Mariposa revisited

The spirit of 2004 is being briefly interrupted by what just happened in 2008 that harks back to the spirit of 2000. At my insistence we drove to Mariposa, the tiny, picturesque town just outside Yosemite. It was slightly crazy since it was such a long drive, and there was definitely no time for anything but the Mariposa experience. Sorry, I forgot to bring the camera.

I made this exact same drive exactly eight years ago. Then, it was brutally hot, and the motel I stayed at had a pool. It was hazy, as is the memory, but there was something essentially satisfying about the trip, which included my sole, brief foray into Yosemite National Park. I still have the motel receipt, and am struck at how much my signature has degenerated. The 2000 signature is so young, hopeful, and relaxed-looking that I intend to revive it.

So many European tourists pass through Mariposa that their spirit, and in some cases their tobacco, permeates the place. Against the California grain, these lodges contain large numbers of smoking rooms. And while this time we stayed in an unspectacular Super 8, the room was fine, a short walk from the center of town with its decent restaurant and bookstore and wine tasting room featuring fabulously obscure and likeably average Mariposa county wine.