Saturday May 24, 2014 Destination...Yosemite National Park

Today's planned excursion is Yosemite National Park. The morning begins by breaking down camp. There was talk of finding coffee in the town of Milton. Turns out, the only building in town is the post office. Coffee was found 63 miles later in Reno, NV. Walden's Coffee House provided an excellent coffee and breakfast. The Walmart provided a restock of camping food and turtle-preferred gourmet salad blend.

We continue our drive on US-395 South through Northern California. The drive is beautiful. Along the way, we come to Conway Summit which offered an unexpected delight. Elevation here is 8,143 ft. There is provided a turnout called Lake Vista viewing point. This was absolutely breathtaking. As I look over this "valley" I can not help but remember this is an ancient super volcano and I am starring into a giant volcanic crater that may one day awake again.

At the bottom of this ginormous crater is Mono Lake. Mono Lake is not just beautiful but also fascinating. The Visitor Center is full of interesting information and well worth a tour around. My favorite datum learned...Mono Lake is 2.5X saltier than the ocean and 1000X more alkaline. We loved this stop!

On the south end of Mono Lake is the entrance to Yosemite National Park. The road is steep and winding. With every new turn, you come face to face with yet another massive rock dome with climbers scaling the face, not at a turtle's pace but at a snail's pace. Yosemite is a park of geological amazement and worth every steep incline and twisty curve.

We end the day by making camp in Mammoth Lakes, California.