Our NorCal odyssey: Unexpected revelations
There haven’t been many compelling reasons for me to visit the United States except to see family and friends. I’m not a theme park enthusiast nor an avid shopper, but our recent journey to Folsom, California, was a revelation.
Our stay straddled the spring between April and May, so almost everywhere was lush and beautiful. It was interesting to learn that goats are rented in their community to eat the grass in vacant lots to avoid fire hazards. My 13- and 8-year-olds Jack and Juno got to experience various weather conditions: snow in Tahoe, drizzles while picking strawberry in Granite Bay and dry heat while swimming in Davis. Best of all, we enjoyed the generally cool weather, escaping the crazy Manila heat.
There was little to do at Old Sacramento, so the kids played underground mini-golf. My grade school friend Louie drove us all over, as far as Palo Alto, to rekindle relationships with more old friends who traveled far to see us.
The highlight of our trip was going to Yosemite National Park. We drove three hours to Coulterville, a California gold rush town in Mariposa County, 97 kilometer from Yosemite Valley. Most of the sights on our road trip looked like the Microsoft wallpaper Bliss (which was incidentally also taken in California).
We stayed the night at Yosemite Paradise Inn, a remote but well-appointed bed and breakfast owned and operated by a Filipina from Butuan named Marilyn. After unpacking, she recommended we check out the nearby restaurants. We realized that “nearby” meant roughly 50 km away, like going from Parañaque to Meycauayan to eat out!
Oldest saloon
The Iron Door, California’s oldest saloon, was the only restaurant open with vegan options. We had overpriced and underwhelmingly prepared Beyond burgers. The Mexican restaurant was closed on Sundays, while the Coulter Cafe closed at 2:45 p.m.
We shouldn’t have left for dinner, as Marilyn thoughtfully stocked our kitchen. Her family were Adventists, so vegetarian and vegan items were accessible to them. We could have just cooked!
She even built us a bonfire to roast marshmallows (close to Iron Door was Mar Val grocery and a general store that sold Dandies, vegan mallows!). Her son Patrick, 9, joined us. “I waited two months for playmates!” he exclaimed. Patrick is homeschooled, gets 30 minutes of screen time daily and is super sweet. He showed the kids how to catch and release fish and toads.
The next day, I found Jack, Juno and Patrick in his little rowboat—three kids with no adult supervision or life vests—in a freezing lake! I was freaking out inside, but had to display confidence in their skills, as Patrick ably helped maneuver them back to shore. Their cheeks were all ruddy from the cold and excitement after their “Stand By Me” moment of independence; I couldn’t possibly beat that out of them.
After some foot races, it was time to go. Patrick hugged Jack tight and took selfies. He grabbed fistfuls of peppermint from his garden and gave it to us. We heard him yell out his goodbyes as we drove out. I couldn’t hold back tears. Days later, we sent him a fishing net he wanted as a belated birthday present.
El Capitan
Two more hours’ drive and our views changed from the Microsoft wallpaper to Mac OS X as we saw the majestic El Capitan. The granite monolith is the “mecca of modern rock climbing” made even more famous after Alex Honnold scaled it sans ropes in the 2019 Oscar Best Documentary feature “Free Solo.”
We parked on the side of the road and walked along Bridalveil Fall Trail (20 minutes, 0.8 km round trip) to get to the base, where we got wet by the waterfall mist as we viewed it up close.
Our room at Stoneman Cottage wasn’t ready till 3 p.m., so we decided on another easy trail while waiting. Information suggested we do Lower Yosemite Fall (30 minutes, 1.6 km round trip), but the easy hike turned strenuous as we just kept going!
One of Yosemite’s oldest historic trails (circa 1873), the steep Yosemite Falls Trail rewarded us with majestic views of Upper Yosemite Falls and panoramic views of Half Dome and some Sierra mountains. During our many rest stops, we soaked in the sights of the Yosemite Valley meadows and Merced River.
After over an hour of moderate exertion, climbing 1,000 feet and many switchbacks (up and down zigzags), we reached Columbia Rock. We saw the spectacular Yosemite Valley, Half Dome and Sentinel Rock.
We began our climb in full winter regalia, but by then, it was so hot and dry, others were just in sports bras and shorts, leaving their coats along the way. Juno clung to her bag of chips, and we rationed a water bottle between us—we were obviously unprepared. They refilled the bottle at a mini-fall, but I didn’t dare partake.
We hiked another 0.8 km to get a beautiful view of Upper Yosemite Fall. The cool mist was a welcome respite after our grueling ascent.
Tallest waterfall
Hiking to the top of Yosemite Falls, North America’s tallest waterfall, is strenuous (6 to 8 hours, 11.6 km round trip). We could have continued to Yosemite Point but turned back as it would have taken another hour, and just thinking of our descent was tiring. Jack hurt his ankles while I tried hard not to slip on the loose mix of rocks and sand (Parkinson’s doesn’t make balancing any easier).
We enjoyed vegan pizza in 5-degree Celsius weather at The Deck for dinner.
Stoneman Cottage is small and spartan, but we were safe from wildlife and had warm beds and hot showers. Our lower extremities ached, so we stretched our legs on the wall. Wi-fi or signal is spotty in Yosemite, so we turned in early.
The next day, we headed to Mirror Lake Trail (3.2 km round trip), a more moderate hike. It was a letdown, though; it barely had water. That’s why it’s sometimes referred to as Mirror Meadow (though it looked more like Mirror Marsh).
Despite painful, life-altering discoveries on this journey, Northern California is undoubtedly beautiful and worth revisiting.
