This episode of Oprah Behind the Scenes picks up where the last one left off and takes Oprah and Gayle to Yosemite and camping for 2 days.  “I really wanted to see Yosemite,” Oprah says.  This is the perfect reason to go…but Oprah…Lisa really gave you the low-end tour.  I mean….there was so much to do….and so little time. 

Anyway…besides the car camera fiasco…and the announcement to the Yosemite Valley that OOOOOOOOOOOOprah was coming for a visit and then, letting them “sleep in” and missing filming some footage of the 2 in the camper the next morning…well, it was a good shoot. 

For camping, Oprah and Gayle are sitting fireside, fly fishing, and reluctantly there is a mule ride.  How many people have seen Yosemite like this….raise your hand?  Anyone?  Anyone?

Lisa does have the courage to ask Oprah… “do you want to put on the same clothes you had yesterday and re-shoot the car scene with them talking about Yogi bear and BooBoo?”  Yeah…No.  That was funny.  Anyway, lots of people made those shows happen….and did a great job.  I just think that there are so many other ways to see Yosemite.

Oh….Yosemite…does not need to be fly fishing and mule rides….it can be done in a lodge without a campfire…deer coming up to your back door during breakfast…seeing bears in the middle of the road….visiting the Ansel Adams museum…walking one of the many trails….seeing the beautiful trees and mountains….and even a very mild boat trip down the Merced.  This is the stuff that is affordable…do’able…and it was my trip.  Oprah….let’s go back.  It will be more fun…I promise! 

Back in Chicago….Jack Mori…our favorite Jack…has been assigned to do Mel Gibson’s ex-girlfriend Oxana interview…but as with everything Oxana last summer….with it came drama.  In the end, this Hollywood mud slinging, nasty public breakup is being kept private off the Oprah show.  When Oprah is told….her concern is for her audience.  What are we going to do?  She knows how much we love her…and now, we love her more.  When I first moved to the East Coast, I tried every month for a year to try to get tickets to fly to Chicago to see her show.  I called and called and called and called…and I was relentless…until I just gave up.  Life took over…and I let go of that dream.  One day…I hope to meet her.  I have been in her “presence” but that is for a different blog…at a different time…and it is an awesome memory and story to tell. 

Back to the show…Oprah lets us know that this is probably her first and last camping trip… “Black people do not want to pretend like we are homeless on the weekend.  I hope I don’t set camping back for African American’s,” Oprah says.  But she adds later… “Where is the camping stuff? I will be pitching a tent in Hawaii in my backyard.”  I wonder if there will be s’mores under the stars…oh….I want to see a picture of that!

So…the things I learned this week on BTS: Season 25? 

• The camping experience is over-rated even when you are Oprah.
• Oprah and Gayle really are hillarious…naturally.
• Staying present and in the moment is the present…