Richard's Travels: Bishop Mule Days 2010

5-20-10
This was a driving day. We left Sweetwater County Park at 7:00 AM and arrived at Diaz Lake at 2:00 PM.
Our first stop was Costco at Temecula. The store is located at Winchester, but can not be seen from the road. We had the wrong address and went too far. We asked for directions and came back.
We were told to make a left turn on Margarita. We still did not see the store and went too far again on Margarita. We had to ask again for directions. This time we found the store.
Gasoline was $2.99 at Arco. I told Doreen if Costco is not cheaper I will bite myself, because of what we had to go through to find the Costco gas station. The price was the same $2.99 per gallon.
In Adelanto we had lunch. I picked up a Whopper and Junior Whopper at Burger King and we ate them in the motorhome.
The drive North on 395 was not easy. We had a strong wind from the side and at one stretch we followed a wide load vehicle slowly for an hour.
After setting up the motorhome we drove in to Lone Pine, bought 20 pounds of navel oranges from a street vendor, checked out the library and went to the Visitor Center.
The temperature was 80 degrees F. during the day and it cooled off in the evening.

5-21-10
When I got up this morning it was cool in the motorhome, 55 degrees F. I turned on the catalytic heater.
After breakfast I walked to the other side of the lake.

When Doreen was ready we prepared to go sightseeing. First I wanted to turn the motorhome around to get more sun on the solar panel. I moved the car and then moved the motorhome back. Doreen had asked me whether she should go outside and direct me. I was so sure that the car was out of the way and told her to stay inside the motorhome.
While moving back I heard a car horn at the side and I stopped right away. I felt a bump though.
I knew right away that I had hit the car and felt really stupid. The ranger had seen what I was doing and leaned on the horn, of his truck, to warn me.
Doreen and I got out of the rig and I was expecting the worst. I was lucky again. The bumper on the car has a light discoloring from rubbing against the motorhome.
I could have hit the side of the car and done a lot of damage. The ranger came at the right time. On this trip I made now several stupid moves.
We went to the Mt. Whitney Portal Recreation Area. The road goes straight up for 13 miles.
There was snow at the end of the road. We stopped next to a waterfall.

On the way down we took pictures of beautiful flowers on the side of the road.

In the afternoon we went to the Movie Museum. Many movies were made in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine.

The admission includes a movie in the evening. When we arrived for the movie, we were told that the movie was not being shown tonight. We will be back tomorrow night.

5-22-10
This was a day of rest. In the morning I went to the library. The WIFI was down, but the librarian let me use my memory stick on the library computer.
Adding the pictures to my blog was easy, transferring text was complicated for me. It took me a long time to figure it out. On my own computer it is easy.
Dottie and Chappy arrived at noon. They also had a tough time driving North on highway 395. It was windy most of the day.
At 3:45 PM Doreen and I went back to the museum for the movie. They showed two Lone Ranger movies. Judging by the length of them, they must have been TV shows.
When we went to bed the wind had picked up again and the motorhome was shaking. We felt sorry for the people in tents and tent trailers.

5-23-10
When I woke up it was 44 degrees F in the motorhome. It had snowed in the night and there was now snow in the mountains at the east side of Owens Valley. The Sierra Mountains received more snow and there is now snow at 7,000 feet.

We left Lone Pine at 12:00 PM. Chappy and I tried to empty the holding tanks at a Rest Area before we reached Bishop. The dump stations at most Rest Areas in California are closed now, including this one.
Chappy went to the Shell gasoline station in Bishop to empty the holding tanks on his motorhome while we continued on and stopped at the Indian Casino and filled up the motorhome gasoline tank, and the propane tank. Gasoline is cheaper at the casino, almost 30 cents per gallon.
Then we went to the Fairgrounds and found our camping spot. We are parked in a large meadow. There were cattle here, we can tell. We have to be careful when we walk around.
Dottie and Chappy came to our motorhome for dinner. When we were finished eating we watched a movie.
It was a Western.

5-24-10
When I woke up, this morning, there was no wind, and no clouds in the sky. It was 38 degrees F. in the motorhome.
During the day the sun came out and the temperature was pleasant.
We are now five rigs. Our neighbor came early yesterday. The three of us keep the running of the generator to a minimum. All of us have solar panels.

We have a very good spot. In the back of the motorhome is a small creek. Tomorrow most of the people will arrive and fill up the spaces in front of us.

Presently we see only cows and their calves and the mountains in the background.

Some people on donkeys came by.

At 10:00 AM we left for Toms Place. It is located on highway 395, 25 miles North of Bishop. Chappy and Dotty will go there after Mule Days and do some fishing for trout.

On the way back we took a back road. It was a beautiful ride, with the snow covered mountains and the Owens Valley below.

In the afternoon I went to McDonalds and got my E mail. The library in Bishop has no WIFI; they have computers though. Unfortunately they do not let me use my memory stick, and sitting there and typing my stuff takes too long.
This was a very good day. While I was at McDonalds, Doreen went with Chappy and Dottie to K Mart and Von’s. She got her shopping fix.

5-25-10
This morning I took a long walk. I came by the place where people exercised their mules.

On the way home I went along Main Street.

At 10:00 AM we left for Lake Sabrina and North Lake. The lakes are at an altitude of about 8,500 feet.

We had dinner at Chappy and Dottie’s motorhome.

5-26-10
Doreen joined me this morning for a long walk.
At 10:00 AM we went to the main arena for English Jumping. The mules and riders had to jump over obstacles. It was funny sometimes, because the mules did not want to jump.

There are not many people in the bleachers since today are only elimination trials.
At 1:00 PM we went back for the buggy trials. The teams had to maneuver around obstacles. Backing up was very difficult, and it was hilarious sometimes.