Mono Lake and Lee Vining, CA

We spent the night in Lee Vining, CA overlooking Mono Lake at the only RV park in town.  Just south of town is a road that leads west from US-395 over the mountains to Yosemite drawing traffic to this town from both the north and south to access this portal to the famous National Park.

The town is small with just a few stores.  The only two restaurant options are Mono Cone and a Chevron station deli.  Actually, it was the fanciest Chevron station I have ever seen.  Picnic tables, grass and trees are provided for people getting takeout. There is a large parking lot available for vehicles of all sizes.  Just up the hill from the station on the road going to Yosemite is a grand view of Mono Lake if you drive up half a mile and turn around to look back over the valley.  In the center of the lake is a residual volcanic island.

A large thunderstorm moved across the mountains to the north of us where they are battling a forest fire.  It is the first evidence we have seen of a fire in progress, though we have seen the aftereffects on several occasions driving up US-395.  The flashing traffic advisories tell us the highway remains open 35 miles ahead but we watch the smoke with some anxiety.  A series of strong thunderstorms are in the area and we can see lightening as we look to the clouds to the north of us.

Lee Vining has a Visitors Center for Mono Lake with great views across the water.  Driving down there a short distance from our park, we see a building that is literally upside down at the site of the Mono Basis Historical Society.  Apparently this construction was inspired by a children's story, "Upside Down Land" by a woman named Nellie Bly O'Bryan who lived from 1893 to 1984 in Mono County.  The Society rescued the structure after her death when it fell into disrepair to preserve it at the site of their museum in the town's old schoolhouse.  To read more about the house, click on this link to the Mono Basin Historical Society and you will also see other photos.