Hello Long Beach, California



Mt. Whitney


I got up on Tuesday morning at 3:00am because I just couldn’t wait to finish Vertical. Ironically, the last line in the book is a quote from Miles….”Let’s Go Home”. So, I got myself together, packed up the car, and stood before Mt. Whitney, as the sun was rising over it. Majestic.

At 6:00am, Highway 395 was wide open……finally….I tried out warp speed! Fun, fun, fun! I connected to Highway 14 and soon I came upon the hundreds and hundreds of power windmill turbine structures that are symmetrically aligned on the hill side. I thought about Randy and how he would talk about this mode of power and his plans for us to go solar. I thought of how with each year he is gone, so much of what I called “Randyisms” make so much sense. As we grow older, we do grow wiser.

Warp Speed brought me into LA morning traffic before I knew it. Ugh! Thankfully, I was able to listen to Mark and Brian (and you know how much I love Mark and Brian). They eased my transition into LA. By 10:00ish, I rolled into Long Beach. I love Long Beach. The weather was just a bit overcast but when I saw the Queen, I was relieved to be home.

The Pike

Belmont Pier

I pulled into the driveway and was greeted by a fully bloomed Aurora Gold Sunflower, next to my favorite blooming Ring of Fire. I am happy to report that the garden did get watered in my absence.

This trip was relaxing and quite reflective. I thought about my children and the paths they have taken. The experiences we were able to give our sons have  set some healthy foundations and I know we gave the boys a deep seeded appreciation for nature.

So after 930 miles of traveling alone, I am home, and my first task….clean the kitchen. "There's no place like home!"

Aurora Gold

Ring of Fire

This will be my final blog post for Frances Takes Another Vacation. I am looking forward to next years vacation and will keep you all posted on my plans. Thanks to all my friends and faithful blog followers who supported me along in this journey. I love our great state of California and I hope my travels have encouraged you to visit some of the places I have been. I am fortunate to be a native Californian and a California lover. So, until next year….Just Do It All!

California Lover

Hello The Mountain!



Mt. Whitney from bottom of Whitney Portal Rd.



I was up early reading about Miles and Jack’s never ending adventures and had to make myself put my book down to get ready for the day. I headed up

Whitney Portal Road

to get as close to the mountain as I could, passing through the Alabama Hills.

The Alabama Hills are a range of hills and rock formations that are managed by the US Bureau of Land Management. They are as old as the Sierra range to the west but unlike the sharp ridges of the Sierras, the Hills are rounded.

Alabama Hills

The Hills are comprised of two main types of rock; a metamorphised volcanic rock up to 200 million years old and granite rock which weathers to potato shaped large boulders. The Alabama Hills were named after a Confederate Cruiser, the Alabama, by southern sympathizer living in Lone Pine who were staking their claims. The Alabama was sunk off the coast of Normandy in 1864. The Hills have been used as backdrops for over 300 movies, many of them Westerns. Movies like Gladiator, The Lone Ranger, Hop Along Cassidy, Tremors, Kalifornia, Iron Man, and even the Flinstones were filmed here. 

There are several rock formation figures identified in the hills and I tried to locate them, but I was visually challenged. Here are a few:



Polar Bear Formation

Alabama Hills Heart

The Spooks



Alabama Hills from top of Whitney Portal Rd.



I continued up
Whitney Portal Road

and got to the top. I hiked around the area and found this beautiful waterfall. People were catching trout, and picnicing so I decided to stay awhile. There were a lot of hikers preparing to ascend the Mt. Whitney Trail. I was in awe of them and considered them very brave and physically fit people. Sitting by the waterfall, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the scene before me. How special we are to have this place in our state. I found the mountain and the mountain found me.

