Mono Vista RV Park

We have left the fir trees for what appear to be either Aspen or Silver Birch trees or both and grass.  Mono Vista RV Park is situated on a hill overlooking Mono Lake to the east and mountains to the north.  The thunderstorm that came through last night with heavy rain to the north of us (we only got some sprinkles) actually stopped the forest fire!  There is no smoke and everyone in the park is relieved no matter which direction they are traveling.

This park is delightful with great restrooms and lovely laundry facilities (why didn't I do my laundry there!)  The buildings are decorated with a variety of items and I wanted to share them with you:

Tools, skis and snowshoes, iron skillets and more attest to the activities of the area that included mining (for which the town was founded in 1852 by LeRoy Vining who died an untimely death thereafter by shooting himself accidentally in Nevada) along with limited farming due to the area's poor conditions for agriculture (earning it the nickname of "Poverty Flats") and tourism in both summer and winter related to Yosemite.  Fishing is also a popular sport here on the lake.

We were on bear watch again here as the owner warned against leaving anything in trashcans throughout the park overnight.  What they called a young and small "trash bear" coming down from Yosemite has been looking for snacks in their park.  I would have loved a photograph of him taken safely from the coach but as luck would have it, we did not see or hear him near ours.  I wonder how the multiple people sleeping in tents near us would have fared?

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.

 

Mono Cone

Before we left Mammoth Lakes, our neighbor told us his daughter would drive three hundred miles for a "Mono Cone" in Lee Vining, CA on the edge of Mono Lake after he heard that was our destination today.  After settling into our RV space at Mono Vista RV Park, we were off to drive the length of the only street in town to find and test what would make a young woman drive three hundred miles.

We drove up, we drove down and finally all around the buildings on Main Street with no luck.  Alas, it was not meant to be.  And then we saw it!  Yes, the shop was on Main Street and we had passed it three times not recognizing the name in the script-like writing on the front of their building sort of hidden under the overhang.

We walked up to the window and ordered the large vanilla and chocolate swirl cone and gave it a go.  Yes, I am happy to report they are delicious.  Would I drive three hundred miles?  No.  Was it delicious?  Yes!  The portion was gigantic (not large.)  We sat there and devoured every savory slurp watching person after person follow us to the window.  And that was dinner.  I feel like a kid again and who says you can't have whatever you want for dinner?  Hence the saying, "Life is uncertain!  Eat dessert first!"