After the July 4th Holiday, we leave Stone's Throw cabin mid morning to start working our way home via the "scenic route."
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| Doug and Holly wave good-bye |
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| Last look at Sawtooth Ridge |
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Our first stop is in
Monmoth Lakes CA which is a thriving year round resort area. We choose
Burger's Restaurant in town for lunch because Peter had a good meal there several years ago. Apparently it's under new management, which is unfortunately more into efficiently getting people served and out the door, BUT not so much into the quality of the food. Mammoth is the closest large ski area to Los Angeles. Consequently it's overbuilt and caters to big city folks.
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| Life sized Mammoth statue |
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| Cutesy tourist transport |
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We turn back to Hwy 395 and head south. At
Tom's Place we turn west into the mountains on Rock Creek Road. There are several campgrounds along this road and we pick a smaller first-come, first-served one and then drive up to the end of the road to explore the lake.
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| Rock Creek Road |
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| Fisher woman at Rock Creek Lake |
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| Camped along Rock Creek |
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The crowds have left after the holiday so we are able to get a campsite right next to the aptly named Rock Creek.
After a short hike we hang out around our campsite before dinner. I meet the couple across the road. They are into
GeoCaching ... that is, locating a secret hidden objects by GPS clues. Much to my surprise they tell me the
Extraterrestrial Highway is one of the most heavily geocached roads in the USA.
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| Peter rests after our hike |
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| Jeff shows off his own design for hooking high geocaches |
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| Marie hangs out with her puppies |
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For our wedding anniversary, Peter treats us to dinner at the
Restaurant at Convict Lake.
Convict Lake was named in 1871 when a group of escaped convicts were tracked down by a posse from Benton. The convicts were eventually apprehended but only after killing posse member Robert Morrison who Mount Morrison is named after.
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| Road into Convict Lake Resort |
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| Convict Lake |
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| Deer hides in brush at campground |
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This
much praised restaurant, does not disappoint. The food is excellent even if they did get cleaned out of fresh trout by the holiday crowds.
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| Next time - I'm getting a real fresh trout |
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| Peter checking out the menu |
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| Yummm |
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After dinner, we are treated to a "
golden hour" drive back to our campsite along Rock Creek.
The next morning we decide to follow one of Holly's recommendations. She has been saying we "must go" to the
Pie in the Sky Cafe at the
Rock Creek Lakes Resort for slices of their fresh homemade pies. After the ritzy Resort at Convict Lake, this little resort isn't much to look at... but the pies, ohhh that's another matter. Peter orders an apple crunch slice while I choose the fresh boysenberry. WARNING - you'll walk away with your body crying for more. Yes - salad days are in store for us once we get back home.
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| Giant Sequoia |
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| Unassuming Rock Creek Lake Resort |
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| Morning list of fresh pies |
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Happily filled with pie and coffee, we set our navigation system for home.
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| Through Lee Vining |
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| Back up Tioga Pass |
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| on a grey day. |
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Even though the holiday is over, we still have to wait in a line to enter
Yosemite National Park. We amuse ourselves by watching a Canadian couple set up a "selfie" of themselves next to the park's entrance sign.
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| Canadian "selfie" |
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| Waiting at eastern entrance to Yosemite |
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| Crowds are a headache to this ranger |
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| View at Olmsted Point on a cloudy day |
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Since it's not very crowded, we drive into the valley for a picnic lunch along the Merced River. The usually spectacular Yosemite and Bridal Veil Falls are looking pretty pitiful in this drought year.
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| Empty Bear Trap at picnic area |
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| Yosemite Falls |
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The heat is mostly gone from the Central Valley as we cross around sunset before climbing back over Pacheco Pass and home.
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| Sunbeams through high clouds |
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| Crimson sunset |
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