Gilroy, California

Friday 21 August

Getting closer to end of the road.

Heading northwest this morning, its a little fresher than we've had for the last week

but not cold enough for a jacket yet.

Last nightover at Bishop, just a few miles on the California side of the border with Nevada

we're continuing with the top end of the Sierra Nevada mountain range on our left hand

climbing a bit too, quickly upward from Bishop's 5000' asl.

Lake Crowley

Past Lake Crowley, a man-made lake sitting smack in the middle of the old Long Valley caldera

this 10 by 20 broad, by over 1 mile deep hole erupted 760,000 years ago with a force 2600 times that of St Helens

the ash went as far as Nebraska

the magma's still there powering the usual hot springs, vents, and 3 geothermal power stations.

Mammoth Mountain

Quick peek at Mammoth Lakes and Mammoth Mountain, another notable ski resort and old volcanic cone.

Back to the highway and then another diversion, round the scenic June Lakes loop.

Then the days highlight, Yosemite National Park, even, some thought, possibly the whole tour's park highlight.

A few pics attached to explain, huge solid rock mountain upthrusts, lakes, and pines,

it would be great here with a bit of snow around.

The place was chocker with holiday-makers, as busy as a city

the several camp-sites full, families swimming in the river, and biking and hiking the trails

getting the motorcycle into and out of the central Yosemite Valley was a long slow task.

Another pleasurable winding river valley road ride out to the plains around the town of Merced.

Started off, leaving the Yosemite river valley, the countryside looked quite Australian

but soon orchard blocks appeared.

A quick look-up of the Merced County production figures showed the following, milk $1.049B, yes billion, chickens $326m, almonds $311m, beef $236m and tomatoes $144m.

I passed a huge bath-tub truck and trailer fully loaded with a high open pile of them.

Had another funny little incident in this town

walking out the door of a gas station, a negro woman asked for directions to Olive St.

On explaining I wasnt exactly sure where I was myself, she quizzed, you Australian?

No, New Zealand

oh really, her face lit up, I got a cousin lives there, been there 10 years

I love your accent

I like yours too, I reply, and it made her day.

Have seen a number of black families on vacation and they are the same courteous, spontaneous, American you encounter all over

with a little bit extra in the humour dept,

a sort of counter reaction to the reserve with which they carry themselves that cant help expression when they're in turn extended acknowledgement and courtesy.

I'm not sure whether its just our Antipodean accent, or rather the off-beat angle of egalitarian delivery that finds such attraction

like, I'm sure theyve heard you the first time, they just incline for a repeat so they can hear it again.

Heading to Gilroy, the agriculture gets more intensive

garlic's a major in this district with at least one big processing plant in town

the air hung heavy with it, rich, warm, and pervasive, like the atmosphere in Bombay.

We saw colourful flower seed operations, and mushroom, peppers, lettuce, and several fruit orchards, nectarines, peaches, apples, figs

and cherries, I bought a bag on the way to the hotel, with a huge peach and a nectarine for breakfast

Thats it for this leg, one to go

been getting behind with the log on account of this and last night being farewell party nights

the group's breaking up pretty quickly once we make SanFran.