Groveland, California

Groveland, California: We didn't want to fight the crowds in the park again today. Instead, we drove up to Pine Mountain Lake, a mountain hamlet where DT's family once owned property. It is a gated and guarded community now so we were unable to see how things have changed here (the last time we were at the lake, I was pregnant with Lisa and Lisa is now 23).

On the way back to Yosemite Pines RV Park we stopped in town (Groveland) to have lunch at the Iron Door Saloon, allegedly the oldest saloon in California. I am not sure, but I think we have visited the oldest saloon in California somewhere else??? I am advising you to not patronize the Iron Door Saloon. The last time some one dusted was 1851. The place is a dump, though interesting. Their specialty is a hamburger, but it was just a hamburger. The fries were not worth eating.

During our meal, a patron came in and sat himself down at the huge bar and proceeded to rant and rave to his bar-mates about his &%*$@# tenant. The narrator was racist and said such offensive things - in a very loud voice - that it was impossible to finish our meal. From what I could gather, his tenant, a &%*$@# blanking blank is so cheap that he uses a &%*$@# blanking fan instead of the &%*$@# blanking air conditioner, so it is impossible to charge the blanking blank extra for blanking air conditioning. The stingy blanking &%*$@#!

Thankfully, one of those "Stupidest Home Videos" shows appeared on the television in front of the ranting landlord, and he sat there in mouth-agape silence, mesmerized.

Inside the Oldest Saloon in California. The ceiling is covered with dollar bills.

By the way, if you do ever enter the oldest saloon in California, DT suggests you do not use their restrooms.

Late in the afternoon, there was big excitement in the campground! Three big RVs came in, friends traveling together, all decked-out in Ole Miss paraphernalia. Football talk all-around. Then, a couple came in with a luxury toy hauler. A toy hauler is a specialty RV that looks like a fifth-wheel, but in the back is a huge garage to haul your "toys"... usually ATVs or motorcycles. However, this young Navy detonation expert has his prize 21-year-old VW inside and his wife is following him cross-country in her Dodge Durango. He pulls the trailer with a huge Ford diesel pick-up. All of this, as he is was transferred from Virginia Beach to Port Angeles and he had to stay in Florida for 4 months for schooling on the way out! So... a pick-up, a SUV, a VW and a huge, really fancy, trailer. Oh, and two cats and a fish aquarium! What interesting characters we meet on the road! Since we had eaten such a big lunch, I made a salad for dinner.

RV Park: Yosemite Pines RV Resort & Campground in Groveland - about 20 miles from Oak Flat Entrance to Yosemite National Park.