Thursday 19 June 2008

On the Road Again

Whenever we are on a self-drive vacation, I am always the one performing multi-tasking along the way. Besides being the 'human-version' of the neverlost GPS navigation system, I have to double up as the camera man, offer my assistance whenever my kids have problem struggling to unwrap the assortments of snacks and 'feeding' my husband with tibits and drinks. I even have to make a constant effort to strike up a conversion just to make sure the driver doesn't doze off on the wheels! Luckily, gone were the days we had to stopped by the road to do emergency diaper changing. Anyway, I pretty much enjoyed the tasks so long that I don't have to do the driving!


Unlike our past road trips, it was quite peaceful at the back of the car this time round. I don't know whether to be thankful to the Gameboys and PSP which kept the boys so engaged and busy with..but somehow I missed the songs, silly jokes, gigglings, and the occasional squabbles that kept us occupied during the entire journey on our past driving trips. I think I have to make it a point not to bring any of these electronic devices on our next trip.


The night before, we were still discussing on the best route for our drive from Lake Tahoe to the Yosemite National Park. We only managed to decide on a route during breakfast just before leaving the motel. I opted for an easier route via Highway 395 all the way, instead of taking the more scenic route via Highway 89 which would take a much longer time. As such, I thought there wouldn't be much to expect during this 3 to 4 hrs drive to our destination.


I was wrong. In fact, we were met with the most beautiful scenery along the way once we hit highway 395 just minutes after leaving Lake Tahoe...







just look at the Sierra Nevada (Spanish for "Snowy Range") mountain range at the far distance...


fields dotted with cows gracing in the morning sun...

and could you believe that all the above photos were taken while the car was moving at a speed of about 100km/h? It has got nothing to do with the camera...the scenery is just so stunning that anyone can snap a postcard-perfect picture along the way.


It was late morning before we reached Mono Lake...



and soon we were on our way to the entrance of the Yosemite park...


the views got more and more spectacular along the Tioga Pass road (which only opens end May to October).


At an elevation of getting close to 3000m, I tried to force my ears to 'pop' while at the same time keeping my eyes fixed to the spectacular views ahead...


Although it was freezing cold, we had to pull over by the road when we saw this lake. The place was so tranquil and serene...


it was a bliss to be able to stand by the lake just to enjoy this breathtaking scenic view of the whole area. Although we were at this spot for not more than 10 mins, the memory of this place will stay on for a long long time.

This little segment of our entire road trip truly fits in to the saying "the journey is the destination".


5 comments:

Constance Chan said...

I love the scenery you have taken..

Anonymous said...

Gosh, what beautiful scenic photographs! The mountain range looks absolutely breathtaking :)

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, those pictures are so gorgeous. I can only imagine how that must have been to actually see all this beauty! Bet it was wonderful!

Edith said...

Reading about your trip brings back memories for me. Thanks for sharing.

kris said...

Wonderful pics! Greetings from Italy!