Mt. Whitney Waterfall

Close Up of Mt. Whitney



Tuesday Destination: Long Beach, California…..Home

I Found You Mt. Whitney



Convict Lake

 Today I am a bit melancholy as I had to say goodbye to Mono Lake. I checked out around 9:00 am and bought a raspberry muffin for the road. So long the Lake! My first stop, however, was at Convict Lake. I have fished Convict Lake many years ago with Randy. This was a great memory.



Keuogh Hot Springs Mineral Pool



I was on Highway 395 and suddenly came upon the Keough Hot Springs which are located just south of Bishop. I took the turn off and went about a mile down the road to the hot springs. This place was a gold mine! I got off the car and went inside. It was a mecca of retro artifacts. This site was founded in the early 1900’s and since that time has been a secret hide away for people who just want to relax. There are several small natural hot springs on the site, but I spent most of the day there soaking up the sun and enjoying the 88 degree spring water in the public swimming pool.



Hillside Hot Springs

 By late afternoon, I manage to get to my next historical site….Manzanar,  which is just north of Lone Pine. Manzanar is one of ten camps where over 10,000 Japanese Americans were interned during World War II. . In 1943, Ansel Adams visited Manzanar and took photos that captured the daily life and its surroundings. To me, places like Manzanar were not one of our finer moments.  

Watch Tower at Manzanar

 I arrived at my next destination, Lone Pine around dinner time. My room has a direct view of Mt. Whitney. I sat in the hotel salon and l listened as mountain cllimbers came in and told stories of their successful climbs to the top of Mt. Whitney. One couple got engaged at midnight on top of the mountain. A bit romantic indeed.

Today was a day full of sun and I am exhausted. I have decided to stay in and continue reading Vertical. Miles and Jack have me captivated.

Mondays Plan: The Alabama Hills and the Lone Pine Movie Museum.



Dow Villa Hotel



Has Anyone Ever Heard Silence?



Pinot Happy Beautiful Amazonian Woman

 Well, last night after my bath, I decided to have a night of beauty. After all, I am a beautiful, robust, strong California Amazon, right? I used Pinot Noir for my golden armor. I read until it was time to sleep.




Osprey

 

This morning, I headed down to the South Tufas and parked at Navy Beach for my canoe ride. Luckily, the group going out was small so I got my own personal guided tour and Gondolier named Russ.
 Russ is an expert on Mono Lake and the wildlife there. We saw California Gulls, Fledglings, a Yellow Headed Blackbird, and a family of Ospreys nesting on a  tufa.

The gazillions and gazillions of brine shrimp were clearly visibly as we floated cross the water. On top of the water floated the larvae from the alkali flies once they go into their pupa stage. At the pupas stage, the flies develop a air sac which allows them to go under water. Crazy! Kinda like Waterworld.  Life is so simple on Mono Lake…brine shrimp eat the algae, the flies eat the brine shrimp, the birds eat the flies.



Brine Shrimp

Remember that Mono Lake is made up of salt and baking soda, so no fish live in it. A very simple life. On the land, there are rabbits, rodents some snakes and coyote. The Osprey feed on fish so they will fly up to 25 miles away to the local streams and lakes to get their fish.



Kayakers on Mono Lake

As Russ and I floated along, we were taken by the calmness and quietness that was surrounding us. We decided to just listen and we came to the conclusion that silence is audible. It was magical on the water.



Volcanic Tufa




California Gull Resting On Tufa

Nesting Osprey on Tufa

 As we headed in, Russ showed me some new volcanic action under ground and I m posting a picture of the new mineral spring that was discovered this year. This day was a success and ended with a late lunch and a beer at Bodie Mikes.



New Volcanic Mineral Spring

Tomorrow Destination: Lone Pine / Mt. Whitney

 

California



This morning I actually slept in until 8:00am.  I jumped out of bed and thought, “I missed my vacation!” I quickly got myself together and then went out to start the day. I began at the Mono Lake Committee Information Center. I chatted for a bit and bought a few gifts, (Sapphire, Tyler’s beloved, is so lucky she turns 21 on Monday), and then went out for a walk.



