Saturday is a great day. After a few hours at the M Street coffee place the weather clears up and it gets nice and sunny outside. On the map I saw a park nearby where I can go for a hike. On my way there I also spot a cool place called Greystone Estate, a huge mansion in Beverly Hills of which the gardens are open for the public. Part of it is closed today, because of a wedding, but there is still a big area to walk around. I have my lunch there before I continue to the park which is called Franklyn Canyon. It’s actually lot bigger than I expected, especially here in the city. There is a lake where you can walk around and there are not many people out there. At one point I see some kind of park ranger and we talk for a while. He agrees with me that this is a very peaceful place in the city. I’m glad I discovered it. I get back to my car and drive further through Beverly Hills. It’s fun to see all the big houses, little palaces is probably a better description and many sports cars. You see many Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s there and Porsche is so common that it’s not even special anymore. I walk a bit through the main shopping street and wonder why people wait in line for the Louis Vuitton and Gucci stores and want to spend hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars for some handbags or clothes. It makes me think about what a crazy world we live in. Some people clearly have way too much money while others don’t have food at all. I think that’s a global issue, but here in America it’s more visible with millionaires and homeless people living just a few streets from each other. After Beverly Hills I drive back to Hollywood and have dinner at a Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles restaurant. It’s an American thing, I think from the south. It’s fun to try for one time, but this won’t become a favorite of mine.
I drive back to my parking spot and get the idea that it might be nice to watch the sunset on the other side of the mountain. That turns out to be a beautiful moment, I really enjoy watching the sun set over the movie studios.
On Sunday morning I put on my jeans and a hoodie instead of a t-shirt and shorts, because I’ve decided to drive north to Yosemite. Where I was still doubting about it the other day, it’s suddenly clear for me what the direction will be from here. It’s about a five hour drive to there and I take it easy. About half way I fill up my car at a gas station and get some cash from an ATM. Then I see a Barnes & Noble around the corner and stop there as well. My sister calls and we catch up for a while. She tells that I’m not allowed to buy more books, I laugh and go inside anyway, but can’t find a book that calls out to me today. I make one more stop at Mc Donalds for lunch and arrive in Yosemite in the afternoon. There is snow here, quite a different scene from Los Angeles this morning. I get a national parks pass (80 dollars and you can go to all national parks for a year, great deal) and drive to Mariposa Grove, close to the entrance. There is a trail I know from previous years which leads to a collection of Sequoia trees. The hike is a bit challenging because of the slippery snow, but I arrive without problems at the top of the hill and enjoy the sight of the massive trees. They never fail to impress.
After walking around there for a while I drive to Yosemite Valley where I had planned to meet with a friend tomorrow, but for some reason I have no cell service anywhere in the park. I don’t see another solution than to drive back to the nearest town. That takes over an hour, but fortunately I find an empty parking spot next to a hotel with open wifi where I can go online. I get some worried texts from my friend and I explain that I didn’t have connection in the park. I might try to get back into the park tomorrow to go for a hike together after all. For now I’m happy that I made it all the way out here.
