My favorite part of any day trip is sitting in the passenger seat and taking in the beauty that is California! Hot Hubby is generally kind enough to stop once or twice on a trip to let me capture the perfect photo, I usually don’t get the eye roll until my 4th or 5th request. On this particular day, we were heading up to Yosemite with our Framily and stopping was not an option. As we rounded the corner and entered the tiny town of Groveland I was immediately transported to the many trips to Yosemite we took during my childhood. Something about this quaint little town spoke to me, even more so on this cold February morning as we saw first hand the damage done by Covid-19 and lack of tourism. Signs on windows and small shops forced to close broke my heart, and I almost missed taking this photo because I was so lost in thought. As we cruised through the town I took my phone out and snapped this photo of the Iron Door Saloon the vibrant colors reached out to me like a siren song. This town would be back better than ever it had to because of the rich history it has had since the gold rush days of California. My only regret from that day is that we did not make it out of Yosemite in time to sit down and enjoy a meal there, something I hope to rectify soon.
As of late, I am seeing life at the Iron Door Saloon just last weekend they had live music playing welcoming tourists back to Yosemite and people back into their saloon for a quick drink or a meal. The resiliency shown by locally owned businesses is something to be applauded, make sure you are getting out and supporting them they need our help now more than ever. I encourage to take in these small towns and do more than just drive through.
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