Packed up my bags and threw everything in the car. Put my keys in the check-out mailbox, and headed off, slowly and reluctantly. One last look at everything in the valley. A slow drive down, down and down more, through some quite remote and desolate areas, taking the southeasterly route out of the park. It was all rather barren. Stopped off in a couple of small towns - one might have been Merced - but they seemed bleak, poor, and even a little menacing. A very different California than anything I had seen before. Drove past a couple of large aquifers, concrete ditches maybe 20 feet across which take water from the hills to the coastal cities. Over the hills again, and down into the SF suburbs. The freeways became busy and confusing, as I got tired from a five hour drive. I was glad to finally get onto the streets near the airway and check into a Holiday Inn Express. Had a bath, repacked, checked my email, inspected the area. Had a huge dinner at an IHOP, way more than any sensible person could eat.