May 8 2012, Dallas

We were up early this morning for the two-and-a-half hour drive back to Sacramento airport and our flight to Dallas. We've now moved from eight hours behind the UK to only six, so we lost two hours today and arrived at Dallas Fort Worth airport at 5.15 after a three-hour flight. Sadly, although our hotel is in perfect position for the Kennedy assassination stuff I want to do (we overlook the infamous Texas School Book Depository) we both quickly agreed that it was a rather run-down hotel with little to recommend it, so we've told them that we are checking out tomorrow. We'll be moving to the Crowne Plaza just up the road, where we went for a drink and a very pleasant supper this evening (the steaks really are world class in Dallas!).

Tomorrow, we're going for our private tour of all the assassination places of interest in the morning, and planning to visit the sixth floor museum in the afternoon, so a full report then.

Meanwhile, here is our photo gallery from Yosemite, which I was unable to upload from the Blackberry Inn. By the way, I've just realised that by clicking on the photos, you can enlarge them, but (irritatingly) the captions seem to become invisible.

The first view of Yosemite Valley as you exit the first road tunnel on Highway 120

Jen walking across the valley floor towards Yosemite Falls. The boardwalk is in place to protect the wildflower meadow.

Upper Yosemite Falls, photographed from the valley floor.

Jen on the banks of the Merced River, with Bridalveil Falls in the centre background.

Me, same place.

BEAR! (About 50 metres away)

Another shot of Upper Yosemite Falls, taken with a long lens from atop Glacier Point.

Half Dome, pictured from Glacier Point.

Another shot from Glacier Point. You have to climb over the fence to get where I am, and hope the Rangers don't see you! The really brave among us stand out on that precarious rock on the right, but I..... Well, it is 4,000 feet straight down.

A Giant Sequoia right in the car park at Mariposa Grove.

Standing in the root ball of the "Fallen Monarch" at Mariposa Grove. This giant fell 300 years ago.

"Giant Grizzly" at Mariposa Grove. It's still living at the grand old age of 2,700 years and is the largest tree in the park. The branch sticking out upper right is over seven feet in diameter!

Jen walking through the "California Tunnel Tree" - the stagecoaches drove through here in the nineteenth century.

On our hike from Mariposa Grove to Wawona we found several of these giant pine cones. There are notices up asking you not to take them from the park.

All alone in the forest during the hike down to Wawona.

Our home for six days near Groveland, California. This is the Blackberry Inn, and our room was the one with the double doors on the porch immediately behind Jen.

One of the French/Arabian endurance horses kept by Steve and Alexandra at the Blackberry Inn. One hundred mile races are routine for these guys!

Jen rests on a fallen tree on the walk up to Mirror Lake.

This is what Mirror Lake is known for, but the water was very shallow and will probably be gone by midsummer.

A distant view of O'Shaughnessy Dam, with Hetch Hetchy reservoir behind it.

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, photographed from the dam.

On O'Shaughnessy Dam.

Getting above the tree line and into the granite wilderness of Tioga Pass.

Half Dome, photographed from Olmsted Point, a viewpoint on the way to Tioga Pass.

Tenaya Lake, still half-frozen, just past Olmsted Point on the way to Tioga Pass.

Almost on top of the world (well, California, anyway) at Ellery Lake off the Tioga Pass.

The Queen of the Castle, at almost 10,000 feet at Tioga Pass.

In the centre of this shot, taken with a long lens on full magnification, are two climbers, very close together, with about 3,000 feet of El Capitan still to go!