June 28, 2015, Big Pine, CA-  I got my Nissan back in shape again, with a morning visit to Jiffy Lube.  Friends Wendy & Steve hosted a brunch, which was a group effort, and thoroughly enjoyed by all.  Then, I bid farewell to my Reno family.

Little did we know that, a scant thirty miles away, above Gardnerville, three vehicles, including an RV, had collided.  One of those involved was killed.  I was in the southbound five-mile line of cars.  Two hours later, I was in Topaz Lake.  While in the intermittently-moving line, I took these shots of the area.

The scene at Topaz Lake was rather quiet, away from the bordertown casino anyway.

Off to the west, the Sierra Nevada showed just a smidgen of snow, where there are normally several feet, even in late June.

The first town I entered in California was Bridgeport, already set for Independence Day.

I had a pleasant break and supper, at the lively Rhino’s Grill.  “Rhino” is the owner, not an item on the bill of fare.  Seeing so many families and couples enjoying the nation’s back roads does my heart good, as does being served by congenial folks, of all ages.

The last time I visited Mono Lake was in 1980.  It is about 1/3 smaller now.

This saline lake is still a gem, but an endangered one.

As I drove towards Big Pine, and my stop for the night, I caught a glimpse of a superb California sunset.

Then, as is its wont, the sky went to bed.

After all that waiting, and switchback-negotiating, the Nissan was just fine.  So was I, settled in at Bristlecone Motel, run by one of the town’s two mechanics.