Road Trip 3

After heading out of Bodie we drive up to Highway 108 which took us back over the Sierra's. Although this road did not take us up quite as high as Tioga Pass did (around 9,300 feet compared with 9,943 feet) the climb was much steeper on Highway 108 which as a 26% grade.

We drove to Columbia where the the gold rush era buildings in the town are a State Park. All the buildings have been preserved and restored compared with Bodie Ghost Town.

This part of the town is pedestrian only so visitors can stroll along focusing on the buildings rather than the traffic.

 We booked to stay in one of the two hotels within the State Park area so we could wander around the streets after the day visitors had left for the day.

As well as museum exhibits, there are real shops open and run by people in period dress.

We stayed at the Fallon Hotel which has recently been rennovated.

 The lobby.

The corridor to our room.

The following day we drove up Highway 49 to another old town that was built around the place where gold was actually discovered at the Marshall Gold Discovery Site State Park Visitors Centre.

Here is a representation of the event.

A replica of Sutter's Mill which was near the discovery site.

This is the place where the discovery of gold set off the California Gold Rush.

Road Trip 2

Last time you left us headed towards Tioga Pass. 

It had been very warm down in the valley but at almost 10,000 feet, it was quite chilly.

About one-third of the way up the photograph below is the road we were headed for.

Here we are on the road.

Our first view of Mono Lake.

Our hotel at Lee Vining, the nearest town to Mono Lake. Lee Vining is a town of 300 people which consists mostly of hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops. It was a nice town.

The hotel was old but clean and had character.

Our room. Not fancy but the bed was comfortable and clean my top priorities.

We ate at Bodie Mike's. Good food and service. I don't usually eat at BBQ restaurants but they had a veggie burger.

The next day we drove to Mono Lake to look at the tufa formations. 

A tufa monster.

From Mono Lake we head north to an old Ghost Town called Bodie. The last part of the journey was via a dirt road.

Bodie is a State Park and only the minimum is being done to preserve the town.

I love the textures of old buildings.

An outhouse.

This was my favourite item in the museum.