En Route to Yosemite – Groveland

September 3rd & 4th, 2008.

A lovely town, with a colourful history, we had a short walk around town. First to the Mountain Sage, and then to the Iron Door Saloon for dinner.

Mountain Sage

The Mountain Sage has a rustic setup, with a garden, photo gallery and children’s garden. It was just nice for a slow idyllic afternoon walk. The hammock and garden swing was a favorite with the kids, and the young at heart, and daddy had a nice time looking at the gallery. There’s even a children’s corner, with children’s books and toys games to keep the boys entertained while the parents wander. No nintendos, electronic games nor the tube. They also get to play in the garden, and get all dirty, and they didn’t mind a bit.

It’s no Disneyland, it’s not even a small amusement park, but the children enjoyed  themselves just the same, with their creative imagination, they played in a world which they can enjoy with each other, happily. Never mind the dirty clothes and shoes, and socks….

 

 

 

Iron Door Grill

  A good thing about the restaurants we’ve come across so far is that it’s never too difficult to find vegetarian items around, though it may still contain cheese, it’s good for non-strict vegetarians. And most restaurants are pretty child friendly, not just in the menu items, but  the staff too are friendly towards children. And if they don’t have a vegetarian equivalent, it’s never too much of a bother to request for some vegetarian-friendly dishes.

With the restaurant at Hotel Charlotte closed for the day, we still had options to visit the other good restaurants in and around the town, and the Iron Door Saloon is just across the street to the hotel.

It has a nice setup, with a long history, and we did notice dollar bills stuck to the ceiling and some parts of the wall. It’s a little dark like a bar/grill would typically be, and cool decor. Service was good, and children’s menu came with a vegetable option as well, something that we hope to be able to have as much as possible during our trips.

Overall, a nice meal, interesting decor, and friendly staff. Though the younger boy kick a bit of a fuss when he was refused his french fries (who wouldn’t, right?), he recovered quickly, and settled down to his meal happily.