Day Nineteen

Up at 7.15am.  Ate the breakfast we bought in the garage last night and were packed and out by 8.30am. Forgot to mention in yesterday's blog that when we bought the breakfast stuff last night, the cashier in the garage was talking to another guy who was in there and managed to scan all our items and take payment without breaking eye contact with the guy he was talking to. It was like we weren't even there.

Drove the short distance to Bodie SHP . The last six miles was on a gravel track. Arrived just as the park was opening. There was one car ahead of us and no one behind. Parked up and took the self guided tour pamphlet and set about seeing this true wild west ghost town. 

A guy called WS Bodey discovered gold here in 1859. At that point people flocked there. The town was named after him, although with the spelling of Bodie. He died in a blizzard the same year so never got to see the town grow. By the 1870s the mining industry was in decline and people had started leaving but then a mine collapse revealed a big seam of gold ore. Word spread and the boom time began. At its peak it is thought it housed about eight thousand people. It became famous for bad men and wild times. When the boom was over people started leaving and in the early 1900s the population had dwindled. Mining finished in 1942. The last people to live there did so in the mid fifties. Since then it has just been left. At one and a half miles above sea level it has harsh winters so when the gold was gone the people didn't stay. The State Park Service bought it in 1962 and have preserved it in a state of arrested decay. This means nothing is restored, things are just stabilised if needed.

Visitors have free reign to wander around the town. Some buildings are open for you to go in, but the majority you can just view from the outside, looking through windows. Only 5% of buildings remain which gives some indication of just how big it would have been in its heyday. 

Here are some pictures. I don't really need to describe how amazing it is.

Door to a jail cell

Jail

Strong room of the bank - the bank has gone

Bodie from above

School room

School room and globe

Small bedroom

Store front

Bar with billiard table

The Standard Mill

Fire engine

Bar with roulette tables and gambling chips

Store front

Shelves of goods

Store

Freight wagons

Hotel/Post Office and fraternal hall

Morgue with coffins

Large house

Parlour

Fireplace

Another small bedroom

A tiny double bed

Church

Inside Church

We spent three hours there in total. It was fascinating, very unlike going to a National Trust place which may well be a lot older but where things are repaired and staged. This is just as it was the day people left. The dust sitting on things, the decaying ceilings, etc, add to the eeriness. You could spend a lot longer going to see all the other bits and bobs, for instance we didn't get to the cemetery. We did however get a choice between lot of nice magnets and Ann got a Bodie 2024 calendar. There were lots of Belding Ground Squirrels all over the place running about too.

It made me think of the halcyon days of the Ermington Players building the set for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Sisters.

We left and drove a couple of hours south to Bishop where we stopped for lunch in Subway. Then we headed another hour south to our destination for the next two nights, Best Western Frontier Motel in Lone Pine. Checked in. Sat down for a while cooling off.

Went out for dinner at The Grill. It was a nice little place. We then went and filled the car up with fuel and got a few supplies in for tomorrow's day out. We don't want to be unprepared for it. Drove back to the motel and topped up the windscreen washer fluid as well. Now getting an early night as we are setting the alarm for 3am!

States visited - 4

Belding Ground Squirrel watch - high

Day Eighteen

Up at 5.30am, out the door by 6.50am having showered, breakfasted, made a packed lunch and packed up everything into the car. Hit the road and headed south west. Drove for an hour until we reached the entrance to Yosemite National Park at 7.50am. Paid on the gate and drove in. The reason we went so early is because the queues to get in the park can take hours and then the roads around certain parts can become gridlocked. The advice is to arrive before 8am. Drove another forty five minutes to Yosemite Valley.

The valley is the really busy part with all the accommodation and main parking areas. We needed to do this first as A: We'd get a parking space and B: The Tioga Road (A long scenic drive through the high part) was the way we were going to exit the park later. By the time we got to Yosemite Village there were already a lot of parked cars but we did still manage to park easily. Walked up to the visitor centre and bought a magnet. Get it done early doors. The girl who served us told us that each of the 'Speed kills bears' signs we had seen on the way in is place where a bear has been killed by a car. We must have passed at least five on the way in, most around the car park area! 

