I spent the afternoon and night in Bridgeport, a small, California town about 20 miles
from the entrance to Yosemite.
The motel/lodge was on the
Walker River with trout fishing from the decks out back.
"Natural River" -- a curious sign.
The old county courthouse with a quilt show in the yard.
This picture captures what I like best, the feeling of knowing a place. This is my
shortcut from the laundromat to the bar (where I had a few beers as the washer and
dryer did their thing).
I can usually sniff out a good place to stay, but I somehow missed this one. It is an
old, old
hotel with a few rooms per night at $39 -- no TV, no air conditioning. I plan on
staying here on my way out of the park.
Here's the parlor of the hotel. There was also the obligatory piano around to the left.
The hotel is attached to the bar (on the left) where you register and get your room key.
Or maybe I'll just buy this place and move to the California Sierra mountains.
View from the parking lot of my motel in the morning. I spent time doing these
pictures and then headed into Yosemite.
Since I was up by 4:00 a.m., I was able to enjoy the first light coming over the Eastern
hills and setting the clouds on fire.
I wonder what the morning view will be like from my
campsite in Yosemite tomorrow.
Drive to Yosemite
I've never been to Yosemite National Park, and, until I passed it on my way in from Las Vegas, I didn't realize the park is only a couple of hours from Reno. I left Burning Man several days early so I can camp in the park. It was nice to be on the road again after five days in the desert, and I cleaned the van and contents (including me) while staying in the town of Bridgeport, California near the park. I even rode my bike to the local car wash and gave it a good cleaning and oiling.
I discovered several new desert lakes similar to Pyramid Lake as I drove South of Reno. None were as big or desolate as our favorite, Pyramid Lake. This one, Topaz Lake, is on the border of Nevada and California.