Last month I took a road trip up to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. It was incredible. I have taken this trip before, several times, and each time I discover new things. US Highway 395 begins in the Mojave desert and goes all the way up to Canada! I started in the desert and drove up through the mountains into Nevada where I cut over through Lake Tahoe and ended at my sisters house. Yes these flowers are shockingly real.
One of the things I like about road trips is the unique things I discover along the way. I stopped at this tiny little ghost town, and found this old rusty piece of machinery that I wanted to take home and use as yard art! No I didn't take it......
Gorgeous pods on a yucca plant.
I appreciate art, and to me this was quite a unique piece of street art!
My first campsite was at Bishop Creek, just outside of Bishop, California. I love that little river! It was roaring and foaming and falling fast right next to my campsite. It was very cold there, and only one other person was camping there, but moved out the next day. Had the place to myself, which was both exciting and scary.
I took a hike up the creek and came to this waterfall, where I sat and just listened to the sounds all around me. I love to listen and look, and find it feeds my soul.
The hike was beautiful, and fortunately for me, it was clear as I walked.
Even though it was springtime in the Sierras, I couldn't believe how many flowers were blooming!
At my campsite in the Bishop Creek Recreation Area, this enormous tree grew down near the creek. With the wind, snow, rain and hail, its roots have been exposed to the elements.
It was getting colder by the minute, so I drove up to Lake Sabrina before it got any worse. There is a hike around the lake, but it was covered in snow. The water level was so low, that I got to walk out in the dry lake bed and explore patterns in the sand, old rocks that are normally under water, pieces of driftwood and other strange objects lost in the lake. Very fun! Just as I was leaving it started to snow. That night I lay in the back of my Subee, covered in the warmth of all my down blankets, and just listened to the quiet.
The next morning I got in my car and drove up to Convict Lake. It was 28 degrees that first night I was there. A pristine layer of snow lightly covered the mountains.
I had to scrape the snow off the picnic table, and did not even make a campfire there, just crawled into my bed at night, and hiked over to the store for hot coffee in the morning!
One day I drove up to Mammoth Lakes, had some killer BBQ TriTip for lunch, and explored. Icicles hung from the bridge looking like daggers.
On a fairly warm day I hiked around Convict Lake. At the far end of the lake, a boardwalk takes you across the little creek that feeds the lake. Fishermen were everywhere, but I never saw anyone catch a fish! Maybe it was too cold.
Beautiful, exquisite, Convict Lake, lies at nearly 8000 feet. It was named after some escaped convicts that holed up there to hide in 1871. All 29 prisoners were eventually captured, but several law enforcement agents were killed in the shootouts. A deadly history for such an outstanding place.
After leaving Convict Lake, I drove up to Lee Vining, and visited Mono Lake, an unearthly place with an extremely salty lake, and tons of birds and flowers.
After Mono Lake, I kept driving up the 395, past the Carson River, and over to Lake Tahoe. I finally ended my road trip at my sister Judy's house. My younger sister Dorothy flew out to spend the week with us. Very nice to see them and all Judy's family.
Dorothy, Judy and me, smiling for the camera! Miss you guys!!!!!