Then we went to the cafe to get a drink as we had now been up for four hours. I had a hot chocolate which was very weak, just warm milk really and a cookie which was really nice. Ann had something. Next we went to the museum. It was about the heritage of the native people who lived there before the final village was razed to the ground in the 50s/60s. There were some amazingly made baskets which were really intricate.

Amazing basket

From there we went out to walk around the recreation of a native settlement.

Cedar Bark Tent

Next we walked down to the meadow which is the centre part of the valley. From there you get a great view of some of the main features of the area

Half Dome

Went down to the river. Stuck a foot in. It was cold. 

Bridge over numbing water

Saw some people go past on paddleboards. One bloke was fully dressed. I retorted to Ann he must be good at it as you wouldn't want to get all your stuff wet. Hilariously about 30 seconds after he passed us he fell in. Then a bloke suddenly appeared next to us and flung himself completely in the water. He seemed to forget he was wearing sunglasses.

It was starting to get quite warm now so we decided that we would head back towards the car via a shop to pick up some bits to go with our lunch. The shop was very busy. Spent a good while wandering around it looking at all the tat before eventually buying some things. Headed back to the car. The village/valley is a dead end, so you have to return back out the same way you have come in, except on a one way system, so we started to do so. We stopped to take a photo of El Capitan, probably the most famous feature of the park. 

The Captain

Carried on for a bit and then pulled over into a stopping area next to the river to have lunch. Saw a flatbed lorry go past with a loads of tourists sat on the back and a guide sat up front giving a tour. Looked like it must be very hot on the back of truck with no shade.

As it was hot we sat in the car with the aircon on to eat. We watched various cars pull up and stop, get out take photos and then drive off again. I was just finishing my lunch when a car pulled up. An old lady got out and walked back towards us. I thought she was going to take a photo of the waterfall across the other side of the river. Instead she came and knocked on the window and asked me to take a photo of her in front of the river. I agreed to help. I got out the car and she gave me her phone. She then started to edge down the slope a little towards the water. She didn't look great on her feet and I thought she was going to stack it down the bank. Eventually she stopped and I took a couple of photos. She then struggled to climb the whole half a meter back up to the parking area so I then had to yank her up the hill. I asked her if she wanted a photo of her with the river and the waterfall in the background. I don't think she realised you could see the waterfall if she moved about three feet along. So we took another couple of shots and then she thanked me, told me she loved my accent and then wandered back towards her car. I got back into our car to much merriment from Ann, who to my surprise hadn't filmed the entire thing. Then the lady got in the passenger door of her car and the car drove off! We hadn't really taken that much notice when she had arrived so I presumed she was on her own hence why she needed someone to take a photo. Turns out whoever was with her was just a lazy bastard.

Having finished lunch we then moved a few yards down the road to a place called Valley Viewpoint. There were parking spaces but the flatbed lorry had parked across most of them. We had to sit and wait for what seemed like decades for the driver to check everybody was back on the lorry so he could move out the way so we could park.

Get out the bloody way!

Once he was out the way, we could park and enjoy the spectacular view back up the valley.

El Capitan, Half Dome(in the distance), and a waterfall

Whilst I was taking pictures a man came up to me and said 'It's spectacular isn't it?' I agreed. He then told me he had been to the same spot in June and the river had been a raging torrent. Once I managed to get away back to Ann, she was again filled with merriment and asked me why I was attracting so many people today. I left and went and put my feet in the river. Ann eventually followed and did the same. It was still cold.

Splosh

Having seen all there was to see down on the valley floor we then started the climb back out. Eventually we turned on to the Tioga Road. The road climbs up to 9945ft as it crosses the entire park. It also has some nice drops off the side with little to stop you falling. I could sense Ann tightening her grip on the car as we drove, not that that would help if we plummeted off. From November to May the road is closed due to being impassable with snow. 

As we drove across we stopped at a couple of points to take in the views. We couldn't remember the name of one place so referred to it as Ormskirk Point. When we got there it turns out it was called Olmsted Point. Took a photo. Climbed up a rock.

Half Dome in the distance

Drove on to the east entrance to the park and then down 3000ft to Lee Vining, who I think played bass guitar for Simply Red. Headed a short distance north to our accommodation for the night Virginia Creek Settlement.

