Mono Lake

This unbelievably eerie place is right on Rt 395 along the eastern edge of California. It's all 'normal' at the visitor center until you realize you haven't seen water this blue outside the Caribbean. After parking the car at the South Tufa Area and walking a short way on a boardwalk you start to feel like you're leaving Earth behind and standing on an alien planet.

Hm, did I turn off the water at the inn or not?

Hurry up already, there are sticky bits on these shrubs!

South tufa grove trail

'Pirate ship' formation at Mono Lake

More tufa towers with Sierras in background

So alien!

Mono Lake tufa towers

Tell me this doesn't look like a scene from Star Trek!

OK, I took this right from the Mono Lake website to explain what tufa is: Tufa is essentially common limestone. What is uncommon about this limestone is the way it forms. Typically, underwater springs rich in calcium mix with lake water rich in carbonates. As the calcium comes in contact with carbonates in the lake, a chemical reaction occurs resulting in calcium carbonate--limestone. The calcium carbonate precipitates (settles out of solution as a solid) around the spring, and over the course of decades to centuries, a tufa tower will grow. Tufa towers grow exclusively underwater, and some grow to heights of over 30 feet. The reason visitors see so much tufa around Mono Lake today is because the lake level fell dramatically after water diversions began in 1941.

Next up - Virginia City, home of the Ponderosa!

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032

www.whitecedarinn.com 

High Sierra

After Death Valley, we drove to Bishop, CA on the eastern slopes of the Sierras. So gorgeous! This weather and climate agreed with me, Rock not so much. No allergies for me, no asthma symptoms even tho we spent most of our 2 weeks at elevations over 3000 feet. Something out there did not like Rock, he was sneezing and his eyes were watering. Dang. Thought maybe we could find a place that agrees with both of us!

You're going to assume I've never seen snow before. Not true! It's the juxtaposition of the snow and the high plains that surprised me. 

Rt 168 in Bishop, CA

9000 feet up. The road was closed due to snow.

That's the road running thru the center of the photo.

Just plain weird - a 2-faced lamb. Yes, another face on the other side of the head.

Brands, branding irons and a barbed wire display.

The old post office with the Sierras in the background

Old railyard

 We drove up, up, up Rt 168 looking for a war monument. Missed it completely, drove right past it and kept going. 9000 feet up the road was closed due to snow and falling rocks. Should have had Rock lie down next to the falling rocks sign, why is it always too late when you think of these things? (BTW, there is a word for that - esprit d'escalier. Literal translation is 'stair wit' as in coming up with a witty comeback as you head down the stairs.)

60 degrees in town, 35 on the car thermometer when I took the snowball photo. 

Sorry about the Ripley's-style photo of the lamb. It was just too strange to ignore. That someone would stuff it after it died was kind of strange as well. 

What's truly amazing about driving out here is knowing not that long ago wagons loaded with settlers were making their way thru this same scrub land and over these mountains. How? It boggles the mind. We walked just a little bit out on these high plains and the brush is thorny and unforgiving and it grows so close together!

Next up - Mono Lake.

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032

www.whitecedarinn.com

Liberty Tool Company for Sale!

We went to Liberty Tool Co a few years back. (Chronicled here in the Tool Time Tour blog post.) It's an amazing sight to see! And now it's for sale. I know nothing about tools but I love this place. Maybe you want to buy it. I'll stop in and visit!

Check out the story and video here.

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032

www.whitecedarinn.com

Death Valley Days

After leaving Vegas, we took Rt 160 to Death Valley, stopping off at Ash Meadows Natural Wildlife Refuge. We were just 'driving thru' but you really need days to explore these wonderful national parks. Just the idea that these are preserved places for us to enjoy is almost unbelievable. We hear this from guests from overseas all the time, they are amazed at how many parks and conservation areas we have to enjoy. These things don't exist everywhere. Go out and explore!

Along Rt 160 out of Vegas

Rt 160

Water in the desert Ash Meadows

Gunslinger cabin at Ash Meadows

Gunslinger poem

Heading into Death Valley on Rt 190

Zabriskie Point (hanging on for dear life!)

Zabriskie Point Death Valley

Zabriskie Point

Zabriskie Point Death Valley National Park, CA

Leaving Death Valley

Eastern Sierras snowstorm

It doesn't look like much from here but the snow on those mountains is up to 50' deep! Roads from east to west in CA are closed in April because they haven't been plowed yet. Road signs let you know what's open and closed. Chains are required unexpectedly so you have to be flexible on where you're traveling.


It's not really easy to see how incredibly twisty and turny the roads thru Death Valley are. Suffice it to say I tried to do a video to show everyone and I had to stop, I was getting dizzy sitting in the car just trying to film! You are going from 190 feet below sea level to 8000 feet above sea level and back down to 3000 feet above sea level in the space of 30 minutes. UNBELIEVABLE! Great ride on a motorcycle, but not in the summer. Go in the spring or late fall!

But, seriously, go. Even if you've 'BTDT' this is a gorgeous country we've got here and you really should take a look.

Next up - High Sierras.

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032

www.whitecedarinn.com

Winthrop Fogg Gets a Makeover

We've finished our last makeover room! Take a look...the Winthrop Fogg Room, now known simply as the Fogg, is looking bright and cheery with a calming gray on the walls and a pop of color on the bed.

Winthrop Fogg before

Fogg Room after

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032

www.whitecedarinn.com

Vegas, Baby

Just a couple of pix from our Vegas vacation. We were there for 2 days and really crammed a lot in! Including an hour or so throwing quarters at a mechanical horse racing table game. But, we got 'free' drinks!

Waiting in line for 'Pawn Stars'

Old time cigarette machine redone to dispense tiny art works!

Me and #1 son at Cosmopolitan.

Excalibur

Wild burros at Red Rocks Park

Cactus

Just hanging around at Red Rocks

Red Rocks vista

The lads looking over the rocks

Desert tortoise

Road Kill Grill Vegas

Next up - we head to Bishop, CA via Death Valley. 

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032

www.whitecedarinn.com

Banana Pudding

Banana pudding with toasted coconut.

Don't like bananas? You might want to try this anyway. A couple of guests gave it the hairy eyeball and then said it was pretty good 'for bananas'.

Ingredients: for 4 servings in a martini glass

1 large, ripe banana
1 box banana pudding (or vanilla if you really think you won't like it)
2 ozs coconut (toasted)
4 vanilla wafers
whipped cream

How to:

Mix the pudding according to the directions on the box. While the pudding simmers, slice the banana and place evenly in the glasses. Pour pudding over the top. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. (Put plastic film over top if overnight to avoid a skin forming. (Unless you like the skin!)

Toast the coconut. Of course, there is a disaster in this recipe, I always have one for you, don't I? Here it is...the bag of coconut (or online recipes) will tell you it takes 8-20 minutes to toast the coconut. HA! In 8 minutes you have smoke billowing out of the oven!

So, lesson learned, this is how to toast coconut...set oven at 300 degrees. Sprinkle the coconut on a baking sheet and place in oven. Set timer for THREE minutes and then check coconut. Coconut is crafty. 

This is what it looks like: 

• 3 minutes - white; 
• 3 minutes, 15 seconds - white;  
• 3 minutes, 30 seconds - white; 
• 4 minutes - nicely browned; 
• 4 minutes, 2 seconds - BURNT!

Just keep checking. If you have a good oven light you don't have to open the door every time. Don't walk away and play Words with Friends or you'll be starting all over again.

Back to the set up...Before serving, top the pudding with whipped cream, a vanilla wafer and that dang toasted coconut. Enjoy! You deserve it!

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032

www.whitecedarinn.com