Fun Things to do in Yosemite
ADDITIONAL POINTS OF NOTE:
Every camp within Yosemite provides "bear boxes" outside your tent/cabin, which is a box where you store all of your food so bears can't get it. The box isn't locked but it has a tricky mechanism so humans can open it but bears can't. It makes you think twice about going to get a snack. "Hey, I think I want some Pringles. Eh, nevermind. Not worth the effort" For that reason, those hoping to lose weight might consider putting a bear box in your home kitchen as a helpful dieting tool.
Half Dome is the big, congratulatory hike to attempt. In August, it is frustrating due to the hordes of people hiking with you. I didn't attempt it, I don't like crowds while I hike.
Yosemite offers night tram tours during full moons. Its beautiful seeing El Capitan, The Cathedral, etc. in the full moonlight.
Solvang, CA: Once Is Enough
Solvang is a perfect storybook town about 2.5 hours north of LA and 25 minutes east of Santa Barbara. Its shops are filled with things your Aunt Carol would adore. Its quaint and cute and wonderful for about three hours while you eat Danish food and sample wine and take quirky pictures for Facebook and Twitpic and then...
so which way back to the 101?
so which way back to the 101?
Secret Punk Rock Trailer Park in Joshua Tree
You have to make a reservation on the website in order to be emailed the actual secret directions to the trailer palace in the desert, pretentiously called, for lack of a better tag, an "artists retreat." But that's really the only proper way to describe it since it serves no exact purpose. They have a recording studio, stage, trailers for vacation rental, pool, bar... Its a really cool idea and the themed trailers make you want to stay.
Even if you're not into vintage trailers, country, rockabilly, or punk rock music, the desert, or drinking, I'm sure the mention of top secret directions piques your interest as if I just said, "Hey, thanks for house-sitting for me, by the way, don't look in my closet, I don't like anyone to know what's in there... Okie dokie, here's the keys, you're totally alone and unsupervised, see ya in a week!"
Even if you're not into vintage trailers, country, rockabilly, or punk rock music, the desert, or drinking, I'm sure the mention of top secret directions piques your interest as if I just said, "Hey, thanks for house-sitting for me, by the way, don't look in my closet, I don't like anyone to know what's in there... Okie dokie, here's the keys, you're totally alone and unsupervised, see ya in a week!"
Guitar Ghosts of Bakersfield, CA
If you ask anyone from Bakersfield about things to do in Bakersfield, they'll tell you to take the grapevine somewhere better. Don't. The misplaced Texas town (its in California) has plenty to offer, especially if you like dive bars and diner food and people who wear Ed Hardy-ish clothing with rhinestone embellishments. You know the type. Visit anyway
The Pyranees and Noriega's are two restaurants that offer Basque dining, which is somehow a big deal in Bakersfield. I didn't eat at either establishment because they serve dinner too early but the bar at the Pyranees was dead and delightful. Our drunk and PMSing bartender ducked into the back and told us to "fix your own goddamn drink". Then came her boss, a put-upon townie named EZ, who rallied and did his best to fashion some city-girl drinks for us out-of-towners. He was fun, sarcastic, charming, told us about the bar's resident ghost, and enjoyed our company (we think).
The famous Crystal Palace is beutiful but disappointing due to all the Brad Paisley-type bands that perform that pop-country crap that's taken over the town's music scene since Buck Owens died. Its a crying shame. The dive bar Trouts isn't any better music-wise but does offer the firey pickin' style of Brian Longbeck who plays with the house band. Longbeck's guitar skills were one of the reasons for our trip to Bakersfield. His band at Trout's mainly plays your run-of-the-mill "Brown Eyed Girl" and other cheesy favorites but if you request it, he'll bust out some amazing Joe Maphis-style picking that will blow you away. He's an artist that only a real Guitar Geek will appreciate
The Pyranees and Noriega's are two restaurants that offer Basque dining, which is somehow a big deal in Bakersfield. I didn't eat at either establishment because they serve dinner too early but the bar at the Pyranees was dead and delightful. Our drunk and PMSing bartender ducked into the back and told us to "fix your own goddamn drink". Then came her boss, a put-upon townie named EZ, who rallied and did his best to fashion some city-girl drinks for us out-of-towners. He was fun, sarcastic, charming, told us about the bar's resident ghost, and enjoyed our company (we think).
The famous Crystal Palace is beutiful but disappointing due to all the Brad Paisley-type bands that perform that pop-country crap that's taken over the town's music scene since Buck Owens died. Its a crying shame. The dive bar Trouts isn't any better music-wise but does offer the firey pickin' style of Brian Longbeck who plays with the house band. Longbeck's guitar skills were one of the reasons for our trip to Bakersfield. His band at Trout's mainly plays your run-of-the-mill "Brown Eyed Girl" and other cheesy favorites but if you request it, he'll bust out some amazing Joe Maphis-style picking that will blow you away. He's an artist that only a real Guitar Geek will appreciate
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