Fall in the Foothills – Nevada City, CA

by Sherri on October 26, 2007

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Old firehouse in downtown Nevada City, California.

It's not too late to see the fall colors in Nevada City. This shot was taken on Monday of this week. My husband and I got up there just in time to see peak fall color. If you are thinking about visiting there this weekend, I don't think you will be disappointed. It will probably be spectacular for a few more days. [click to continue…]

Buckeye Hot Spring #2, near Bridgeport, CA

by Sherri on October 25, 2007

buckeye-hs2.jpg Photo - View of the soaking pools on Buckeye Creek Here is another shot of Buckeye Hot Spring. This photo shows what the soaking pools actually look like. Posting this makes me want to jump in the car and go there right now! This wraps up my photo essay on our fall colors trip last October.

Buckeye Hot Spring

by Sherri on October 24, 2007

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Buckeye Hot Spring, near Bridgeport, California.

This is one of our favorite hot springs in California and a soak here is free! It is located on the creek, clothing is optional and you can often have it all to yourself. Plus, it is a short drive or walk from Buckeye Campground. The small pool in the foreground is a hot water source. This pool is scalding hot and is not for soaking in. The water flows down the hill from this pool and eventually drops into Buckeye Creek. There it mixes with the creek water and cools down to temperatures suitable for soaking.
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Woman enjoying Buckeye Hot Spring, Eastern Sierra, California. Put this on your "Bucket List!"

If you are going, make sure you take everything you will need with you (towel, snacks, water etc.) and wear good footwear. The walk down to the creek is very steep and slippery in spots and you won't want to make the trek too many times. If soaking at night, be sure to pack a flashlight also. Every time we travel scenic highway 395, we make it a priority to visit Buckeye Hot Spring! Directions - To get to Buckeye from the northern end of Bridgeport, turn off of Route 395, turn west on Twin Lakes Road and travel seven miles. Turn right just past Doc and Al's Resort, then cross the bridge going over the creek. Continue uphill along a gravel road, past Buckeye Campground. At the top of the hill you'll find a parking area. The springs are down the trail from the parking lot. Closed in the winter.  

Buckeye Campground, Bridgeport, CA

by Sherri on October 23, 2007

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Our camp at Buckeye Campground.

We made base camp at beautiful Buckeye Campground, located along Buckeye Creek in the Toiyabe National Forest. That put us in close proximity to the things we wanted to do and places we wanted to explore. This turned out to be another one of our favorite camping spots. The camp sites were huge and only a couple of them were occupied when we were there. The fall color was intense, as you can see in this photo. And there were several great hiking trails nearby to choose from. NOTE: There is a fee to camp at Buckeye. There are also free campsites nearby.

Mono Lake, CA

by Sherri on October 22, 2007

mono-lake.jpg  Photo - View of Mono Lake from the Cottonwood Canyon Road The road we were traveling on turned into the Cottonwood Canyon Road, which eventually led us to Mono Lake.  We drove around to the tourist side of the lake, with plans of doing a sunset paddle in our kayaks. We had wanted to do this for a long time. Unfortunately, our timing was off. The winds are fierce in the afternoon. We could hardly get out of the car, let alone do a paddle! We did a lot of planning and researching for this trip, but we failed to find out when the best times to paddle Mono Lake are. Next time we visit that area, we will paddle at sunrise.

Bodie Ghost Town, CA

by Sherri on October 21, 2007

bodie.jpg Photo - Bodie State Historical Park, as seen from the Bodie Ghost Town Trail  From the Masonic Trail, we intersected Aurora Canyon Road (also known as the Bodie Ghost Town Trail) and dropped down into Bodie.   Bodie, California is located in the eastern slopes of the Sierra, close to the Nevada border and is known as the best preserved ghost town in California. It was once a gold-mining town with 10000 residents way back in 1879. We will be adding this photo of Bodie, as well as photos taken in the park from our previous trip, to our stock photo galleries soon.
mural.jpg Photo - Mural of Western States 100-Mile Endurance Race Participants   The first annual Endurance Expo is happening today in Auburn, CA. You can read all about it here.

Chemung Mine, along the Back Road to Bodie, CA

by Sherri on October 20, 2007

masonic-trail2.jpg Photo - "Window on the West" This was shot from inside of the Chemung Mine. See the previous post. 

Chemung Mine, along the Back Road to Bodie, CA

by Sherri on October 20, 2007

masonic-trail.jpg Photo - Chemung Mine along the Masonic Trail, with the Sierra Mountains in the background This is one of several old mines along the back road to Bodie. There will be more photos from this fall colors trip to come soon!

Back Road to Bodie, CA

by Sherri on October 19, 2007

back-road-to-bodie.jpg Photo - The Masonic Trail This is another shot taken on our fall color road trip last October.  I used to go to Bodie a lot as a kid. In fact, my biggest memory from those trips, was driving the 17-mile dirt road in our V Dub Bug. That wasn't necessarily fun back then! But, now, as an adult, I prefer the dirt roads and so does my husband, Jeff.  Jeff and I had been to Bodie a couple years prior to this trip, so we weren't planning to stop there this time around. But, on that trip we entered from the main route, which has been paved since I was a kid, unfortunately! What we did want to do, however, was to drive the 14-mile back road into Bodie, The Masonic Trail, which happens to also be a dirt road. It starts from highway 395 and ends up in Bodie. It was well worth it! Isn't it funny? The roads that used to drive me crazy as a kid are now what I like best!  Â