West Coast

After leaving Vegas we headed west into California.  I really didn't want to go, as I didn't have a lot of good memories from my time living there, but Nicole had never been so I figured I could tough it out.  The first leg was across the Mojave which left us with a bunch of questions about what people do there and why they would choose to do whatever it is they do, there.  We found no answers and left it as one of those things to try and remember to research later on the inter web.
We were heading for Yosemite National Park, but this was obviously nothing like the park.  Luckily it only takes a day of driving through the desert and then you are into farm country, which then seems to go on for ever.  After a day of checking out farm country we headed into the Sierras.  Our first glimpse of the park lasted only minutes before the clouds rolled in, but it was a dramatic and stunning view.  Once we got down to the campground in the valley the rains started and lasted through the night.  The next morning the clouds went away and we were treated to gorgeous blue skies and warm weather, in the mountains, in February.  We only stayed in the park for one day, but both agreed we would return for a longer visit some day.
From Yosemite we continued north, eventually branching off the main interstate on to Highway 97 in northern CA.  Most of California is currently experiencing drought conditions, but we saw heavy rain from the time we got off the interstate all the way into Washington.  Oregon was wet but pretty, and I much preferred the route to staying on I-5.  We stayed one night in Klamath Falls, and I thought we may be able to add it to our list of possible future life options, but there was no spark for either of us so we moved on.  After another day of driving we made it into Washington, just in time for Valentines Day and in just the right place for Wine and Chocolate in Yakima Valley.