Not much around so went and ate in the restaurant of the place. It turned out to be the most expensive meal of our trip so far, but not because we ate so much, just because it was really expensive. The highlight was the waitress asking if we wanted dessert whilst Ann was still in the middle of a mouthful of food. Breakfast is not included in our stay. Looked at the menu for it and decided we couldn't afford to remortgage the house so nipped to a garage in the next town and bought breakfast from there.

Now starting to feel the effects of getting up so early. Luckily in the morning we can eat breakfast in bed. Have decided that Yosemite is like a very large version of Dartmoor. Exposed granite, high ground, rivers flowing and too much to explore it all in a day. To even scrape the surface of it you would have to stay a week and trek away from the roads. We feel like we have seen Princetown and Haytor.

States visited - 4

Granite watch - high

Day Seventeen

For probably the first time this trip we didn't need to be up for any reason. No flight to catch, booking to be at, check out to beat or breakfast to find, so made the most of it. Ate breakfast sat at the table in the cabin and eventually got ready to go out after 11am.

First stop today was Columbia SHP (ca.gov). Basically a preserved gold rush town. We started by paying for the opportunity to pan for gold. There were choices, for example you could hire a pan and have a go or pay more for a lesson and have your first pan dirt guarantee you gold. We went for the latter. Was given a pan which already contained dirt and presumably gold and a small plastic container for storing your gold. Got told that the bloke outside would teach us how to do it. Went out. He took our pans and then used them to show us how to find gold. That meant we then couldn't find it as he had already done so. We then got to have a go on dirt which presumably didn't have gold in it. Spent some time doing this until we got too hot and bored finding no gold. There were plenty of gemstones of one kind or another but no gold. Here is Ann finding no gold.

Wandered up the main street having a look around. Ann bought a sarsaparilla. Looked in museum. Bought a magnet. Took the odd photo.

Building

Stage Coach

Stage office

Realising it was getting on we went back to the car and drove to the next stop. Railtown 1897 SHP. This was another state park but this one is a preserved railroad. We started out by getting an ice cream as we were hot and hadn't had lunch. Bought a magnet as well. We then wandered around. Unfortunately trains only run on the weekends so we couldn't take a ride. Didn't realise this when we initially planned the route of our trip. The reason we wanted to come to this place is that it has been used an awful lot in films and TV shows, most notably as far as we are concerned in Back to the Future III. Had a look around the place and did get to see the actual engine that pushed the DeLorean up to 88mph.

Station

Turntable and shed

The train from Back to the Future III

Car converted to train

Saw all there was to see. In truth it was actually not that good. Very unAmerican in terms of the quality of the place. 

Headed to get gas as we were running low and we'll need lots tomorrow. Then headed back to the cabin. Had a relatively early dinner as we hadn't had lunch. This means Ann is very much awake as I write this at 7.38pm. Planning an early night as we are back to getting up early tomorrow so we can get packed and out by 6.30am.

States visited - 4

Gold found - 0

Day Sixteen

Less noise in the hotel last night. Much better sleep. Got up and went to Starbucks to buy breakfast. Sat outside in the small garden at the front of the hotel to eat. We didn't have to check out until 11am so we did our final activity in Sacramento on foot as it was opposite the hotel.

Rotunda

This is the State of California Capitol Museum. I say museum but it is also the actual Government for the state. Found an entrance and unsure if it was the right way to enter we just blundered through the door. Were met by three security officers and a police officer. They informed us that we were correct. Went through a metal detector. No discrepancies in the groin or buttock areas. They gave us a map and we just walked in. There were guided tours that started at 10am but we just did the self tour. Basically we wandered around wherever we wanted to in the building. Not sure that would happen in England. Saw rooms that were modelled as the would have been over the last 150 years as well as current working rooms.

Governor's Office

Rotunda from below

Stairs

Floor of the rotunda

I'll be back

I won't

Assembly Chambers

Statue of Big Ronnie

Went to the shop. Ann had a long chat with the woman about England. Bought a magnet. Went back out into the growing heat of the day and walked back to the hotel. Ann checked out online. We went and got our stuff from the room and went to the car. Drove out the car park, used the door key one final time to exit out the gate and dumped them in the box of keys as you leave.

Drove to Sutter's Fort as it was on the way out. Ann went to go and get a magnet from the shop. I drove a lap around the block. She got back in the car. No luck, the shop is in the part which is having work done so is not open. Set the satnav and got the hell out of Sacramento.

Headed south on the 99. It was busy to start with but as we got further away from the city it started to calm down. Cut eastwards and the temperature began to climb. Hit 103 as we neared our lunch destination. Shouted at Siri a lot as it couldn't understand the simplest music requests.

Stopped in San Andreas at the hilariously named Patio Drive In. I had a grilled cheese and fries. Ann had something.

Got back in the car and headed a few miles south. Stopped at the angels camp museum. Went in. Got asked by a chap in there (presumably the owner) where in the UK we were from. Ann said Suffolk and then started her description of where Suffolk is with Cornwall. He asked if we knew Virginia Water. We said yes. He said he owns a house there. Must have a couple of quid. He asked if we had come because we'd seen the advert in National Geographic magazine. We said no. He said he had advertised in it in the UK. He asked how we found out about the museum. I said I looked on Google maps as we were driving this way and wanted something to do. Later I said to Ann should we tell him that nobody in the UK reads National Geographic magazine?

Were told that the museum was over three sections over the site. It was suggested to us that we start at the mining and farming barn which was the furthest part away as it has no aircon and will be at the temperature of outside. We followed the advice. Ann made me drive down to it as she didn't want to walk. Went in. It was warm but had some industrial size fans which made it bearable.

Tractor

Loom or something

Printing machinery

Next I was made to drive to site two which was five yards back up the hill. It was a section on carriages and wagons. At this point I think we were the only ones in the museum. There was a man from the museum called Tom in there. He decided he would give us a guided tour of the place. He spent hours telling us about the carriages and wagons. Also he kept telling us about other people who had been to the museum and he had shown around and their reaction to each story which therefore made the original story even longer. He also ran a quiz of things that are obvious and was amazed when Ann kept getting the answer right. He told us about a place near New Zealand called Tonga and another called Samoa where guests had come from and had we heard of them. There was also a little bit of casual racism in there too.

Fire engine

Wagon

Hearse

The Stage

All different types of horseshoe

Eventually we managed to get away. I needed to use the toilet which was situated back at mining and farm section. I walked back down the five yards. Stopped on my way back up to take a photo.

Waterwheel

Next drove up to the final top part of the museum. Not much there except a lot about the frog jumping championships which are held in the town each year. Sounds like a barrel of fun. Bought a magnet and then headed for our accommodation. Stopped to get some supplies on the way as it is self catering. Arrived at the Motherlode Miners Cabin just outside of Jamestown. Unloaded. Read the advice about if you hear a rattle it will be a snake so probably best to move away. Annoyed Ann by making rattling noises.

Sat around for a bit. We had planned to have scrambled eggs on toast for tea as all the online reviews of the place bang on about the owner leaving eggs in the cabin from their chickens and how nice they are. As you can imagine that meant we were left no eggs. That meant we then had to go out again to get something else. 

Saw Mule deer as we left the drive.  Drove to Walmart at Sonora and got some more stuff. As we left a employee on the door held his hand out. I just looked at him wondering what he wanted. He stared back and went 'Receipt?!'. Presumably I was meant to know that he wanted the receipt. He took it and then underlined the date and gave it back and we walked out. We discussed what the hell had just happened as we walked back to the car. The only thing we could think of is that people in Sonora must buy stuff, get a receipt and then go back and get the same stuff again and then walk out using the same receipt.

Drove back to the cabin. Saw Mule deer on the drive again.

Calm down Deer

View from the deck

Ate dinner and then had some ice cream. Two new Ben and Jerry's flavours, Coffee Toffee Bar Crunch and Vanilla Caramel Fudge. Very nice.

Put a wash on as we are staying here for two nights so we'll have time to dry it.  Cabin is now about the right temperature. The aircon is having to work super hard to cool the old place with its tin roof. Hopefully it won't get too hot in the night.

States visited - 4

Mule deer watch - high

Rattlesnake watch - low