2010 Trip West
9-12 through 9-15-2010
Goodbye kids. Goodbye ocean. Goodbye S.F. We got up early Sunday morning and left at 4:15am. We went south on 280 and took 92 east across the San Mateo Bridge. We got on 580 east and drove a couple hours to 120 at Monteca where we stopped for breakfast and got gas (no pun intended). We continued east on 120. We stopped at a vista pull-off to rest awhile and actually slept for 1 1/2 hours. Then on to Yosemite!
Yosemite National Park - This is an awesome place! We stayed Sunday and Monday nights here and were lucky to get a campsite at White Wolf C.G the first night and at Tuolumne Meadows C.G. the next night. We went to the Ranger's Campfire Program each night and on a nature walk with a Ranger one morning. Very informative and a lot of fun. Yosemite is known for its great Black Bear population but, unfortunately (or fortunately?), we didn't see any. However, we did see their “calling cards” in the campground and along the trails! There were a couple of deer that wandered into our campsite and came so close to the RV that I could have reached my hand out the window and touched one. But I didn't. We were surprised to see how busy it was considering it was “off season”, after Labor Day.
Desert Sky - On Tuesday night, we camped in the desert about 20 miles west of Tonipah, NV on US-6. It was at a rest stop out in the middle of nowhere, it seemed, after driving many miles through the beautiful desert. They provided an area for overnight camping for travelers. We had read that Tonopah is known for it's clear view of the stars so we sat outside and watched the sky light up. We were not disappointed. The stars shown like bright lights in the desert sky, and we could even see the Milky Way!
Extra Terrestrial Highway- On Wednesday, we continued east on US-6 to the historic mining town of Tonopah where we stopped to fill the gas tank before heading out on long stretches of desert roads. We continued on US-6 to Warm Springs where we turned onto the Extra Terrestrial Highway, going south east. There was a sign that said “no gas for next 111 miles”. This is a long stretch of straight road through the desert divided in sections by desert mountains where we drove up the pass on winding roads over summits of over 6000'. We stopped several times to walk around and look at the desert plants and rocks, and admire the views. The only place of business we saw on this road was called the “Ale-in Bar”. Okay, get it? Alien...extra terrestrial? Oh, well. Further up the road, when we had stopped to make lunch, a couple pulled over and asked if we had passed this place. They were visiting from Germany and wondered if it was open. Guess we didn't realise it was such a famous destination! We got on US-93 east, which is a very beautiful stretch through mountain passes and canyons. We stopped for the night in Caliente at an RV park with hook ups and internet. Civilisation.
Goodbye kids. Goodbye ocean. Goodbye S.F. We got up early Sunday morning and left at 4:15am. We went south on 280 and took 92 east across the San Mateo Bridge. We got on 580 east and drove a couple hours to 120 at Monteca where we stopped for breakfast and got gas (no pun intended). We continued east on 120. We stopped at a vista pull-off to rest awhile and actually slept for 1 1/2 hours. Then on to Yosemite!
Yosemite National Park - This is an awesome place! We stayed Sunday and Monday nights here and were lucky to get a campsite at White Wolf C.G the first night and at Tuolumne Meadows C.G. the next night. We went to the Ranger's Campfire Program each night and on a nature walk with a Ranger one morning. Very informative and a lot of fun. Yosemite is known for its great Black Bear population but, unfortunately (or fortunately?), we didn't see any. However, we did see their “calling cards” in the campground and along the trails! There were a couple of deer that wandered into our campsite and came so close to the RV that I could have reached my hand out the window and touched one. But I didn't. We were surprised to see how busy it was considering it was “off season”, after Labor Day.
Desert Sky - On Tuesday night, we camped in the desert about 20 miles west of Tonipah, NV on US-6. It was at a rest stop out in the middle of nowhere, it seemed, after driving many miles through the beautiful desert. They provided an area for overnight camping for travelers. We had read that Tonopah is known for it's clear view of the stars so we sat outside and watched the sky light up. We were not disappointed. The stars shown like bright lights in the desert sky, and we could even see the Milky Way!
Extra Terrestrial Highway- On Wednesday, we continued east on US-6 to the historic mining town of Tonopah where we stopped to fill the gas tank before heading out on long stretches of desert roads. We continued on US-6 to Warm Springs where we turned onto the Extra Terrestrial Highway, going south east. There was a sign that said “no gas for next 111 miles”. This is a long stretch of straight road through the desert divided in sections by desert mountains where we drove up the pass on winding roads over summits of over 6000'. We stopped several times to walk around and look at the desert plants and rocks, and admire the views. The only place of business we saw on this road was called the “Ale-in Bar”. Okay, get it? Alien...extra terrestrial? Oh, well. Further up the road, when we had stopped to make lunch, a couple pulled over and asked if we had passed this place. They were visiting from Germany and wondered if it was open. Guess we didn't realise it was such a famous destination! We got on US-93 east, which is a very beautiful stretch through mountain passes and canyons. We stopped for the night in Caliente at an RV park with hook ups and internet. Civilisation.