Mono Lake Committee Info Center





Upside Down House

 There are so many things to do in Lee Vining. First on the list was a distinctive local landmark and nationally renowned tourist attraction, “The Upside Down House”. It was created by visionary and entrepreneur Nelly Bly O’Brien and has been known as Mono County’s first non man-made tourist attraction. I wonder how she didn’t fall out of bed at night.

From there, I drove to the South Tufas at the Lake. It is beautiful there. Seems to me that the plant life is much fuller here than last year. It feels more volcanic also.  I sat for awhile and visited with some of the tourists there.

South Tufas at Mono Lake

After leaving Mono Lake, I decided to take the June Lake loop. This is one of the many reasons California is such a beautiful land. By the way, does anyone know how California got its name? Well, there are a few theories including some guy just came up with the name off the top of his head. The one I like best is a 16^th century story…Las Sergas de Esplandián (The Adventures of Esplandián) by Spanish author Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. He talks about a mythical island, the Island of California, that was only inhabited by beautiful, robust Amazonian women who were very strong. There were no men on the island. It was ruled by Queen Calafia. These women were warriors who fought with golden tools because gold was the only metal found on the island. Their island was the strongest in the world. I like this story.

So on the loop I passed Grants Pass Lake, Silver Lake and of course, June Lake. I listened to Neil Young’s  Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, in it’s entirety, thanks to last nights late night conversation with my friend Sean. La la la la la la la! I highly recommend you take this ride someday.



Silver Lake








June Mountain overlooking June Lake







My day ended with a stop at the Whoa Nellie Deli. I had their legendary lobster taquitos. Sorry to say that, although they were excellent and very colorful….they tasted just like Jack in the Box tacos. I did not taste lobster which was a huge disappointment as the meal was priced at $18.00. Taco Girl, you still rule! My good news of the day is I bought a bottle of Parker Station Pinot Noir. Now I can continue reading Vertical.

Legendary Lobster Taquitos

Tomorrow: Canoe trip on Mono Lake.

New language heard today….Portuguese.



Hello The Lake!

I'll be posting without pictures until I can figure out why they are not uploading. Sorry.

This morning I treated myself to bacon at Cheryl's Diner. Now I can't even remember when the last time was that I ate bacon. Real bacon, thick cut, not to crisp so you can suck the fat right out of it kind of bacon. It was heaven. As I was eating breakfast, a serendipitous moment happened. My theme song from FTAV came on the radio. Cool Change by the Little River Band. Wasn't that awesome? Anastamosis, again.
So on the way, and when I had cell service, I checked in with the boys and Sapphire. Seems like as of today, everything is in order at Termino.
The ride to Mono Lake was longer than expected today as Kern County was upgrading Highway 178. Ugh! When i finally got to Highway 14, the road opened up and it became smooth sailing. Although I was tempted, I did not go into warp speed mode. I'm afraid of what I may become.
As I approached Lone Pine, I paid close attention to the mountain ridges before me. I am happy to report that I saw Mt Whitney from Highway 395. It is still there....still with snow. How the heck did I miss it last year? It's so, well..., it's the highest peak in the contiguous United States. Then around 4:30 I drove into Lee Vining. Finally, Mono Lake. To me, Mono Lake is glorious. I can't wait to canoe it. I checked into the El Mono Motel and Latte De Cafe and quickly unloaded and made my way to the Mono Lake Committee tourist information center. I am all caught up on the local color.
I'm happy to say that I will be here for a few days. Going outside to watch for meteors!

Hello the River

I arrived at Our Lady Queen of Angels at noon, just in time to hear the ding dong ding from the campanella bells. I decided to stay for noon Mass and sat with my friends, St Maximillan Kolbe and Mary Magdalan. A very inspiring Mass. Afterwards, the official FTANV candle lighting ceremony took place with an extra special candle being lit outside to La Virgin of Guadalupe for Santy’s newly born nephew. The Virgin is the FedEx request line for all your urgent business. Lunch was on the plaza, and once again  the bells chimed. It was time for me to make my way  to Kernville. San Antonio Winery will wait until I can get there with my wine tasting friends Bev and Doug.  

