Posted on by dennis

California is big!

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” According to Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Ching, anyway. My journey will be considerably more than a thousand miles and involves more sitting than stepping, but I guess the sentiment still applies. I left Oakland Sunday, May 15, if memory serves. It usually doesn’t, so if one of you know better, please let me know.

I didn’t drive far on the first day. Why should I? Travel without agenda or obligations is an exercise in freedom. 😇 

I found a nice dispersed camp site in the Stanislaus National Forest. So you can place it on your mental map, it was just south of Long Barn and north of Mi-Wuk along Hwy 108. Nothing really special, but it was a couple of miles off pavement and, once the shooting stopped, very quiet.
Not everything has burned…the Sierras remain beautiful.
The engineers who designed Hwy 108 must have gone to the Salvador Dali Civil Engineering School. The road is just slung across the mountains, drooping and swooping. So much turning! First I would spin the steering wheel all the way to the left, then the right, only to turn it left again! Really inefficient.
Wow! Looks like I picked a bad time for a road trip. Spoiler alert: Prices dropped $2/gallon as soon as I crossed into Nevada.
My camp site near Bishop, CA. Xena, the Warrior Princess, liked exploring the rocks; she did not heed my warnings about scorpions. Luckily, she didn’t find any.

Stay tuned, next time more California and my exciting discovery!

7 Replies to “California is big!”

  3. The great adventurer sets off on a new journey! Awesome mountain views and kinky campsites. The gas price sign seems to provide a reality check! Happy trails to you and the warrior princess. Stay safe!

  4. “Salvador Dali Civil Engineering school” 😂… everything a human makes can be considered art I suppose. Great pictures of a wonderful adventure!

  5. Travel without agenda and with the ability to sleep in one’s own bed beside one’s own Xena is sweet. Grocery stores? Obviously, you’re not able to rely on the meals in a box service of your Oakland days.

  6. Salvador Dali Civil Engineering School has produced many well-loved California landmarks. To what extent is immersion in psychodelics or cannabus a part of the preparation? Does Wavy Gravy have a faculty appointment?

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