Notes from an Overworked Underpaid Cycling Enthusiast: VACATION 2012

     Took two extra days off form work a couple of days ago and got my ass out of town, I was burned out and I figured I had better do it while I had the time and money to do so. And some one to watch my dogs (more on that in the next post.
     I went up into the California Sierra's and visited Yosemite, Mono Lake, Lee Vining, Mammoth Lakes, Bodie Ghost Town, and Devil's Post Pile. It was very good to get away, even if it was a bit warmer than I wanted, 40 miles down the road it was 105 degrees. Still better than home in Vegas, it was 115 + there.
      The strangest moment was about 5am on the first day just outside of Lee Vining. I got there about 2 hours early and decided to find somewhere that I could pull over and take a nap in the car.I set my alarm for about 5:45am so that I could wake up and shoot photos of Mono Lake at Sunrise. Well my phone alarm has not been ringing properly so I didn't hear it go off. Around the time The alarm was supposed to go off, while I was sound asleep, I heard a voice call my name and wake me out of a sound sleep. Clear as day. It was so clear that I woke up and looked out my car windows to see who was outside my car. Nobody there. Just my mind. It was a little freaky.


Mono Lake Tufa at Sunrise

I drove that morning into Yosemite Vally (this was not my intention) after driving into the entrance of the park. I got there so early I just kept driving and shooting the occasional photo. I got to Crane Flats (about 20 miles from the valley) and decided to go and see if the walk-in campground had any available sites for the night. There was no chance the more popular sites were have any availability. Plus it is only $5 for the walk-in campground. It is located right at the base of El Capitan and is traditionally a climbers campground. It was at least 95 degrees in the valley and with the traffic I was getting extremely overheated. I set up my campsite and made a bee line for the village store.....something to eat, ice, and BEER. back to my campsite to cool off and wait for sunset to go and shoot some photos.


Half Dome at Sunset

The next day I drove back out of the valley, 75 miles, and went to Lee Vining to find a new campsite. Lee Vining is pretty much central to all of the areas that I was visiting. Plus it has all the normal amenities that you will need. I found a campsite at a motor home park and paid for 3 days. I don't mind camping out but at 50 years old I am not so much into roughing it. This campsite has a store, showers, flush toilets, hell it even had classic video games, and electricity so I could recharge my phone and e-reader. After setting the campsite I went immediately to Nicely's restaurant. I have been going there since the mid eighties. Great food for a small town. Seems to have gotten a little pricey but still worth it.
After lunch I decided to drive out to the Bodie Ghost Town and check it out while taking a few snaps. In all the times I had been to this area in the past I had never gone to the former gold mining town from the 1860's. It was a little warm but I was glad to go there it was pretty cool.

150 Year Old Globe in the Bodie Classroom

Me and a truck in Bodie


The Bodie Stamp Mill Viewed Thru a Fallen Wall

Over the next couple of days I spent my time going around to the various sites of the area and eating way to much. Overall it was a relaxing trip. I did a bit to much driving and not enough just sitting around.