I arrived in Kernville at 5:00pm and headed straight to the river to say hello. The night ended with a walk over to the Kernville Saloon. I met wonderful local people who live pretty exotic lifestyles.  Upon returning to my room (time unknown), I could hear the roar of the river, so I went down to the river bank to have a conversation….

Hello the River!

So glad to see you again. You are a place of good memories and once again, here with you, I can vividly recall those memories. I think of all the children, friends, my parents who we brought here fishing over the years. There were campouts, cookouts, river rafting,  fishing, and lots of  naps. Thank you for the memories, and for never changing. It feels like home to me. I remember!

The night ended with a moonlight swim in the River and then I went straight to bed. Here is a picture of my swimming hole.

Thursday Destination: Mono Lake

Farewell to Long Beach

Hello Everyone,

It's the night before Frances Takes Another Vacation and I am making my final preparations for this next adventure. The car has been inspected, the emergency kit is in place, emergency numbers are on the fridge, the flashlight,is under the seat, maps are ready and updated, GPS is working, books are packed...Vertical by Rex Pickett, and Does the Noise In My Head Bother You? by Steven Tyler, (No Neurology on this vacation!) and my ITouch has everything from Aerosmith to Bruce Springsteen to Jackson Browne to Django. I am happy that unlike last year, I took some time off to organize myself so that I don't have to bring things like the kitchen sink on this journey. I am ready.
As you know, this trip is dedicated to those people who helped me survive a challenging year. I'd like to send a special thanks to a few ...first...my sister, who has not had a vacation since I can remember. She is the hardest working person I know. She is a duplicate of our Father; Meg, who knows me inside out and lets me do all the talking; Karen, my BFF who I will not get to see on this trip but will think of everyday as I always do; my father in law, the Colonel, a traveler with gumption (little did you know how contagious you were); Maria, my new friend and Pilates instructor...part of my Anastamosis; Santy, always telling it like it is; Doug and Bev, Cheers!; the Burt Boys who love me for doing this trip and especilly love that they will have a man-cave for a week; and finally, my beloved, if it had not been for you, I wouldn't be who I am.
Wednesday first stop, Our Lady Queen of Angels, Downtown LA
Destination for Wednesday dinner...The Kern River

Final Days

After spending a few days at Mono Lake, my canoeing adventure, Bridgeport, June Lake, Virginia Lakes, dinner at the Whoa Nellie Deli, and hopefully some "catch and release", I will head south on a huge quest....Finding Mt. Whitney.

If you recall, on FTAV, I was embarrassed to report that I missed Mt. Whitney. Yes, I missed seeing the highest peak in the contiguous United States. Thank goodness my Latte Da friend Cathie, of Virtually Nomadic shared this picture with me. Now  that I am sure what Mt. Whitney looks like,  I will find it. No excuse! I just hope it still looks like this picture. I’ll be staying there for a couple of days, hiking the Alabama Hills, touring the Lone Pine Movie Museum, and water aerobics and a soak at the Keough Hot Springs.

Once I have exhausted myself at Lone Pine, population 1,610, I will be driving home to Long Beach.

So I'll be spending the weekend getting myself organized, packing, and getting the house in Long Beach,  boy safe.

Stay tuned for road trip blogging. It is going to be a great ride!

Anastamosis

I learned a new word this week. Anastamosis, in a network of streams, is the reconnection of two streams that previously branched out. A good example is the Saskatchewan River in Canada pictured below.

