Sierra Nevada Heights
Trip Occurred: May 2015 / Blog Written: August 2020
This trip was all about beautiful scenery. We traveled from Tahoe to Yosemite with a stop at Bodie. I'd only been to Bodie once, years ago, and was dying to return. While the weather didn't make it an ideal time to visit, it was just as beautiful and interesting as I remembered it. Tahoe and Yosemite, as always, were stunning.
We began our trip in El Dorado Hills at Selland's Market Cafe. Selland's has a nice variety of food of good quality. I wish there was one closer to where we live but it makes for a special treat whenever we head up Highway 50.
After lunch we continued up the mountain to South Lake Tahoe. We stayed in Tahoe for a few nights, had the buffet at Harrah’s, and visited the beautiful Emerald Bay.
We left Tahoe, and California momentarily, on our way to Bodie, which is in California (though pretty close to the border of Nevada). The trip is on highway 395, which goes into Nevada for a chunk of this drive. It is well known for being a beautiful and scenic drive through the Eastern Sierras.
After driving up 3 miles of an uneven dirt road, we finally came to the entrance to Bodie, an abandoned boomtown in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. It is at an elevation of 8,375 feet and became a ghost town in the 1940s and in 1962 became a State Historic Park and a National Historic Landmark. There is some irony coming here. It is a bit trek, but worth it, and I always remember the quote from a young girl’s diary that read, “Goodbye God, I’m going to Bodie.” Anyway, as soon as we got out of the car it started to hail. Only a little at first, and then it picked up. It was still a good trip and I’m glad we went as it’s a fascinating town and it’s just a beautiful stretch of land.
As we headed back down the mountain, we passed the town of Lee Vining and Mono Lake before we reached Yosemite. While we didn't stop at the lake, I have visited it in past. It's a weird lake that has a high level of salt and black flies. Soooooo, this is not a lake you swim in. It does have these weird rock formations called tufas that are pretty cool and different.
We finally reached the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite. We were a little worried it was going to be closed as it had snowed on and off throughout the week and the gate had been opened and closed in response. Considering the hail storm we experienced at nearby Bodie, I worried we had missed our chance. If this gate had been closed, we would have had to backtrack towards Tahoe adding probably 3-4 hours to our trip. That open gate was a welcome sight and at 9,943 feet in the Sierra Nevada, we entered Yosemite.
Once we entered the park, we experienced snow, then rain, and then a weird effect of steam, from the rain, on the road. It sort of acts like fog and in some areas was quite thick. By the time we made it to the valley, the weather was as dry as can be (despite the gray clouds). Oh! And we saw a bear on the side of the road! It happened too quick to get a picture but that’s exactly how I want to see bears. Briefly, and from a car. We’d already had fantastic wildlife viewing and we hadn't even made it to our hotel!
We stayed at The Ahwahnee Hotel. It's a beautiful historic hotel, and the nicest in the park, with a superb restaurant and fantastic service. Be warned, this hotel has to be booked in advanced. Oh! And the pictures of Yosemite Falls? That was the view from our room. No matter how many times I looked out the window, seeing Upper Yosemite Falls was breathtaking. And yes, they did model some of the inside of the hotel in The Shining off of the Ahwahnee’s interiors.
Our first day in the park, we headed towards Yosemite Village and hiked to Yosemite Falls. On our way back we saw some lovely deer.
Our final full day of the trip, and we headed to Vernal Fall via the Mist Trail. It's a moderate hike so be prepared. You can get to Vernal Falls and Nevada Fall from the same trail if you want. I believe it is also one of the trailheads that will take you on to Half Dome.
You may notice in the pictures above two bags and then some food on the bed. The Ahwahnee, knowing you're probably going to be out for lunch, lets you pre-order your lunch and basically gives you a bag lunch to take with you on the trail. It was brilliant!
The next morning, we drove home. What a great week experiencing Tahoe, Bodie, and Yosemite. I would totally do this trip again. We took this trip at the end of May, which makes Tioga Pass a little risky BUT it's not peak season yet in Yosemite.