually wrap bottles of beer, they cannot fly. After learning this, and accidentally breaking the zipper on the bag I was using, my dad comes back and gets the bag (I don't want to pay the 5$/bot to have them bubble wrapped there) and I get to my plane. Get to Vegas and that flight is grounded in LA due to weather and so we leave 1.5h late. Get home, and my bro J picks me up and we get beer for me to bring back for other family members. I then figure out my outfit for the next day, get a shower and head to bed. The next day I get dressed, and head to lab to do some last minute changes to the presentation and see some people. I used yellow cab and their CC machine is declining my cards (even one I used last night to get the beer) and the guy wants cash. I only have 8 dollars so he takes that and, after some confusion with my CC showing I was charged but their people saying I was declined, he tells me I owe him 3 dollars (fare was 9 and I gave a 2$ tip on the CC charge). Long story short on this – every time I try and give yellow cab a chance in Houston, they bugger it up. Anywho, I get around the med school and see people around the old stomping grounds and then it is time for the presentation. Goes well, and hang out a bit after talking to more people before heading back to the house to change, get my stuff together and head to the airport. Celebrate with the frito pie burger and a banana shake from Pappas burgers in the airport and then get my flight to SAC via LV (this time I don't have to change planes). Get to SAC and the TSA people decide that my bag full of cans of beers needs to be messed up; they were arranged where there should be minimal movement, however when I opened the bag (as it was leaking cause one of the cans busted) the cans were all over the place, some where dislodged from the can holders, etc. I don't know how hard it is, if they want to inspect something (don't know how many terror plots involve small craft beer cans; my bet is -100) then just put it back the way it was found. Clearly they are too inept to inspect things properly but that's something they will hopefully work on in the near future (I doubt it as I don't know who they answer to). Get to the hotel, and get some rest as tomorrow the road trip continues in all its glory.

Crinkly's Good Ole American Family Road Trip Day 19: Meeting new friends/family (9/14/15)

After having breakfast and hanging around the room for a little bit, we head over to meet up a cousin whom I met many years ago but haven't seen in over 20-25 years at least. Meet them at the Chandon winery and have some bubbly while everyone is telling stories and catching up.

A winery up on the hill looking like a fortress. Wouldnt mind checking this place out. No time on this trip.

Got to the Chandon grounds and this guy was floating around doing his thing. One of the best animals in all its glory.

The parents getting their day drinking on. Lets do it!

A little post-day drinking wine stop. Had some decent beer if I remember right.

It is impossible to get these guys in one shot with my camera. I keep trying though.

People in foreground for size reference.

Just massive.

Was a cool dense/shrubbed forest.

Just a couple isolated trees hanging with their wee friends.

Would like to say these pics of giant trees gets old, but just aint true.

Ok last one. Look at that monster just hanging out through his siblings.

After a few glasses there, we head down to the Marin Brewery for lunch and finally saw some rain(more appropriately mist) and had a delicious meal while trying some of their beers (the beers were tasty and they actually had a berliner-weisse, which was pretty good). We part ways there as they have to take the baby home for its nap and we head over to the Muir National monument of redwoods right there on the coast. Red woods are extremely tall and some had some decently large trunks. Its a beautiful little park that makes me imagine what it must have been like back in the day when the redwood forests were first discovered and how impressive that must have been to stumble upon it. We walked around appreciating the forests before heading back to the hotel. Got back and I head out with my daddy to go get a haircut and check out a local bottle store to try and find certain beers. I don't find what I am looking for but pick up a consolation bottle and then we head back to the room for dinner. No one was really hungry so I broke out the cheese and crackers (Wisconsin cheese from earlier in the trip – I probably ate 0.4lbs of blue cheese with triscuits as it was delicious) and we scarfed them down while sharing some stories of our pasts and then we all got ready for bed as I packed for my flight tomorrow.

Crinkly's Good Ole American Family Road Trip Day 18: Lots of tasty morsels (9/13/15)

Woke up and made our way down to Santa Rosa for our first stop of the day, Russian River Brewery. After parking the car, we go and stand in line, waiting for the place to open. We get a table and I get the sampler, which consists of all 19 beers they have on tap; many are pretty good, though the wine barrel aged sours are where my money is at (I bough 6 bottles each of their Consecration and Santification - best beers ever).

Dont know if you can see it, but the cars are covered in ash from the fire. Apparently it is that close.

One of the holy grails for craft beer lovers - Pay special attention to that right hand tap wall. :)

Just joking I got them all :)

Crinkly wanted to visit his great uncle, St. Francis. If you ever have a chance to get their old vine Zin, do it!

Crinkly taking in one of the back yard views at St. Francis. So this is why people enjoy napa :)

Some cool windmills in the yard. 

Crinkly checking out the display on the inside.

Crinkly had one too many. Dont know how someone his size can handle all that wine.

The food there is pretty good as well; most of us got pizzas which we liked while the Caprese salad was also fresh and delicious. After finishing up there, we head over to the St. Francis winery, as I had their old vine zin a few years ago and I really liked it. We have a wine sampling and chat with the server who helped answer all our questions, he was a knowledgeable guy. The wines are all pretty good and the grounds (and this holds true to a lot of the land around here) are beautiful. After tasting many of their wines, we head to the hotel (comfort inn and suites Cordelia) to check in and after settling in, we head out to eat at Monsoon burger. Good food, with a few beers on tap, and somewhat slow service. We eat the food and head back to the hotel to chill  for the night.

Crinkly's Good Ole American Family Road Trip Day 17: On to the fiery depths of hell (9/12/15)

We had breakfast at the hotel before heading over towards California. On the way, we stop and check out Lake Tahoe. It is beautiful, kinda hazy, but clear water, mountains all around, and just a really cool look to the surrounding homes and area.

Beautiful lake Tahoe! Nice to be back near the water. 

Crinkly is liking the cooler temps and the lush forest.

Paddleboarders just cruising through the lake.

Found a lil lizard friend.

Crinkly taking a load off as he enjoys the scenery.

Is there a more glamorous sight than mountains in the clouds, surrounding a pristine lake, with nothing but trees around?

Crinkly is reading my mind. I too want to go swim in the water and enjoy the refreshing waters.

Crinkly happy to be back in the forest after last few days in the dessert area.

Little panoramic view of the lake. I can see why people love coming here.

Crinkly looking down on the beach and the road out of here on the other side.

Impressive boat chilling off the coast in the lake. We are about to go down there to check out the beach I hope.

Crinkly looking at the island in the middle of the lake. There is a stone house on the island.

Little straight out into the may lake from Emerald Bay.

Made it to the beach. I could get used to a beach like this. 

Panoramic view from the beach looking out at the straight.

Who doesnt like a good forest fire close to home?

We get to our place after inner and in the distance, the fire is raging still. Those glares in the distance are not due to light pollution.

We then head to our place near Kelseyville; we get there and something happened with our reservation and not too far in the distance there is one of the many raging California wildfires raging on (smoke fills up the sky). We opt to stay a little farther away in Lakeport at  Skylark shores resort. Get into our room and while we are figuring out what to do for dinner, some lady opens our door; apparently the front desk gave them the same room and keys. After sorting that out, we head to dinner at TNT bar and grill and have some average Mexican food (they didn't really like the fajitas, but I got cheese enchiladas with over-medium eggs on top and it just furthered the idea that eggs make everything better :) ). After dinner, we came back to the room and had some wine while watching the wildfires rage over the hill across the lake and hanging around the room. While we were hanging in the room, the front desk called to see who was in the room (no joke). Nice place but all kinds of random stuff keeps happening.