Yosemite

Sunday July 15, 2012

Well that was one less than comfortable night of sleep. I slid down the hill all night long and no amount of repositioning myself would keep my body from continually cramming into the edge of the tent. Valuable lesson learned: don't set up the tent on an obvious grade.

Today we head for Yosemite which is not that far. Audrey and Jill seemed to be doing better. It had been a while since we had a sit-down meal, so we  stopped at what looked like a quaint local Mexican restaurant along the way. This was not a good decision.

The place looked like it had great possibility due to the colorful signs and charming ambiance. I'll give them kudos for cleanliness, but the menu was way too big which is a definite red flag. It was the worst Mexican food I've ever had. Not only was the food horrific, but the service was bad. Word to the wise, never order anything with "gravy" from a Mexican diner. Bottom line: terrible.

Avoid Like the Plague

Lucky for Jill, she didn't eat anything from this place due to her lingering queasiness. She could only imagine at the magnitude of our disdain.

Entering Yosemite we stopped for a quick snapshot of the entrance. The sign was really underwhelming.
 

Not far down the road, we enter a long tunnel that exits onto a stretch of road with a parking area for photos. From this vantage point, the vista of the Yosemite valley is in full display. It's a magnificent view of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Fall. From there we keep going into the valley for sight seeing and picture taking.

We started leaving the park as the day was winding down and took highway S-120 to S-6 through Nevada. We were hoping to find a hotel outside the park. It was well after dark when we came to the first opportunity in a little town called Lee Vining. Since it was Sunday evening, I thought the hotels would have vacancies due to weekend visitors returning home. I was wrong and a little concerned at this point because we had seen no signs of civilization other than this little town and the GPS wasn't showing a whole lot of businesses on our route. We continued on.

Let me tell you, there's nothing like traveling in the middle of the night, in the desert, and not seeing any signs of civilization for almost 130 miles. It's about 2:00AM and my gas gauge is reading less than a quarter of a tank. We're about ten or fifteen miles from a little town called Tonopah when we see a rest stop. The GPS indicates there's one gas station in Tonopah and the next one is 40 miles in the wrong direction. It's so late, after about five miles we decide to turn back for the rest stop. I would rather sleep at the rest stop instead of the gas station if it is closed.

It was a pleasant rest stop and the weather was perfect. I can't speak for everyone else, but I actually got some sleep.

Monday July 16, 2012

Rise and Shine

Arriving in Tonopah the next morning after a blissful night of sleep in the van, we discovered about five hotels and multiple gas stations. There's even a McDonalds. In retrospect, I should not have trusted my GPS and used my smart phone when I had service. Tip: Never stop at the first gas station off the desert. They always have the highest prices.

We're all pretty grungy at this point and haven't slept in beds or showered for two nights. At least we can get a little food and a drink at the McDonalds before setting out on the long drive across the desert.

The scenery in Nevada along S-6 is fascinating. It's mostly mountainous with desert valleys. The mountains are visually striking and there's not a soul or house to be seen for miles and miles. In fact, the only signs of civilization we saw between Tonopah and Ely, which are 160 miles apart, were two residences/farms between.

 

The next town is Ely where we fuel up again and take on some new ice and refreshments. I also get some Windex to clean the van windows. Since I'm taking pictures from inside the van, I want it to be as clear as possible. We're off again with clean windows.

After only a few miles, we come upon wet roads from a recent down pore and get sprayed by some huge trucks. My clean windows are no more.

Now That's a Wide Load

On down the road, we stop for an emergency bathroom break (in the middle of the desert a la natural) so I use this opportunity to clean my windows again. Sure enough in about five minutes, we get pelted with more rain. The clean and rain sequence happened about two more times before I gave up on clean windows. The drive through Nevada on S-6 was most interesting.

After Nevada, we enter Utah through Provo to Salt Lake City. The landscape changes to salt flats and the smell becomes quite distinct. It's quite funky near the Great Salt Lake.

Salt Flats

Great Salt Lake

Onward to Fort Collins, CO we go passing through Wyoming. Southern Wyoming is not nearly as spectacular as the northern part of the state, but it has it's interesting views.

Another Wind Boondoggle

You see wind farms more and more these days. I cringe every time they come into view. I'll believe in wind power when it is no longer subsidized by the government. For now, it appears to be a typical government sponsored swindle that makes people feel good while their pockets are being picked. End of rant.

Well into Wyoming, we have lunch at a rest stop. I do enjoy the rest stops.

There was one section of Wyoming that looked very similar to the badlands of SD. It wasn't as extensive or spectacular, but it was interesting.

 

After a long day of driving and a beautiful sunset, we roll into Laramie, WY. We find a hotel and happily stop for the evening. We're beat and most grateful for a shower and bed.

Photos