Picture taking day (May 12)

After breakfast this morning in South Lake Tahoe, California, we drove through part of Nevada and then back into California!

The Sierras and the rich valley…we saw many cattle today

We didn’t have a particular destination in mind (since we had no room reservation for the night), so took our time and stopped many, many times along the way for pictures. We took the scenic route and it truly IS the scenic route!!

After so many snow caps, we began seeing a lot of forest and this type of terrain

 

We were on the Eastern Sierra Mountain side and looked down and saw one of the most beautiful lakes, which of course we had to pull off the road to photograph! Driving down the mountain brought us to the lake which is called the Mono Basin.

Our first view of the Mono Basin. No water outlet. “Sister Lake” to the Great Salt Lake in Utah

 

We stopped at a National Forest Information Center and even though we arrived at 4:59 p.m. and they closed at 5 p.m., the gentleman there was very nice and advised us that if we continued on through the Pass, it was at least a three hour drive (and that was without stopping for picture-taking). He gave us the name of a couple of hotels in the town of Lee Vining, CA which was just a mile or two away. He also gave us directions to another place to watch a beautiful sunset. We decided that we should take a look at the hotels in Lee Vining, spend the night (IF we could find a room), and get a fresh start in the morning.

We found a nice room at the Lake View Lodge, signed in, stopped at a nearby restaurant for a bowl of homemade soup and headed for our viewing spot…..which was a real treat! It was right down at the Lake, where we were able to see the amazing tufa towers, which are salt deposits made from calcium and carbonates,

Many formations to see

 

So many shapes and colors were beautiful as the sun set

Not sure if it is a full moon, but it sure was huge and bright tonite!

 

 

as well as the gorgeous sunset.

Until tomorrow……

Thank you, Lord, for another display of beauty at sun set!