In the heart of the Mono Basin lies the strange and majestic Mono Lake, a vast inland sea nestled at the feet of the 13,000 ft. peaks of the Sierra Nevada Range.

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The tufa tower formations show what nature can do with a few basic elements. The strange spires and knobs are formed when fresh water springs containing calcium bubble up through the carbonate-rich lake water. This forms calcium carbonate, a whitish limestone deposit that forms the basis of the tufa formations.

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One can't help taking many photos of these strange but wonderful formations.

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This particular tufa is my personal favorite.

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On a short hike we found land-locked tufa. They are protected in this area so I didn't get to take a piece home with me.

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Because we are so high spring comes later here. We are seeing belly flowers of many colors as well as...

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...brilliant red Indian Paintbrush.

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Bodie was a famously rowdy gold mining town and is now known as America's best-preserved ghost town, set in the scenic splendor of the wildlife-rich Bodie Hills.

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By 1879 Bodie could boast a population of around 8,500 people and more then 2,000 buildings. General stores such as this one supplied the needs of the miners. There were more than 60 saloons and dance halls lining the streets which provided a source of relaxation and entertainment for the miners after a hard day's work.

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Bodie's heyday was short-lived. The year 1881 saw the town in the grips of decline. Once the mines were depleted, the mining companies began going bankrupt so the miners and business people left for more lucrative areas. By 1886 the population was only about 1,500.

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Bodie faded into a ghost town during the 1940's. In 1962 the small part of the town that had survived the 1932 fire was designated a State Historical Park. Today it is preserved in a state of "arrested decay" and exists as it did when the last residents left. The building interiors are maintained as they were left, furnished and stocked with goods, providing us a snapshot of the past.

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These two ground squirrels seem to be happy living in this wonderful historic town.

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Today we went out touring with our friends Kay and Ron from Sun Lakes. Ron spent summers in this area in his youth so was a wealth of information and stories. He first took us to Lundy Canyon and told us all about the stamp mill associated with the Gorilla Mine. This was a much smaller operation then the one at Bodie.

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We saw some beautiful wild flowers. This one is called a mules ear. The leaf of the plant is very soft and feels velvety.

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The DeChambeau Ranch provided farm products to the Bodie, Aurora and Lundy mine communities during the late 1800's. It continued as a family ranch until 1945.

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Hot springs ran through the ranch. After the pigs were slaughtered, they were dipped in these hot springs as part of the pig butchering process.

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There were many small ponds on the ranch that were fed by the hot springs. This has made the area a haven for birds such as this yellow headed black bird.

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We next started the climb to Tioga Pass. At one point we were at 11,000 feet! There were so many postcard views like this one that it was difficult to decide what to share with you.

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We drove out to Saddlebag Lake hoping that the water taxi had begun making its daily trips. Unfortunately we were too early in the season and had to be satisfied with just looking at this spectacular panorama.

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With such incredible weather, fresh air and beautiful scenery our foursome were happy campers. What a great day we spent together.

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On the way out of Yosemite, we spotted these mule deer eating their evening meal.

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Continuing to lower elevations, we made one last stop to admire Tioga Lake.

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