West USA Road Trip August 2022 (page 4 of 4)

The next day, we set off at dawn after a so-so breakfast and hit the road toward Yosemite Valley.

When we arrived, half the parking lots were closed for construction, Glacier Point Road was closed for construction, and smoke was reducing visibility. The wildfires were still active. We’d make do.

For the famous waterfall, it’s August, so there’s no water. Bummer.

Since I'm in a good mood, here's one last series from Yosemite.

Before heading back to the hotel to prepare for our next departure, we made a stop at Wawona and its historic village. A short walk to honor this part of America’s memory.

Hello everyone!

Last day in Yosemite. A meal (heavy, as usual) at a great restaurant in Mariposa, and we're heading to SFO. The drive will undoubtedly be beautiful.

We reach the village of Castle on Highway 99. There’s an Aviation Museum, we’re early, and I decide to make a stop. The museum is next to an old US B52 base. It’s well-stocked but outdoors, which wears down the planes, and there’s a project to build a giant hangar to shelter the aircraft, like at Dulles Airport.

There are some amazing planes.

During my visit to Castle Museum, I see a CalFire truck and guys in orange jumpsuits. I’m not clueless—I know I’ve just stumbled upon CalFire’s program (California’s state firefighters with a budget that’s, wow, massive...) for probationers. They’re at Castle cleaning and maintaining the site. The prisoners are managed by CalFire. This aspect is really important.

Quietly, I approach and strike up a conversation with the firefighter who’s the detachment chief for the prisoners. I introduce myself and mention my veteran status, and boom—it works like a charm! The guy announces to the "orange jumpsuits" that I’m a veteran, and without coming closer, they all clap or just applaud my status.

We end up having a great moment. The guys in orange are inmates serving sentences of less than 7 years, with no violent or sexual crimes. Each year of probation with CalFire counts as 6 months off their sentence.

I ask the CalFire guy where his gun is. He tells me he doesn’t need one. If even one of them pulls a NOC (no-obey charge), their sentence automatically doubles, and they go straight back to prison—for 7 years or more.

I’d heard of the concept but never got this close before. Once back in France, I thought: why not here? Just to remind you, Mr. Dupont-Moretti is the Minister of Justice. I’m a co-founder of a Facebook group focused on civil security missions and wildfires, which includes high-ranking retired firefighters and a few sane civilians. 😎

I pitch my idea of creating a similar unit in France, and we have the connections to reach the minister and quite a few people. Ah, networks beyond social media... 😉

Anyway, skipping the details, there came a day when I was at a party with a friend of my son’s who works in the prison administration (the friend, not my son). She tells me: "Michel, your project is top-notch, but the unions will NEVER accept losing even an ounce of power or control over the issue."

We dropped the whole thing. But what an amazing encounter. We all know we’ve got next to no chance of becoming President of the Republic. But an inmate? That’s easier. 😉

Arrived at SFO Airport to drop off the rental car, then took a taxi (watch out for scammers) to get to our hotel for 4 nights. I’d picked the hotel for the view of the Golden Gate, but bad luck—or just habit—the daily fog hid the bridge from us until the last day.

Since I don’t remember the exact days we went exploring, I’m posting the photos of what we visited in no particular order.

One thing’s for sure: we visited Alcatraz on the first day, right when the ferry opened, to avoid the crowds. Obviously, it’s a must-see.

While Alcatraz is a must-see, the cable car is too! Starting from the Port of SFO to Union Square makes for a pretty nice ride. The wait time is fairly short, we squeeze in, and off we go!

The old-timers here remember the TV series "Streets of San Francisco" or Clint’s movies like "Dirty Harry." We just had to check out those legendary streets, right?

Let's Go!!

And the famous Chinatown? Well, it’s still in the same place and pretty fun to explore. Safety isn’t an issue here. Lots of colors—great for photos.

We spent a morning in the Mission District. I’d read somewhere that the neighborhood was worth visiting for its tags and other graffiti. Let’s just say it was nice, but the experience didn’t last long because we didn’t feel safe. Not safe at all, as the locals would say.

I was really behind, but what a pleasure to read your travel journal! Thanks! 😉

I’m a bit worried about the crowds this year since I couldn’t avoid traveling starting the last week of August. Even though I won’t be spending much time in the national parks, I was planning to head up to Crater Lake, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton at the beginning of my trip to take advantage of the still-pleasant weather... We’ll see. I know myself—if it’s too crowded, I’ll go play hermit in the middle of nowhere! 😄

I was really behind, but what a pleasure to read your travel journal! Thanks! 😉 Even though I’ll only visit a few national parks, I was planning to head up to Crater Lake, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton at the start of my trip to enjoy the still-pleasant weather... We’ll see. I know myself—if it’s too crowded, I’ll go play hermit in the middle of nowhere!

Thanks for your message. For Yellowstone and Grand Teton, maybe by late August you’ll have fewer crowds with back-to-school season starting. Something to think about, really.

This Sunday, we’re taking a stroll through Golden Gate Park in SFO. It’s such a peaceful spot. And luckily, the GG Bridge is clear with no fog at all. We’ll stop on the way back.

The park is huge, and we’re starting in a magical place: the Japanese Garden. Even quieter there.

Just a stone's throw away, we find the Botanical Garden. Here too, we'll have some peace and quiet. It's true that it's still early and it's Sunday.

To wrap up this visit to Golden Gate Park, there’s still one beautiful spot left to explore: the Conservatory of Flowers. I’m passionate about flowers, but unfortunately, I don’t have a green thumb. So, all I can do is take photos. A lovely stroll among the flowers—Mimi was happy!

On the way back from this Sunday outing, we stopped by the Golden Gate Bridge because at least it was visible. That wasn’t the case the other days.

Before leaving SFO, a few last shots of the city and its iconic spots.

End of the stay in the West—time to head back to CDG by plane. So many people at the security checkpoints in SFO! Crazy!

During the flight, some nice spots and the massive wildfires in Canada.

And that’s a wrap. My travel journal ends here.

Favorite spots in the West?

In order: Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Canyonlands NP, Forrest Gump Point, Yosemite...

Disappointments: SFO, and places that were too crowded, like Monument Valley or Arches.

The worst: Las Vegas.

Next trips? August 2025: Middle East (if everything’s okay) and August 2026: Either Denver, Glacier NP, Oregon, and a stop at Yellowstone, or New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. The lady gets to choose.

Burning Man! ... I'm thinking of passing by nearby this year to try and capture some drone footage...

The moon in San Francisco has gotten so much bigger

I'm a bit like you when it comes to crowds. I can handle them less and less, especially in national parks, which are packed these days. I'm so glad I visited a large part of the USA 30 years ago, when tourism was much less developed. Same for Las Vegas. I don’t find the same charm there anymore—it’s just too much! ...

Anyway, what a magnificent trip! Thanks for sharing! Can’t wait to hit the road again. 😉