O.K. : it's not a gastronomic "souvenir", but a fond remembrance ...

During my third stay in the USA, once the training course in Minneapolis ended, I took a two-week vacation and went to the west coast :
- San Fransisco : god, I loved this town ... and not because you could not walk a hundred meters or enter a pizzeria without encountering a frenchman... <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I spend three or four days, walking thru the whole city ... Chinatown, the Golden Gate Park (and the first buffalos I had ever seen ...), the cable cars ... those damned hills to climb ... the port ..
- Los Angeles ... stange .... <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
- Las Vegas (not exactly on the coast..) ... one has to see that, once in his life ...
(yes, I did win a bit, but loose much more ... and at that time to get a US dollar, you had to give almost 10 french francs ... <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> )
- the Grand Canyon : a quick tour ... fantastic ... to ramble in that scenery ... in another post, Tom encourages me to walk in Indian Country, the Four Corners, on the tracks of Leaphorn and Chee .... if I ever come back to the States, I will .......
- Yosemite Park : that is where my story took place ... I will try to keep it short .... <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

I drove to Yosemite Valley in an rental car and by pure chance (no previous reservation), I found a place at a camping ground.
That took place at the end of august. My only hiking gear was :
- running shoes
- a small backpack, with some biscuits and water;

I wandered about a bit, admiring the valley, the mountains and the waterfalls...
At the end of the day, returning to th camping place, another car (a camper ?) was next to mine ; a familly with two kids, boy and girl, about 10 years old.
After I had eaten my sandwiches in my car, the father called me, to come over to their place, where he had started a small fire.
And then I had my very first marshmallow party !! <img src="images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
The kids explained how to pick the marshmallow at the end of a cut limb, how to place it over the fire, how to let it melt a bit .... Marvellous !! <img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
I spend a great evening, laughing with the kids as my first marshmallow burst in flames ... <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> ... oupssss.... too much ...., talking with the parents...

The following night was not so great : cool, but not great ! I should rather say COLD, not cool ... I tried to sleep, half lying on the backseat of my car.
Next morning, I woke up a bit sore ... thinking about my own car, in France, which had a pull down backseat back (??? anybody understands what I mean .. ??? ) ... and then thought (at last ..) ... "but maybe that car has one too...." ; yes sir, it had !!! <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
Following night was much better, but still cold ... <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />