Fathers day

Sunday 19 June, used Skype to call home and both receive Fathers day wishes and impart them. Microsofts eight billion investment in the service has to this point had no impact on its utility as far as I can tell. The ability to converse clearly to landline and mobile devices at 1.4p per minute from my computer is impressive.

My Son has no need to use Skype and no doubt feels it unnecessary to externalise his acknowledgement of the day. I write this from our rooms patio, overlooking the roaring meltwater of the Sierra Nevada as it races down the Merced river, while he soaks in the rooms whirlpool spa.

We've just returned from a rather pleasant dinner at the Yosemite View lodge restaurant after a fraught sixty minutes in which it was necessary for David to gain some life experience points while ratcheting up my blood pressure a notch.

This morning we departed the Portola Plaza Hotel and Spa at Monterey around 10:00, having spent the morning rising in a leisurely manner and making the aforementioned Skype calls. With bags packed and having reported home the simple omission of packing the toothpaste at the previous hotel, we strike out for reception and the valets.

I hand over my ticket in nervous anticipation and the valet scoots off to fetch the Honda, I fumble in my wallet in search of a suitable tip, selecting $5 the Honda squeals to a halt and the valet leaps out the boot already springing open.

The valet retrieves the two suitcases from our hands and hoists them into the boot, the five dollars pressed into his palm we say goodbye, as David closes the boot I check the Drivers door, Locked!

I snap at David to not shut the boot, believing the keys are inside.

Luckily he has not closed it and the keys are absent, The valet still has them!

Once inside the car I adjust the seat and check the controls, slotting the Sat Nav into its mount, then I pass David the Map and explain he is going to have to Navigate for the first phase of this journey. He bristles with anxiety and implores me to switch on Simon the Sat Nav.

I explain that Simon is likely to be particularly unhelpful in this instance as I want to drive out down route 1 to the 'Big Sur' before returning the same way and heading out to Yosemite and I have no specific end point with which to instruct Simon.

The first part of the Journey then is tense as Davids telepathic abilities are limited and as he reads the map and directions I had printed from Google, they failed to permeate my conscious mind. Thus for much of the first few turns I was relying on memory rather than advance guidance.

When guidance was forthcoming it failed to acknowledge traffic conditions and frustration in lack of apparent action in receipt of the given instruction was a cause for concern.

We did however ultimately get onto route 1 and traveled down to the 'Big Sur', the run was worth it as the scenery was impressive, despite a low fog which hovered about 50m above us the whole way.

Carmel proved to be a lovely town hugging the coastal highway, with picturesque houses near the road, a historic mission building and expensive homes nestling amongst the cliff peaks like nesting gulls.

Having taken photographs of our route we activate Simon, whom presumably in a fit of peak, immediately attempts to turn us around using a rough track that goes up the cliffside and is completely overgrown.

I ignore the machine and turn around when practical to retrace our steps, eventually Simon capitulates and begins to guide us down the route I know.

We stop briefly in Carmel to buy Batteries for Davids camera, coffee and some snacks from the local store, during which interlude, Simon continues to guide me from my pocket, to turn left at the end of the road as I select toothpaste to replace the missing tube.

Once back in the car Simon is slotted into his holder and resumes route guidance, we travel for an hour before stopping for something to eat ( a McDonald’s in this instance, its convenient but not as good as the breakfasts we have been having.)

The Journey then settles into a series of long straight stretches with a flurry of activity at highway mergers or interchanges. Its important to both listen to the guidance and observe the display, it is also important to have at least an idea which is the direction you should be travelling in!

On more than one occasion a missed turn results in Simon throwing a complete strop and attempting to route you back onto his original route in a manner that is at best ill considered and at worst down right dangerous.

Persevering will ultimately return you to the correct route but you need to keep your wits about you.

As we progress down the route towards Yosemite, Simon has one final attempt to both ingratiate himself in our acceptance and delude us. 'A new route has been found saving 18 minutes. Accept, Reject' the screen displays as the unit beeps at us.

Eighteen minutes is a big saving, we accept, In doing so we commit ourselves to a series of close turns that take us away from Highway 140 on which our destination lies, around some neighbourhood streets onto another highway before finally turning back onto the 140, during this sojourn Simon entreats us again this time offering to save a further 5 minutes, this we reject.

Finally we arrive at Yosemite View lodge, at approximately the originally quoted arrival time, although this may have more to do with me adhering to the wildly varying speed limits in Yosemite rather than the route.

The American road signage system is helpful if a little busy, signs tell you when a speed limit is soon to change, when it has changed and if it applies to you. One minute you are anticipating doing 45mph the next you are doing it then suddenly its all about to change again.

In my observation the signs are followed mainly by me, other cars seem to ignore them. Hence I spend a lot of time in 'Slow vehicles use right hand lane'.

The Yosemite View lodge is a series of accommodation blocks and swimming pools built basically alongside the Merced river. A central reception area supports all the accommodation and provides a small shop and lounge area with wireless internet access.

Our room is located in the block directly opposite reception and whilst not guaranteed internet access may with luck and a following wind, if we stand on tip toe with our laptop pressed against the bathroom window may receive it.

We try and can, actually later on even from the table in the main bedroom, although we note that under the terms of service Skype use is specifically excluded, along with other forms of streaming services.

The room is well appointed with a large bathroom near the front door, containing a huge whirlpool spa bath constructed with an individual shower at each end of the wall.

The main room contains the now apparently mandatory 42” flat screen TV along with a kitchenette with hob, grill, microwave, fridge and sink. Two double beds, easy chairs a dining table and open log fireplace complete the interior.

A door at the back of the room adjacent to a picture window leads out onto a railed patio area upon which a patio table and four chairs occupy a third of the available space before the roaring Merced river.

We note that a room rate sign near the front door declares a rate of $400 per night, I'm sure we haven't paid that, although I've no idea what the actual rate is.

Once checked in we head straight for the pool and spend an hour or so simply unwinding after the four hour drive. Yosemite is open 24/7 but we will not head there today, thats for the morning.

Its when we get back to the room that David provides the catalyst for his his education and my my blood pressure hike. He realises that his Oakley spectacles aren't where he thinks they should be.

Then he recalls taking placing them in there (large aluminium shell case like, not very small) case in his wash bag and then maybe possibly out of his wash bag to store his toothbrush.

They are not here, they are not in the car, they are nowhere to be found!

We have no mobile, we have no skype and the Hotel information explains that calls from Yosemite are expensive....however a phone card can be purchased at reception, so off I trot.

The guy who deals with me at reception is both understanding and helpful, he offers use of the reception phone to call the Portola Plaza at Monterey who confirm they have the spectacles, he then obtains the address in Las vegas of the New York New York hotel to aid me in explaining where I want the spectacles fedex'ing to.

I hand over my Mastercard details and the Portola Plaza agree to get the spectacles to New york New York by 21 June.

Davids life lessons from this then;

1. Take responsibility for yourself and the things you need in life.

2. There is always the possibility to recover a seemingly hopeless situation.

Posted in: life,Sat Nav,travel