The Village Grill is opening tomorrow with a great new menu, and today people from NPS and DNC were invited to a ‘tasting’, and a chance to take a look at what changes have been made to the menu. Chef Gover, who they have brought in this year to manage the Grill in addition to the Yosemite Lodge Mountain Room and the Food Court, presented a few of the changes that he put into place before we all stood in line for our food. The Grill is the closest source of calories to my desk (excluding the vending machine in the lobby), so I end up eating there fairly often during the summer months. I like absorbing a little sunshine while eating outside on the deck (even if it does frustrate me when people feed the wildlife). So, I’m glad that there seem to be some big new improvements in the menu.
yosemite
Pets and Birds
The birds are returning too and mornings are filled with bird songs. I recognize only a few right now, but even so it’s like having old friends call to you from across the street. I imagine that knowing bird songs is like knowing a secret language – that if you knew how to listen you could learn all kinds of things about the world around you even with your eyes closed. I wouldn’t classify myself as a birder or anything, but I really do like those little guys. That’s why this announcement to locals within the park caught my eye.
Ahwiyah Point Rockfall
If a rock falls in the wilderness, but no one hears it, does it make a noise?
I got back into the office today after my trip to the Bay Area and eventually heard that there had been another substantial rockfall in Yosemite early Saturday morning (March 28). The NPS Geologist made a statement, posted it to Supertopo.com, and the story has been picked up here and there by news organizations, and blogs, but didn’t have much widespread coverage. The AP finally picked up the story today – 3 days after it happened.
MapJack and Car Fire
Quick notes today. 1. If you haven’t been there already, you should check out MapJack.com. They have a really cool street-view map of Yosemite, and I love their interface. Click on the big picture to pan left or right, and you can move Jack around in the lower map area to explore different things. Very … Read more
This weekend (not) in Yosemite
I am so excited to be packing tonight for a trip to the Bay Area this weekend. I’ve made an appointment to get my hair cut for donation to Locks of Love, and I can’t wait until I’m free of the burden of these long locks. I’ve tried the super short cuts before and they don’t look that great on me, so I’m not shaving my head or anything drastic like that, but cutting 10″ off is going to be dramatic anyway.
Plus, a trip to the Bay Area is a great opportunity to connect with friends, and do some of the city things that we don’t get to do around here, like eating ethnic food, going shopping, or to the movies. I’m really looking forward to a few days ‘away from it all’, but I’m also a little sad to be missing the great things going on in the Park this weekend.
Wine Tasting
As long as I’m going to be very particular about what kind of wine I like and don’t like, which I seem to be, it only makes sense to try and get a little educated about it.
We are lucky, in Yosemite, to host fine dining events like Vintners’ Holidays once a year, and the wine tastings associated with that event are incredibly educational, as well as delicious. Plus, some of the wines served are often expensive and quite rare. However, for a novice wine appreciator (connoisseur seems a little high-brow for where I’m at in my wine education), the conversation surrounding those wines is often at a much higher level than I’m prepared to engage in. Fascinating, but over my head.
Introduce the budding wine club that started just last month. Led by people who are studying for their Master Sommelier exams, it makes a great blend of people with a great deal of expertise with those of us who are barely able (or unable) to tell a Cabernet from a Merlot without reading the bottle. I went to my first session tonight, and we tasted Syrahs from around the world.
Yesterday, spring. Today, sledding in the street.
Yesterday, it was spring – warm weather, wildflowers, sunshine. This morning, I woke up and there was a kid sledding down the street in front of my house. Just a reminder that weather can change quickly in the mountains, and just because the calendar says it is now spring, doesn’t mean diddly squat in terms … Read more
Just doesn’t get old
Someone asked me once if it got old living in Yosemite – seeing the same old scenery day after day until Yosemite Falls is just ho hum. I do think that I sometimes get distracted by other things. Maybe I’m already thinking about the project that I’m working on in the office when I round … Read more
Biodegradable ‘plastics’ in Yosemite
Keep an eye out if you’re drinking from a disposable ‘plastic’ cup in Yosemite, or get a ‘plastic’ take-out container. The embossed markings on these can be sometimes hard to read, but most of these items aren’t plastic at all. Look for the words, “Made from Plant Products”, which indicate that a container, cup or whatever is biodegradable and compostable. DNC recently blocked orders of plastic items to make sure managers are ordering biodegradable items instead of the (often cheaper) plastic versions. That means that as existing stocks disappear, more and more of these containers will be environmentally friendly instead.