Yosemite Again Along with Bodie

Olmsted Point

Yosemite never disappoints me. Even with all of the tourists in the Valley, the view of El Capitan and Half Dome is spectacular. We did the open air tram tour of the Yosemite Valley floor and even though we did this last year, I still learned something new.

This year, however, we weren't content to stay in the valley floor. This year we decided to drive through the northern part of Yosemite on Hwy 120 aka Tioga Road. We got to see Half Dome from Olmsted Point. We got to see the beautiful Tuolumne River and Tuolumne Meadows. While standing in the middle of the meadow, we got to see five deer on the other side of the river just grazing in the grass. 

Barber Shop in Bodie

As astonishing as all of this beauty was, this was not our final destination. We were really on our way to visit Bodie, a real California ghost town. We continued on the Tioga Pass to Hwy 395 and had lunch at Bodie Mike's Barbecue in a little town called Lee Vining, which overlooks Mono Lake. I had the tri-tip sandwich and I have to say that it was pretty darn good. The most memorable part of lunch, however, was the fact that we were surrounded by French families on vacation. Imagine being in a teeny tiny eastern California town surrounded by French speakers. OK, maybe only I find that amusing. On to Bodie.

General Store in Bodie

The last few miles to Bodie is nothing but dirt road; thank goodness we had a rental car. (You didn't actually think I'd take the Bug to Yosemite did you?) I have to say that if you're a history buff or you just like California history, then visit Bodie. The kids might act bored or they might actually be bored; but who cares. This will give them a chance to actually see a wild west town. The town itself is in a state of "arrested decay", which means that it won't be restored but rather it will be preserved. This is very cool. All in all, a very fun trip.