Friday, June 25, 1999
David wanted to go camping and I was more than happy to go along. The kids were going to go camping with their dad, so it was a perfect time for us to take off again.
We are driving along, giggling like kids, almost to Sonora. We have been watching the slow green SUV in front of us, and laughing. David had given me such a hard time about bringing so much we were packed to the back of the Isuzu Rodeo, but the car in front of us had us beat by about two layers. They had the top of the car literally overflowing with sleeping bags and tents. That brought up the stories about how my ex always gave me such a hard time about the quantity of gear I brought, as well as the incident when he was glad I had been so well equipped.
Nothing, nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. The road finally became two lanes and we passed the green SUV. There in the back seat was my son, John and his girlfriend, Sam. In the front sat my daughter, Jena, right inbetween my ex and his newest girlfriend. Jena lifted her arm to wave, her father quickly slapped down her arm and flipped us off. We were stunned until we broke out in laughter. Of all the places!!
We set up camp at David's favorite camping area in Eagle Meadows, open camping but nary another person to be seen. I knew I would never be able to return to a proper campsite again. We went riding at Kennedy Meadows, passed Levitt Meadows, the Marine Warefare Center at 8000 feet, joined to wilderness 8000 feet club, headed down to Lee Vining and Mono Lake. We checked into a hotel we dubbed the Bates Motel run by a grand Swedish woman, their last available room was fairly well a closet, but it was a bed we welcomed.
The next morning we hit a bookstore (of course!), Bodie, a picturesque old shack, Cottonwood Canyon road for a wonderous view of Mono Lake, had lunch at Nicely's where they lost power, Yosemite, Tuolome Meadows, the Half Dome rest stop and finally back home.