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Published: October 31st 2006
I left Midpines and took a great drive right through Yosemite National Park. It is a very big place. I stopped frequently to take photos and admire the views. I left the park via Tioga pass which is 9941 feet above sea level.
The other side of Yosemite the desert starts. After decending from Yosemite, I reached Mono Lake that has strange calcerous tufa stacks that were formed at the vents of underground springs in the lake; it is a spectacular setting with the lake and the high snow-capped Sierras in the distance. As the lake level has dropped, the towers have been exposed. After lunch at the lake I headed towards Death Valley.
I decided to take the scenic route but was a little shocked when the pavement ran out. The dirt track seemed to go on a long time and I was pleased when I reached the other end without any punctures. The views i had of Death Valley though were great - it is a very dry place. I had a quick look round Scotty's Castle which a villa in the middle of the desert built by a millionare in the 1920's in the spanish revival
style. Soon after a coyote stood in the road and refused to move. Eventually it did. I was pleased to have seen one and even more pleased not to have hit one. A couple in Yosemite showed the damage one had done to their car when they hit it.
I stopped in Beatty which is a small town in the middle of no-where. The hostel was closed for refurbishment so I took a motel room. It was exactly the sort of motel that you think of as an American motel. I wish I had taken a photo.
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James 'Mother' Malin
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Eggggggggggcellent!
Was the Motel really like it is in all the movies? yes pictures were a must! I have looked thru your pictures and some of the views are amazing! Sounds like the beginning of the trip is going very well.