 Mono Lake, in Lee Vining, is my Anastamosis. Last year, I fell in love with Mono Lake. I drank wonderful coffee, ate fresh berry muffins, hiked, horseback rode, visited Bodie Ghost Town,  made a good friend, and studied the Lake. The simplicity of the ecosystem there, and the magnificence of the Lake was overpowering. The Lake and I connected, we went our separate ways, and now we are reconnecting. And, since I am a member of the Mono Lake Committee, I have to go and check up on things officially. So, I will once again stay for three days with the folks at the El Mono Motel and Latte Da Café and have several day adventures including wine tasting at the Tioga Lodge, and a front row view for a Perseids Meteorite Shower. While visiting, I will be canoeing on Mono Lake. I am hopeful that my childhood best friend will be able to come to the Lake and canoe with me, if her schedule will allow. Fingers crossed.

Well, To Begin With.....

Those of you who followed me on the Frances Takes A Vacation blog will remember that my road trip included several fantastic adventures from caving, to zip-lining, to a long horseback ride, to wine tasting and to finding the perfect bowl of oatmeal.  Those experiences were ones that I claim as my own and are now in the “Been There Done  That” archive. I can never physically manage those experiences again in this lifetime, nor would I ever want to recreate that road trip. It was special. FTAV unknowingly gave me the courage to face the upcoming year. During my recovery, I recall waking up in the wee hours of the morning, and reading  the FTAV blog several times over. I remember the complete joy I felt and what a strong sense of freedom I had, to do whatever I wanted. I could feel the wind in my hair, and the pride in being a Californian, and what it really felt like to have my breath taken away. FTAV helped me preserve my gumption.

I have new physical  limitations, so I will be returning to some familiar, and user friendly spots. I know that new adventures await.On August 17^th, I wil be leaving LB,  heading directly for Our Lady Queen of Angels Cathedral in Downtown LA for the Official  Frances Takes Another Vacation Candlelighting Ceremony. As I discovered last year, the Cathedral has some sort of familial relationship with the San Antonio Winery. Being that I am a “Good Catholic School Girl” ( yes that would be me!), I must stop, visit, and taste what they are serving that day. I will toast to my Wine Tasting partners Bev and Doug. Who knows, maybe they will be there? After my lunch time tasting, I will continue on my journey ending the day at the Kern River. I will be staying on the river bank and this time will be cooking my own dinner as I watch the River flow in front of me. This will be my view…..

The Kern River....years of family memories and good times watching my sons grow. The Kern River....Randy, and Fatherhood at its finest.

A Committment To Have An Excellent Adventure!

The Adventure:

Travel Parts of Southern, Eastern and NorthEastern California in my 2006 Red Convertible Beetle, by myself, for one week.

The Goals:

1.) Reconnect with my lake...Mono Lake, and all the seagulls, brine shrimp and alkaline flies that live there

2.) Get back to a sense of peace and relaxation

3.) Marvel at our beautiful home state of California

4.) Find Mt. Whitney this time

 

Icing on The Cake: A day visit with my childhood best friend Karen and her husband Tim.

The Challenge:

I have no map reading skills! None! Zero, Zip!

The Risk:

Leaving my sons alone for one week in LB and coming home to definite mayhem and disorder. I know, it happened last year!

The Plan:

I will be leaving my home in LB, Cali on Wednesday, August 17th at 8:00am. My son Casey will be Base Camp Chief at our home headquarters. Each evening, I will be blogging a summary of the days events for my life archives and also for your entertainment. I will be visiting a few places that were significant for Randy and I, make new friends, and I will also be adding a few new adventures that I will claim as my own.

My Oath:

I promise to call Casey twice a day so my location is known at all times, I promise not to stray from my planned itinerary (unless I simply can't resist), I will keep my cell on at all times, I will not pick up hitch hikers, I will rest when I am tired, I will eat when I am hungry , I will lock my doors, I will take my top off during the day, I will pull my top up at night, I will not let the gas tank get below half, and I will have a most excellent adventure!

Your Job:

Enjoy California with me, make comments, give suggestions, share your stories and keep and eye on Casey and Tyler.