| So now I can say I have really done all the routes | | | | very brief, but one does drive on the edge of the |
| from Groveland over the Sierra Nevada mountain | | | | seat for an hour and a half anticipating with bated |
| pass highways to the Eastern Sierras. I know now | | | | breath these pitched moments. The views are grand |
| why it took me so long to do Ebbetts Pass, it's got a | | | | for sure! It is fairly remote for most of the trip. So |
| serious Jaw Factor. As in oh..my...goodness....! | | | | absolutely go for the experience, but know too that |
| We chose this route so we could go to Murphys and | | | | Ebbetts Pass is the slowest of all the routes over |
| unload the "antique" sinks that Victor just upgraded in | | | | the Sierras, but quite stunning and very worthy of its |
| our rooms. But...as luck would have it, the neatest | | | | recent National Scenic Byway designation. |
| antique plumbing store in the world wasn't open on | | | | So how in the world did the two of us savvy world |
| the 4th of July...Odd? But all was not a total loss, we | | | | travelers (hahaha!) end up in the oasis town of |
| did some wine tasting at a few tasting rooms that | | | | Minden, Nevada you might ask...Well as these |
| aren't typically open on our midweek-days off. Black | | | | getaways happen for us rather last minute, we had |
| Sheep Winery at the end of Main Street has a cute | | | | called our little casino hotel in Tahoe to get a room |
| tasting room and Irish at the opposite end of town | | | | on the 4th of July and they were selling our $65 a |
| was very talkative. I even bought a bottle of green | | | | night room for $299. We just couldn't do it. Knowing |
| wine from Irish. | | | | that even the best case scenario would likely be a |
| We continued west after Murphys to Calaveras Big | | | | very simple room at a steep price, we decided to |
| Trees State Park, the best little park for the big | | | | head to Minden instead. Once there we discovered |
| trees. Even better perhaps than those big trees in | | | | the Carson Valley Inn. You won't be disappointed in |
| Yosemite, no crowds, no traffic and you don't have | | | | the customer service if you ever find yourself here, |
| to walk down a steep hill (or up one!) to access the | | | | every employee was well focused on making our |
| trees. After a few photos and a run through the | | | | visit memorable. We ended up celebrating our |
| museum, we hit the road again, following a small | | | | "anniversary" here with an over-large room and dinner |
| stream, several camping areas and picnic grounds. | | | | at Michael's. Victor's meal was fabulous, the Kobe Flat |
| The road is quite normal by state highway standards | | | | Iron steak, I chose the duck and wished I had the |
| and I am waiting for the big cliffy stuff to start. It | | | | Kobe. We don't gamble much and this was true this |
| isn't until after we reach Alpine Lake, an immensely | | | | night also. |
| appealing stop, that things on the road changed, and | | | | Our way back we needed to stop in Murphys at that |
| immediately so. The road narrows to the smallest of | | | | great antique plumbing store to take care of the |
| possible widths for two cars to pass with no real | | | | sinks, no need hauling them all back to Groveland. |
| edge, it quickly becomes quite twisted. The sign post | | | | This time we took the less dramatic, but still beautiful |
| at the top indicates that you will drop down at a | | | | Highway 88 across the Sierras and then headed back |
| 25% grade, a phenomenal pitch. Kindly, the portions | | | | up route 4. |
| of the road that were actually this steep were also | | | | |