Hwy 395: Yosemite National Park & the Alabama Hills

Yosemite National Park, one of California’s most revered hot spots, is a magical land of smooth granite domes, craggy peaks, mirrored lakes, spacious meadows for frolicking, and cute little pikas everywhere. The pikas have eluded me since early July when I was in the Sequoia National Forest. A pika would dart across the road or scurry up a tree, looking like a mouse/rabbit/chipmunk hybrid. My friends and I were obsessed with this creature, hounding rangers and locals for insight as to what this bundle of cuteness was, but nobody knew what we were talking about. I did not learn the name of this mystery animal until my trip to Yosemite, when it was pictured in all it’s cuteness in a pamphlet that we received when we entered the park. In fact, I had never even heard of a pika. Well, it’s pika madness in the Eastern Sierras. If I were an animal, I think I’d be a pika, and here’s why. 1) Pikas have big ears for their small frame. I have a big butt for my size. 2) It’s hard to tell just what kind of an animal a pika is. In 6th grade, my now best friend of nearly 20 years, used to stare at me inquisitively & incessantly. It would make me quite uncomfortable. When we became steady friends, I asked her why she was always staring at me. She replied that she was trying to figure out just what I was composed of. She thought I looked Black, Chinese, White. She couldn’t understand my clothes or my hair-do, both poverty’s doing I’m sure. (I did not have any style until about 15 years old.) Likewise, I’m sure my readers feel the same way sometimes – Crystal Lee looks like Cat Ballou today, Kelly Bundy yesterday, what is up with this gal’s style? I am comfortable being a pika. Having a diverse style allows me to better display different shades of my personality. Obviously, my clothing is not my only means of expression, but it’s probably the most fun mode.







The next day: Alabama Hills, Lone Pine

I felt like I stepped onto another planet or back in time to the prehistoric days, when I first beheld the Alabama Hills, just west of Lone Pine in Inyo County, CA. I was so happy to be with my erratically-shaped rock friends. I feel most at home in the forest or amongst big rocks. Pete is always admonishing me to be careful when I haphazardly jump and play all over rocks. I tell him not to worry because I would never fall off a rock, my calloused feet were made for such adventures!



Sierra Nevada in the background

run, pika, run.



well, friends, that's just about it for my Hwy 395 adventures. We explored more places than I've shown you, but I don't want to overwhelm you with pictures.

Ciao for now.

Hwy 395: Bridgeport, Mono County & Twin Lakes

We said our goodbyes to Bodie and headed to the small town of Bridgeport (population 817), to celebrate "Founder's Day", actually a very small affair, though heart-warming all the same. This charming and humble town was established in the early 19th century, and several of the Victorian structures still stand, though have been converted into restaurants, stores, motels, and the Mono County Museum pictured below. Bridgeport belongs to a simpler time. Last year during the Founder's Day Celebration, an elderly lady, native to Bridgeport, sold one of her homemade pies for $400. $400! I believe the proceeds go back into the preservation of the town. We were told this story by a sweet elderly lady, beaming with hometown pride, who further encouraged us to buy raffle tickets and check out the Quilt Exhibit, housed in the 19th century gymnasium. Not wanting to say "no" to an older soul, we obliged her. Most of the quilts were not to my liking, too many ducks and too country cottage chic, but there were some treasures. After, Pete & I ate Indian tacos, curbside. If you've never had an Indian taco, (and by Indian, I mean Native American), they're like a funnel cake stuffed with greasy hamburger meat, cheese, tomatoes, and onions. Basically a yummy heart attack, but for the onions, which were added despite my request to "hold the onions." It's a curse. She who hates onions and requests that they not corrupt her meal and violate her mouth will be perpetually served them. Growdy, aggressively crunchy when raw, slimy critters when cooked, I rebuke you from all future meals! Wow, sorry for that. With full bellies, we made our way to the Mono County Museum, a short walk away. I love an intimate and unassuming museum such as this, and it's a good way to learn about the history of a small town. I was even encouraged by another saintly old lady, who worked the counter and oversaw the museum, to take pictures. Here they are below.





Teha, the centenarian pictured above, was a Paiute basket maker from Mono County, who was 125 years old when this picture was taken in 1902. 125 years old! Maybe it's the crisp mountain air, or the uncomplicated lifestyle, but people have grit in Mono County, which would explain all the vibrant elderly ladies guiding us through our adventures. Long live Bridgeport and its people, it's America to me.

