June 2 , Petaluma to Yosemite

We were glad to leave Petaluma, the campground was full and getting noisy, but we will miss the pool!

Our tour driver from the day before had told us of an alternative route east so we took it. It saved a bunch of freeway time and toll bridges but unfortunately took  us further north than we had intended, ended up driving to Sacramento then south again to Stockton. From there the GPS took us to our campground in Buck Meadows, 12 miles outside of the north entrance to Yosemite. Once again, as GPS’s tend to do, it took us a different route than we had intended but we got there just the same.

We were climbing the whole way from Stockton but all of a sudden we were in for a serious climb. Signs advised to turn off air conditioners to avoid overheating. For ten miles we climbed over a  thousand feet in a series of tight switchbacks. At the top we went by a gas station being filled up from a tank truck with pup, wouldn’t have wanted to be behind him on the way up or been him on the way down!

Arrived about 3pm. Campground isn’t fancy, no wifi, but has everything  else we need and is close to the park, and who wouldn't want to stay at a place called Buck Meadows?
Gas here is $5 a gallon, in Oregon it was $4.20, northern California was $4.50, Petaluma $4.10