Day 50 : Yosemite Valley / San Francisco

Headed to Yosemite Valley early on the advice of a park ranger who told us to be there by 7 to avoid the traffic. Left the campsite at 0545 and arrived to empty roads. Walked around Yosemite Falls and stopped to view Half Dome and El Capitan - all very beautiful in the morning sun.

Drove the 180 miles to our hostel in San Francisco - nice entrance over the bay bridge (not the Golden Gate) and we were there by lunchtime. Hostel large and nice - interesting building, built as barracks for soldiers in the US civil war and then used as a medical facility during WW2. Had a post-festival shower feeling having not washed for days. Can see the Golden Gate bridge from the hostel.

In the afternoon, walked down to Fisherman's Wharf (views of the GG bridge and Alcatraz) and along to Pier 39 where lots of sea lions "haul" - could watch them sunbathing / fighting / swimming for hours! On Ali and Jo's advice, munched a bread bowl of clam chowder whilst battling the sea gulls away.