Babymoon

A couple of months ago, Gina mentioned going on a Babymoon.
-"A Babymoon" I repeated, unknowingly.  "What is a Babymoon?"
-"Its kind of the last chance a couple gets to getaway for a couple of days before the baby comes.  We could go to Yosemite for the weekend, around mid-February."
-"Sounds awesome."

On a beautiful Bay Area Saturday (two days before Valentine's Day), we loaded our car with a weekend's worth of stuff, our two dogs Jack and Lucy, and drove east to Groveland, CA.  Groveland is only 30 minutes from the entrance to Yosemite National Park.  It is a quaint and quiet town now, but during California's gold rush, it was home to saloons, brothels, quarters for miners, etc.

Of quarters, Gina and I stayed at the pet-friendly bed and breakfast, Hotel Charlotte, in Groveland.  It is on the main rode through town.  The main rode is called Main St.  The past 160 years have not changed much of the town's look.  Its ol' timey, as the say where I'm from.  Considering our circumstance: Gina being 33 weeks in the family way, two dogs who bark at everything, and me not being able to figure out the key to the door, "This is the wrong key, I know it (it was the right key).  Why won't it work?  Stupid key! I'll make it fit!", our time spent at the b and b was chill and romantic.  We ordered spaghetti and meatballs, and a large Greek salad.  We ate it in bed, and completely relaxed.  I can't forget to mention the Hotel's dog, named Goose, who walked around and growled at everyone.  Goose was part chow, part pug, and part Abe Vagoda.

Groveland is easy on the spirit. It is a bucolic Sierra Nevada mountain town. The residents were sweet and did not operate as if they were in a rush.  While we were at the grocery store I even saw several men with big long mountain man beards. A couple of the old men looked at me, and gave me "the nod" (the nod is a physical expression of salutation.   It is expressed from one man to another and should be done as if one were in a Western movie.  It is achieved by dipping one's head, while maintaining eye contact). Upon checkout we shared our wedding story with the cashier.  She, then shared her's with us, "and it was in Las Vegas, 47 years ago."

My friend Paul, told me Yosemite was like the Grand Canyon, just more green and a smaller. He was right.  There are frothy waterfalls, agressive cliff faces, green colors everywhere, and from the valley floor you can see it all.  There was even snow on the ground.  We went to the general store and saw quite a few tourists, and tourists of an international flavor.  I almost ran into several Germans.  They aren't too observant of our personal space limits.  A couple of the tourists had severe body odor, and smelled like several onions.  As it happened, I had forgotten to put on deodorant, so all was well.  

As for the Babymoon, it was perfect.  Gina and I had a well deserved time experiencing the surroundings and each other.