Memorial Day found us at the Upper Sage Flat campground along Big Pine Creek in the Eastern Sierra Nevada. This area is my personal favorite. I have been coming to different parts of the Sierra for most of my life. I don't think that Sandy shares my deep love of this area, mostly because of the lack of hookups. Boldlygo doesn't seem to mind however. Here she is in her camp spot.
My brother and his lovely wife were camped right across the access road from us. It's always fun to camp with friends and family. The last time we were all up here together, we went exploring a couple of old mine sites. We are explorers and love to see places where others have been.
We also visited the Laws Railroad museum. Following are a few pictures of the event. Mules Days, a yearly celebration, was taking place in Bishop and the Laws museum is just outside of that town. This is the remnant of the last narrow gauge railroad to operate in California. There is much to see and much to learn at the museum.
Back in Bishop, we stopped by a little shop and got a nice cup of coffee. It was kind of like Starbucks, but not quite as good. By "kind of like" I mean really expensive. Anyway, we then went over to Schott's for some fresh apple bread. Yum-yum!!
Arriving back at camp, we found snowy conditions. Hmmm . . . snow in May . . . it was a bit cold outside, but thanks to our trusty Boldlygo, we were snug and warm!!
This was one of those rare weeks away where we struck the perfect balance between doing too much and not having enough to do. We were able to go see the sights, including the spot where James Dean was killed. We also visited Parkfield, the "Earthquake Capitol of the World". The San Andreas fault runs right through the middle of this little one horse town. We also visited the Works and Jack ranches, both places where I have hunted wild pigs. And with all of that, we still were able to sit around the campfire every night and talk. We also had time for naps and such. It really was a great week.
On the road again!!
The lovely missus standing next to Old Fort Sumner museum. The Kid's grave is behind this building.
Below is Sandy standing next to Billy's grave. Notice the cage built around the grave. The headstone has been stolen at least twice. The last time it was stolen, it was missing for quite a few years and eventually recovered in Huntington Beach, California. They wanted to make sure that it stayed put this time, so they built a 'jail' around it. Seems appropriate to me . . .
Here's Sandy overlooking the Pecos river. If you notice in the foreground, there is a plaque in the ground. This is the spot where William H. Bonney, AKA Billy the Kid was killed by Pat Garrett. Billy was inside of a ranch house that has long ago been washed away by the flooded Pecos.
Of course, no trip to New Mexico would be complete without a trip to Roswell, the alien capitol of the world. According to their story, an alien space craft crashed there in the 1950's and the bodies of the aliens are kept in area 51 or some such crap. No, I don't believe any of it, but it does make for an entertaining story and a fun town to visit. The whole town seems to get into the spirit of the alien theme. Even the WalMart store has a picture of an alien on the wall out front:
Here's the UFO museum. It was amusing at least.
There is an old home in town that has been turned into a museum also. It actually was the highlight of the visit to Roswell. I believe that it was called the White-something or other house. Sandy could tell you more, as this is really her type of thing. Here's a couple of pictures:
I included this last picture because Sandy loves old stoves. If she had her way, I think she would dump our beautiful 3 year old range and put one of these 100 year old clunkers in it's place!!
The Crystal Palace Saloon:
One of the most historical buildings in the town (in my opinion) is the Birdcage Theatre. This building is virtually unchanged in the last 120 years. Even the decorations are still there. They are not exactly in pristine condition, but they are original. There are numerous bullet holes in the place, including in the ceiling and in some of the woodwork. They have the original faro table where Doc Holliday plied his gambling trade. Although the Birdcage Theater is depicted in the movie 'Tombstone' starring Kurt Russell, the Birdcage is not old enough to have been around when Wyatt Earp first hit town. Regardless, walking through this building and looking at the many historical items really takes one back to a different time. Here are a couple of shots of the Birdcage Theater: 
Make sure to visit the old courthouse while in town. This is the same structure that was standing when Wyatt Earp was acquitted of all charges in the OK Corral incident. Also, we recommend two of the eateries in town. The OK Cafe is good for breakfast and the Longhorn is a nice place for lunch and dinner. 
We are planning another trip to Tombstone sometime in 2009. Stay tuned for that update!!
Here's another shot of that boulder from another angle. 
In the little town of Bodfish just south of the lake, there is a place called Silver City Ghost town. Because of our love of all things old, we decided to visit there. Most all of the buildings included in this 'town' were moved from historic sites around the valley. During the gold rush and in the insuing years, this area was mined heavily. When the ore ran out, the settlements were abandoned. Someone took the time and money to move a number of these buildings to on central location - Silver City Ghost town. So while the town is not authentic, the buildings are. While visiting, there was a reinactment going on. It was pretty corny, but the bad guy 'got it in the end'. I'll let the reader decide what end I mean. Here's a couple of pics. 
Here's Sandy in jail!! 
I didn't bother taking any pictures of our camp site. It was a crappy place anyway and our site was maybe one of the worst in the park. We were right next to the bathroom and store, so kids kept running through our campground - of course they had to dodge the huge ants that were all over the place. I was getting pretty bent out of shape by the second day of this. Anyone who knows anything about camping understands that you should NEVER enter someone's camp without first asking permission. It's just common courtesy. Of course, I tried to enlighten some of these waifs . . . but to no avail. Choking them would have been illegal, so I just gave up. Claymore mines might have damaged our own rig. Seriously though, it was a terrible experience. Fortunately, there are much nicer RV parks around, which we will use if and when we return.
The sunset at the park was spectacular on Thanksgiving night. Here is a shot, taken just before nightfall: 
We were able to enjoy a nice Thanksgiving meal and relax for the day. It's always good to stop and give thanks, not just on this special day, but every day. We are blessed in the United States with so much wealth and prosperity, and we really need to be thankful to God for what He has given us.
Also of note is that much of Julian's prosperity is built around their fame as an apple producer. In late September and early October, they have an apple festival. Although we have never attended this event, we have indeed tasted their wonderful apple pies (sold year-round) at the Julian Pie Company. Make sure to do lunch at the Julian Cafe & Bakery on Main Street. Or if you'd rather, check out Bailey's Woodpit Barbecue on the far end of Main Street. Since we're in Julian, it is of note to those who know my boss, he and his wife honeymooned in Julian sometime around 1945 or so. The place they stayed, the Julian Hotel, is still standing and is a quaint little place to visit.