When we left Mammoth we took the scenic route 203, nice and windy up to the 395 and then another scenic route on the 158 where we took this pic. We had hoped to go to Yosemite for the 4th of July, but finding a hotel there was impossible. We opted to head to the small town of Lee Vining, which is very near to the east entrance of Yosemite. Located right near Lee Vining is Mono Lake, which has "tufa towers"rising from the surface. These are actually limestone deposits formed by underground springs. We stayed at the Lake View Inn right in town, and met 2 guys who were lifelong friends from Kansas, and they were riding through that area for a few days. Great guys...Steve was an aeronautical engineer for Lockheed and his friend was a physicist and inventor from Dallas.....bikers are a diverse crowd!
We came upon a waterfall in the background near June Lake close to Yosemite. This place was a trout fisherman's paradise.
One of the tufa towers in Mono Lake. This lake is 3 times saltier than the ocean...has beautiful colors but nothing lives in the water except brine shrimp and a type of fly. Strange but beautiful.
High salt content means easy paddling. We rented some kayaks from Calderra Kayak Company and had a great time with some spectacular views.
Bodie is a ghost town close to Mammoth and Mono Lake. It used to be a thriving gold town and in 1870 more than 10,000 people lived there, mining over $32 million in gold. A series of fires and the bust of the mine made Bodie a ghost town: now it is part of the National Park System. A great place to visit, particularly if you have a bike that can go off-road, as the asphalt ends and the last 3 miles into Bodie is on a bumpy dirt road.
The gas station in Bodie.
For the 4th of July we drove about 25 minutes from Lee Vining to the town of Bridgeport, a cowboy town and a great little place. Lots of bikers, lots of revelry. A very cute, small All-American town with a victorian courthouse on Main Street---they had a Johnny Cash tribute band set up on the courthouse lawn, with benches to sit on, and the cowboys dancing in front. Since Chris just became a U.S. Citizen a few months ago, it seemed a very fitting place to celebrate America's birthday.
Bikers were lined up in front of the local hotel in Bridgeport.
A local tradition is the Mud Volleyball championship.....looked like a good time.
No 4th of July is complete without a visit from "The King."
The Lake View Inn in Lee Vining, California. A great little find, close to Mono Lake and very close to the East entrance of Yosemite.
We left Lee Vining on July 5th and headed into Yosemite. There were some wildfires burning in the mountains there so everything was a bit hazy. We found a great place to stay right inside the park...Curry Village, a village of white canvas tents, each with army-style cots. They provide sheets and scratchy wool blankets with a bear box outside. What was interesting for us, never having been exposed to camping with bears, is that you have to put everything out in the metal bear box..toothpaste, any food of course, anything with a scent..but even your water. The bears forage around the campsites at night, which made it interesting to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Chris and I, pitch black outside, with a little flashlight, walking quite a ways...a but jumpy to say the least. Curry Village is very affordable, has some little food places, has rafting rentals right on premises, and was a friendly, down-to-earth place, walking distance from some great hikes. We loved it.
Rafting on the Merced River in Yosemite. Or shoul I say floating? Let's put it this way...we had a bottle of wine....
Our 'home' in Yosemite. Bear box to my right.
Heading back to the coast towards Carmel. Very windy, cold but beautiful. Chris was loving the curves and twists of the road.
A rest stop in beautiful Carmel. Great town, beautiful beaches. I loved it. There were a few places so far that I have left grudgingly, with a heavy heart. Seattle, Napa, Yosemite and Carmel. Definitely places that I would like to return to. This trip has been kind of like being on a cruise...brief stops, just a tease...too short but just enough to whet your appetite to return.
Bill Piggot, my friend Tim's dad. He invited us for drinks at Mission Ranch, a hotel and restaurant complex owned by Clint Eastwood. Clint used to be the Mayor of Carmel, and he owned The Hog's Breath...he sold that, and when the marsh/beach area of Mission Ranch was going to be developed into houses, he bought it instead, preserved the land and opened the hotel and this great restaurant and bar with great views. Bill is testament to the fact that living a good life of golf, volunteering and daily mass keep you a VERY young 70-something.
Beautiful views along the California coast. We stayed one night in Cambria, an art-colony type of town very close to San Simeon, where the Hearst Castle is located. Highly recommend this place, beautiful, quiet and charming. Stay at The Fogcatcher Inn, across from the beach with a long boardwalk for running or walking, cozy places with fireplaces in all of the rooms and reasonably priced.
Seals on the rocks in Cambria.
Stopping at a litte farm stand near Los Olivos, California. Driving through farmland, so beautiful. One thing about being on a motorcycle is the smells you experience. Flowers, eucalyptus, evergreen.........cow patties.
Enjoying home-grown strawberries and cherries.
The pool at the Hearst Castle.
The indoor pool at the Hearst Castle..why have just one?
We stopped at Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, California. Sad to see all of the tributes and cards, candles, memorabilia. We were parked in front and struck up a conversation with a local bicyclist, John. Turns out he has ridden his BMW through Mexico many times, and is a real lover of motorcycles. He invited us to his home nearby where he and his wife, both retired, raise llamas on their ranch.
John's garage. A real 'man-heaven'....Ducatis, Moto Guzzis, BMWs Suzukis....Chris was speechless. John gave us some maps of Mexico and also a book called 'Riding South: Mexico, Central America and South America by Motorcycle' by Dr. Gregory W. Frazier. Great book so far, and John and Dianne were super people.
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