Today is an exciting day, because I’m going on a road trip. I pick up my car after breakfast and cuddle out of the hotel. I almost feel a bit sad for leaving the place, because it was quite comfortable to my own little studio there. I’m happy though to go on an adventure and glad that I got a nice comfortable car. It takes a moment to get used to the busy traffic but in general driving is a lot nicer here than back home. There is a lot more freedom with four or five lanes to drive on. I keep driving for about two and half hours until I’m on the north side of Los Angeles and see a Walmart where I used to camp several times during my last road trip. I decide that that’s a good place for my first break, especially since there is a Starbucks around the corner. It’s nice to see this familiar area again. Not much has changed here in the past three years. America is a huge country and the cities are big, but since I’ve traveled here multiple times now, it’s nice to know my way around and recognize places from previous adventures. I stretch my legs for a bit, get a venti cappuccino and then continue the road trip.
It’s a long drive and I have one more stop at a Mc Donald’s and one to get gas. I’m happy that Google Maps often shows gas prices, because they can differ up to more than a dollar per gallon. I find a decent price, even though gas prices have almost doubled in the past few years. It’s $4,08 per gallon which comes down to about one euro per liter which is not bad I think. Because the prices can differ here so much from town to town, I always find it a nice game to find the cheap ones and save some money that way. The last two hours driving are a bit tiring. I find it interesting how a few years ago I loved to go on long road trips and I have that a bit less now. I still enjoy it, but I don’t think I would enjoy to be on the road for a full month or longer like I used to do. Around sunset I arrive in the little town of Oakhurst. The view of the mountains is very beautiful as the last light of the day falls on the mountain tops. Oakhurst is one of the towns closest to Yosemite National Parks and I’ve seen a few hotels here on the map. I park at Mc Donald’s and I’m quite sure that I’ve camped right here on one of my precious trips. This time though I just stop to go online and book one of the hotels. I’m glad I’m going for more comfort during this vacation. It makes t a lot easier. The hotel is only a few minutes driving since it’s a really small town. The people are friendly and in just a few minutes I’m checked in and can unload my luggage into the room. It’s spacious and has a desk, so I can do some work and writing tomorrow before I leave for a hike in Yosemite. I think it’s about an half hour driving to the park, so I can be there nice and early in the morning.
