First day in San Francisco. Decided to Have a light day as we had the opera this evening (3.5 hours of Mephistopheles). So we caught buses to Fisherman's Wharf and then the ferry to Suasalito. Weather spectacular as we're the sights. Bridges (Golden Gate and Bay - there is a new, elegant bit of this that we used to get into the city yesterday). Alcatraz. City skyline. Sausalito mostly just touristy shops, galleries etc that hug a nice bay, with great views back ...

No sooner had we arrived in San Francisco than Susan found my heart...I had lost it last time I was here... Trip in on the freeway had some hairy moments that were multiplied by having the top down so it was very noisy. All in all the road trip very successful. Not likely to mean we get a convertible any time soon, though. San Francisco seems to still be interesting, varied, scenic. Still More than its fair share of odd people.

Today was over the Tioga Pass at 10,000 feet and across the top of the High Sierra ie the Yosemite National Park. Spectacular, as was the side excursion into the Yosemite Valley when we got to the other side. Then down out of the park, past the huge North Rim fire that was only declared 'out' at the end of last week - could still smell the burnt wood and grass. Overnight in Groveland, another small town experience. Important post script: the budget crisis means...

(Posting delayed due to wifi difficulties in foothills of the Sierras) The start of the road trip. Couldn't get a red Mustang, but everything else in place. North out of Las Vegas, then west into Death Valley over the stark and beautiful mountains and into the valley floor. Desolate. Eerie. Had to put the top up (see photo) once the temperature got well into the 90s. Then climbed up and put of the valley to Lee Vining for an overnight in "small town America".