I was pretty upset before coming to Yosemite because the forecast called for rain and thunderstorms. Bah! It seems whenever we go on vacation, it always rains.
It was clear when we arrived, but the following day, we woke up to drizzles. Since it was raining, I figured the best thing we could do was drive all the way to Tuolumne Meadows and Mono Lake and maybe by then, the rain will have cleared. The rain passed, but it was frigid!
Mono Lake is a place I’ve always wanted to check out. I’ve had a postcard in my collection of Mono Lake with its strange tufa formations jutting from beneath the water. It’s always intrigued me and I was dead-set on going there during this trip. Mono Lake is outside the eastern edge of Yosemite–almost a two hour drive from Yosemite Valley.
I probably had high expectations coupled with the bad weather. Sadly, I wasn’t too pleased with Mono Lake. But it is known to be stunning and a mecca for photographers especially during sunrise and sunset.
Hiking Gaylor Lakes back in Yosemite near the Tioga Pass was surprisingly beautiful, but hard to tell from the pictures. The lighting was awful. I was sooo cold, but we hiked to both lakes and even up to the abandoned mine which was, in my opinion, a waste of time especially since I was already a frozen popsicle!
On our way back, we pulled into the Tuolumne Meadow Lodge and Dean scored us a reservation. The food wasn’t great, but it was really nice to have a sit-down meal after a long day of hiking. We were seated at a circular table with 7 others and the best part was everyone sharing their stories of where they were from and what hikes they’d been doing. As I’ve aged, I’ve become more of an introvert because I can’t keep up with the number of friends I already have. Dean is always so friendly and charming, whereas I don’t even smile. But last night was a refreshing change of pace for me, happily getting to know our dinner companions.
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