Eastern Sierrando

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Earlier this summer I decided with my lady friend that we would spend the week following camp on vacation.

During the Staff Party she wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to be too hungover the next day to go on our excursion.

On Monday, I was too hungover to travel.

But I'm a seasoned traveler, so moving whilst in pain comes as second nature to me.

On Monday evening we headed to the Eastern Sierras.

Nevada, right?

It turns out that east of California's Sierras is actually more of California.

We left my house and headed for the Souplantation in Valencia. I'll say it straight up, I love the Souplantation. They've got some tasty items at fair prices. Most of the time I feel like it's a battle between me and the owner of the buffet. I want to eat as much of his prized possessions as I can (read: prime rib.) At the Souplantation, they don't have entrees, so you don't feel ripped-off when you eat two servings from the salad bar.

After the Souplantation we traveled to the exotic Bishop, California. You have to take the 14 through Palmdale and Lancaster, two cities in the high-desert of Los Angeles County. I think these are shitty, shitty places to live, because it's just a big-boxed suburbia. There isn't anything else out there, because nothing existed there fifteen years ago. Wal-Marts and Home-Depots filled the void. Though, I'm sure you can find some pretty fresh meth.

Three hours later you are in Bishop. Bishop is the biggest town on California's eastern most longitudinal highway, 395. It's a road that I'd never been. I like it because it connects small towns who use it as their main streets. I like quaintness too.

Bishop isn't that quaint because it's the town with all of the fast food chains along the 395. We stayed at a Motel 6. It seemed was a creepy motel. Unfortunately, nothing creepy happened at all.

The next morning we went to a Dutch bakery that emphasizes it's European-ness by putting an umlaut on the 'y.' They have a delicious seven-dollar onion bread, too bad it cost seven-dollars. I'm sure the extra cost goes towards promoting the umlaut-ed 'y' in developing nations.

We went into eastern mountains for a stroll in the alpines. The surroundings were pristine when you looked from your left to your right and then down into the valley. But when you turned around you could see a power plant. It was the kind that harnessed power from moving water. Anyway, it really didn't ruin my experience at all.

We drove north east into the Devil's Postpile. I think it has geological significance, but it just looks like natural columns.

We camped out like hobos. We cooked beans in their can over a fire. I forgot my sleeping bag, so we spread hers out over us. We slept on top of yoga mats. Three quarters of my body was kept warm, while the final quarter was left to the elements. Throughout the night I spun around like a rotisserie chicken, to keep from freezing.

I guess we really camped out like hobos who go to yoga.

On Wednesday we drove to Mono Lake. It's a salt lake near the Nevada border that holds trillions of brine shrimp. It's a sea monkey haven, if your looking to invest. Small flies hang out along the shores. When you get close they buzz away in swarms. It breaks the silence of the dead sea.

We stayed in a hotel in Bridgeport. It's a town further up the 395 that has probably served the same function for it's entire existence, a place for travelers to stop. The town breathes a cozy authenticity of a time long past. The old buildings have been turned into gift shops, as opposed to the gift shops that are meant to look like old buildings that you can see in other touristic places. Everything in Bridgeport closes at 9pm. There was a Keanu movie on the TBS.

Today we went to Bodie. I don't know what to say about it, it's a ghost town. If you are ever in the Eastern Sierras, I'd recommend checking it out.

So now I'm back in North Hollywood. The weird thing is that it's the first time in seven years that this place doesn't seem temporary. I don't have anywhere I'm planning on going in the next few months. It seems semi-permanent, like maybe I'll have to get a job and settle down or something. Oh, actually I'm going to New York on Tuesday for a week. I'll start finding work when I get back.

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