The Drive Up Highway 395

It's early morning, 

and our brains can't believe how many wonderful sights our eyes have seen over the last 24 hours!  To the left and to the right we are blessed.

There are almost two dozen short side roads off of 395, just from Bishop northward, that will take you into canyons and up the side of the Sierras and into amazing sights!  There are dozens of small lakes throughout the area that provide fishing and beautiful stands of cottonwoods, willows and aspen.  We have (once again) stumbled onto another of God's gifts to mankind - what is known as the #2 area in the good ol' U.S.A. for Fall colors!  But when you consider the height of the Sierras and, because of that, these Fall colors go on for weeks based on elevation and temperature, I think it should be considered #1!

USA Today's Weekend Magazine said this is one of the USA's 5 best road trip destinations.  Sunset Magazine says the June Lake area is in its top 5 Fall hiking destinations.  TravelandLeisure.com says the "blinding displays of yellow and orange" make it one of America's best Fall color drives!  Lonely Planet says this is "The secret California dream... Just follow the scenic US Route 395 as it connects wonders."

Even without the Fall colors the sights are breathtaking...

There's one area called Buttermilk Country - and it got it's name because, in the 1800's, the ranchers would load their goat milk into wagons and the rough road into town would churn it into buttermilk by the time they reached Bishop!  

Bodie State Park contains the West's largest unrestored ghost town.  It's an old gold-mining town that even brought Mark Twain to the area!  Now its in “arrested decay,” which means the buildings are protected but not restored.  When the last of Bodie's residents moved out there were no more moving companies in town, so they loaded up what they could carry and everything else has been left behind.  But there is an active curse on even the smallest item - like a nail - that will attach itself to you if you have sticky fingers and decide to pocket a souvenir.  A great article on the town can be found at http://www.csicop.org/si/show/curse_of_bodie_legacy_of_ghost-town_ghosts/

And all of this leads us into the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite!