Picnicked on the banks of Silver Lake. Decided to do one more short hike. Suppose it was short, 2.1 miles. But the increase in elevation was1300ft. We don't pick the easy ones. The trail in places was more suited to the nimble feet of a mountain goat than the hiking boot clad feet of human beings. Anyway we survived the ordeal. Just! The reward was fantastic views over the surrounding mountains and lakes. Got up to Lake Agnew 8,503ft! Got the photo to prove it. ...

Decided to go in search of some Fall foliage. Wanted a lazy day ( haha!) after all the travelling. Fat chance! Headed off for June Lake Loop, as suggested by the Visitor Centre. Thought we might do a short hike. First of all the road was closed so had to follow diversion, so really had no idea as to where we were going. (Do we ever?) Stopped at Gull Lake, an easy, family friendly hike! Until of course the trail was closed. Ended up on a mountain bike trail. We a...

Good flight, all ten and a half hours! More movies than you could possibly watch. Plenty of legroom. Even got a view of Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Still beats me how they can get such huge planes in the air, but they do. And our pilot managed an incredibly soft landing.

The roads were much quieter today. In fact, so quiet that at times we couldn't see another car on the road. At most there were only about half a dozen in view. Road was so straight, just set cruise control and went to sleep! (Only joking!) Drove across the Mojave Desert, loads of Joshua trees and lots of scrubby bushes, the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the distance. Stopped at Lone Pine, which has a renowned film history, as many Westerns were made in the area. Al...

Was driving past Manzanar and remembered it from some Ansell Adams photos we once saw. It's a National Historic Monument, once a relocation camp. The Japanese who were living in the USA in 1942, after the Pearl Harbour bombing, were forcibly taken there for their "own protection". It's in the middle of the desert and resembled a concentration camp, surrounded by high barbed wire fences with watchtowers and armed guards. They were kept there until 1945. Ronald Reg...