395!

The kids and I went on a wonderful trip since Dan was gone for his own long trip! We got to drive through some beautiful country and enjoy peace and quiet!! The 395 through the Mammoth and Mono areas is just geographically beautiful!It is such a volcanically scarred area it is amazing!!

Mono Lake was on our list, it is a beautifully strange lake! It is 2X salter than the Great Salt Lake! They also have a really nice visitors center that is pretty new, with a huge piece of obsidian out front (I would have brought it home but it would not fit. Obsidian is my favorite stone!) There will be a post with more Mono Lake photos on our schooling blog!

 

We pulled off at Fossil Falls (south of Independence CA. & north of Manzanar), I visited here back in high school and knew the kids would love it!! It is a volcanic play ground!

 

 

 

 

It is a prehistoric riverbed, when the lava poured into it and the water cooled it quickly it created all of these tubes and caves. Then over time as the water swirled stones and such holes were bored into the basalt too!

 

 Here in the background of this photo is the Hot Creek hot spring (north of the Mammoth turn off same road as the Mammoth airport). In high school I got to soak in it but about 3 years ago it turned into a seathing geyser and so they have fenced off the creek and spring area. :( We hiked down and felt the water but were sad to not go in. But the brilliant blue water was beautiful!! 

{this moment}

We are back just last night from our walkabout! More pictures to come! And what is up with blogger changing while I was gone!!! This will take me a minute to figure all out!!

Happy Friday!

For Dan on Easter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once Upon A Time...

...we took a little road trip! We piled in and had snacks galore (two hours worth)! Dad treated us to a falafel, hummus, olives kind of dinner! And the kids were ready to permanently move into our hotel "house"!
All just to be here. With other LLL leaders. Can you feel the warmth in the room? An evening ice cream social with dancing and cape making, and then a day and a lovely potluck lunch with these amazing ladies and their families. New friends made and lamps filled.

And then we headed home...

And then we tried to put on our chains, yes chains!

Guess what... they did not fit. Do you know how expensive chains are on the side of the road in the must chain up area? Yea, painful.

So we headed out at 20 mph, very bumpy.

Oh yea we were crossing the Sierra Nevadas... Donner Pass... kind of looks like Narnia.

5 hours latter we made it over the "The Hill".

We slid, we slided, we held our bladders, and we burned ALOT of gas!

But it was worth it.

And every one wants to go again next year!! We'll just stay another night!!