Leave the crowds of the main Yosemite valley and travel up to the stunning sub-alpine meadow area of Tuolumne Meadows. An easy walk of 2.4 kms along the river, surrounded by alpine flower meadows takes you to the Soda Springs; hidden in a wooden shack the water tastes just like gin and tonic!
Follow the road 13 miles east to Lee Vining and Mono Lake; a huge salty lake and an oasis in the dry Great Basin. With strange shaped tufa rock formations in the lake and a backdrop of extinct volcanoes, this is a bizarre, but threatened place; the excellent visitors centre tells the story. Stay in Lee Vining for a real frontier experience; spend some time bathing in one of the many hot springs and visit Bodie, a wild west ghost town.
Park at Lembert Dome Parking area, or take the shuttle bus, for the start of the Soda Springs walk. Highway 120 to Lee Vining opens in the spring. Bodie is north of Lee Vining.
www.monolake.org
For lots of information about the history of the lake and the area.
Google map: tinyurl.com/3ysljby
I always recommend that visitors to LA see this art deco building with its three domes and the best view of LA, as well as offering a planetarium show and telescopes that public may view. 10-10 Sat Sun and Tue to Fri 12-10
Griffith Park, Shuttle bus on Sat and Sun from Red line subway station at Vermont and Sunset griffithobservatory.org +1 213.473.0800