Farmers Market - San Ramon

It's that time of year again...San Ramon's very own farmers market is back in full swing. It's open every Saturday morning from May through October on the picturesque grounds of Forest Home Farms. You can find fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade crafts, organic munchies, live music, well-behaved sheep, and lots of yummy foods cooked right there on the premises. Take a look at my photos from last Saturday, but if you're ever in the neighborhood on a Saturday morning, stop on by and stroll around among the various venders...

Is there a farmers market in your community?

Yosemite National Park

I made it back to Yosemite before the summer heat and crowds set in. What a perfect time to arrive: great weather, snow capped mountains, and waterfalls flowing at their peak. My hiking buddy and I used the pleasant Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal as our home base and spent three glorious days exploring the park.

The Yosemite View Lodge offers convenient, comfortable,

and clean lodging just a few miles

from the Arch Rock Entrance...

As soon as we dropped our stuff off in our room,

we headed into the park...

The Volvo is still going strong...

First stop...Bridalveil Fall...

Here's looking the other direction across the valley

at Ribbon Fall...

Skyviews...

Biking is a great way to get around...

Wonder if those two guys knew who was behind them...

The picturesque Chapel...

Sentinel Bridge...

Yosemite Falls...

That's me with Half Dome...

Half Dome - it wasn't open yet to climbers...

One of the meadows near the Chapel...

Watching the climbers scale El Capitan is a fun pasttime...

Those little dark specks are the crazy rock climbers...

El Capitan - 7,569 ft...

Looking toward Bridalveil Fall and the Cathedral Rocks...

Photographers waiting along the Merced River

for just the right shot...

The next morning we hiked up to

Vernal Fall and the Emerald Pool...

Vernal Fall...

Lots of mist from the falls...

The view from the top of the fall is well worth it...

Emerald Pool...

Looking back down the trail...

Dogwood in bloom along Tenaya Creek...

We took another hike to Mirror Lake...

The next morning we headed to Wawona and

stopped at the Tunnel Viewpoint...

Wawona Hotel...

We had enough energy left for one more hike

up to Mariposa Grove to see the giant Sequoias...

That's me and my hiking buddy...

Yosemite is always a fun adventure with terrific hiking trails. If you'd like, check out my photos from my visit during the autumn.