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Sunday, June 16, 2013

Mono Lake

Every time we come up to the Sierras, we have to visit Mono Lake.  It's such an amazing place!  Did you know that it is saltier than the ocean?  Yup...the Salton Sea, too, is saltier than the ocean.  There are lots of gulls out at Mono Lake and one time a whole flock of them was in the parking lot.  It was like something out of "The Birds".  However, yesterday was so windy that we didn't see many gulls.  We arrived at Mono Lake about 5:00 p.m. after a run to Lee Vining.  DON'T EVER buy gasoline there!  It was $4.99 a gallon!  We've been there on previous visits where it has been over $5.00 a gallon.  So, thinking ahead, we ran down to Mammoth Lakes and filled up at "only" $4.45 a gallon (it's $3.89 at home).

It was very windy out at the lake.  Late afternoon is always a good time to get out and take photos and I like how the colors turn brown and yellow.  We'd noticed some thunderheads building up as we were buying gas, so we both headed back to the cabin, dumped off our groceries, and headed out to Lee Vining and then Mono Lake.  It's always dusty out there and you have to drive a gravel road to get to the lake, so be prepared for a dirty car!  Awww...but it's worth it!  If you are ever in this area, go to the SOUTH tufa exit, which is also Highway 120.  This is where most of the tufa is, not the NORTH tufa exit, which actually has very little. The tufa is actually limestone that has accumulated over the years. There's also an excellent visitor center for Mono Lake and it has many exhibits.  We didn't stop there yesterday, but might do that today.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!   :-)







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3 comments:

  1. ShirleyJune 16, 2013 at 9:49 AM

    Mono Lake looks like an impressive site to visit. You have some incredible photos! Thanks for the tourist information and recommendations. If ever in the area, I'll be sure to take the south exit. Do you camp in the Sierras?

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  2. trav4adventuresJune 16, 2013 at 3:39 PM

    No, we don't camp. We rent a cabin every year about this time in the June Lake loop. The cabin is near Silver Lake. June Lake is right across Highway 395 from Mono Lake, but VERY different. It has its own micro climate. It is very cold in winter, but summers are mild. Clouds seem to form here, too, every day. When we were here last summer, we had thunderstorms and rain every day.

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  3. Donna KJune 17, 2013 at 6:36 PM

    Great pictures. In all the time I have spent in that general area over the years, I have never driven down that road. I need to do that!! Thanks for sharing the pictures.

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