Later that day: Twin Lakes






I am now addicted to lakes. (We stopped at 2 more lakes during our travels.) I hope to go to a local lake one of these upcoming weekends, weather permitting.

Well, my stomach is badgering my brain to get a move on, so I'm gonna wrap things up. til next time.

Hwy 395: Mono Lake & Travertine Hot Springs

The small old towns, the expansive clear lakes with rocky bottoms, the open meadows, the valleys, the grazing cows, the monolithic boulders, the erratic jagged and protruding rocks, the tufa towers, the ghosts of Bodie, the omnipresent mountains, the desert, the trees, never taking off my cowboy hat, the crisp air of the Eastern Sierra, the feeling of freedom, along historic Hwy 395, are all behind me now. I am home, although I was home, if home really is where the heart is. The scenery along Hwy 395 is so diverse, morphing from flat desert to immense rock structures, from open meadows to thick forests. Ancient lands, we traversed and explored. Were we really in a place called California? It certainly didn't seem like it.

Mono Lake as viewed from the road

Our first photos were taken at Mono Lake. Mark Twain, in Roughing It describes the lake as a “lifeless, treeless, hideous desert... the loneliest place on Earth.” Personally, I need these images of vast solitude to cleanse my mind of modern images like traffic, pollution, and the workplace. Though not the kind of lake I’d want to swim in, I appreciated its age (over 700,000 years old) and its uniqueness. Google images for “Mono Lake” for more detailed and impressive shots of this majestic lake. Also, in the near future, I'll be posting pictures of the swimmable lakes we encountered along Hwy 395. After checking into our lovely dollhouse of a room with vaulted ceilings that nearly scraped the tops of our heads, above the Virginia Settlement restaurant in Bridgeport, we headed over to the Travertine Hot Springs for a soak. But, we didn’t soak because we had come too late for the large, raised, coveted pool. The little pool that we found was slimy and muddy, so we just dipped our feet into the 100 degree water and enjoyed the surrounding scenery of mountains, ancient travertine, and small black birds playing overhead.

Since I’ve been away for a while, and I know ya'll are dying to see my duds, (he-he),I’m going to do two posts today. Stay tuned for awesome pictures of our trip to Bodie Ghost Town. Outfit # 1 - My daytime outfit – vintage green wool shorts, vintage cropped embroidered top, and 70s platforms (all thrifted).
Outfit # 2 - Late afternoon outfit – vintage 70s ‘stars” t-shirt (reminds me of something Steve McQueen would wear), jeans (no label),70s platforms, scorpion vintage belt. (All thrifted)
Outfit # 3 - vintage burnt orange bathing suit (thrifted) (I seem to be wearing this color a lot. Though it is a Fall color, I am still mentally in Summer mode), vintage 50s cowboy hat (antique mall).

along California’s Central Coast

We leisurely rambled along California’s central coast, stopping at every outlook, exploring several beaches, amidst the fog, and wind. The central coast is so beautiful, I felt proud to live in California. On this trip home, my girlfriend, Judy Gloom, (whom I call Snide after her first roller derby name “Jenny Snide”) told me that I make noises like Pee Wee Herman when I’m excited. Well, I must of sounded awful silly because I was exuberant at every stop. Under the influence of the coast’s beauty, I happily did a little jig on the beach; I’ve included some pictures in this post. It took us about 12 hours from Monterey to Los Angeles, which is much longer than it would normally take, but it was definitely worth it.








I'm wearing an 80s 2-piece tribalish outfit by Contempo Casuals. Contempo Casuals was so amazing in the 80s. I have many vintage pieces from this brand, and they're always unique and remarkable. I found this outfit at the thrift store, bien sur.

last photo taken by Judy Gloom.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Hey gang. I’ve just returned from a relaxing time with my best buds at Big Basin State Park. I must admit, I was certain this trip would be wild & crazy, similar to a day in the life of Hunter S. Thompson, but we were surprisingly chill. We played dominos, drank whisky, (except Jesse who is generally straight) hiked, and cooked over the fire, the latter because I had forgotten to pack both my portable bbq & the new camping stove I recently purchased. I am sorry to report that I did not run naked through the forest. I rolled my ankle while hiking, which really isn’t that big of a deal as I do it all the time, but I was gimpy for about a day. And then the opportunity for naked frolicking did not really present itself again. Well, friends, I have lots of pictures to share with you.

Boulder Creek

Jesse, Elliott, and Meghan (aka Judy Gloom)

Jesse’s sweet thrift store find

vintage Moschino



twins

Sempervirens Falls

posing while the boys work


Outfits - everything thrifted