West Coast Day 14

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Well, that was the best sleep we've had for a while, we have a lovely home cooked breakfast and this this motel is great value for the money, for 1 nights stay with dinner and breakfast $160.00, you can't do better than that! We head out now to Yosemite National Park and stop off at Bodie to see the famous Bodie Ghost Town it's another dusty ride ahead as we head down the dusty winding road, it reminds me a little of Ballarat Gold fields and to imagine that this was once a town, with a school, bank, library, saloon and now nothing, just empty shacks of where people inhabited. When you look into the school rooms you can see where books still lay and a world globe is faded with age, but you can still make out what it once was. Bodie is definitely worth visiting.

Back on the road again and Yosemite, 'here we come'! The scenery is amazing and as we drive through the ranges the sun filters through the pines and these the rocks and canyons are huge, I have never witnessed anything like it. We venture through a tunnel which travels straight through the mountain and as we exit the tunnel, to the left of us is a beautiful waterfall and the air is crisp with cooler weather. The roads are winding and the altitude is high, around 9000ft as we arrive at our accommodation....... mmmm, not quite sure what to say, but this is definitely snow accommodation..... We go to collect the key and notice there is a buzzer on the door and intercom, we speak to someone and they tell us to look at the board next to the window, there is an envelope with our name on it and the key is in there, ok then, we go to our room. On entering the Unit, Steve & I again look at each other, there are carved bears and on the mantel piece and Snow Shoes on the mantel wall, Steve looks at me again and asks where the bed is, I look to the wall and can see a latch, yep, you guessed it, there's the bed! Let's hope for a good night's sleep!! Weather........ Cool

Accommodation: The Scenic Wonders

7540 Henness Circle

Yosemite West



Thoughts: The room was cheaper than staying in main Yosemite and it is not far from the Glacier Point turn off. The brochure online was out-dated and we had the idea implanted that you would possible see deer outside of your room in the morning. There has been a lot of clearing going on on what I would imagine would have been the vegetated side ,all in all a bit disappointing in that respect.We didn't mind the room, but I'll sleep anywhere, but I don't think I'd stay there again.

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Photos

The Ghost town of Bodie
Old shacks and shops, abandoned mine shafts, a Methodist church, the mining village of Rattlesnake Gulch, and the remains of a small Chinatown are among the sights at this fascinating ghost town turned state historic park, which sits at an elevation of 8,200 feet. The town boomed from about 1878 to 1881, but by the late 1940s, all its residents had departed. A state park was established here in 1962, with a mandate to preserve the town in a state of "arrested decay," but not to restore it. Evidence of Bodie's wild past survives at an excellent museum, and you can tour an old stamp mill (where ore was stamped into fine powder to extract gold and silver) and a ridge that contains many mine sites. No food, drink, or lodging is available in Bodie; the nearest picnic area is ½ mi away. The town is 23 mi from Lee Vining, north on U.S. 395, then east on Route 270; the last 3 mi are unpaved. Snow may close Route 270 late fall through early spring, but you can ski the 13 mi from the highway to the park.

The Road
Looking at snow on the mountains of Yosemite from Bodie

Comments

[Amanda]

Wow
I have wanted to go to Bodie for about 3 years after seeing a doco about it. Love the photos