to Topaz Lake 12 June 2021

Quickly onto the freeway from Damiana's, and a bunch of crowded, fast, twisty miles to Tracy, where we got off the freeway and plunged into post-modern sanity: the Tracy Saturday Farmer's Market. Here in California's fruit basket, there was an unbelievable abundance of lovely fruit.

Via back roads from Tracy through Stockton and into the foothills to Jackson, where we lunched at the lovely Rosebud's – Rochelle deemed the Philly Sandwich worthy of the name “Philly Cheesesteak,” an unusual exception in California, and the Caesar was good too. Then into the mountains via California 88 over Carson and Monarch Passes. Rochelle took the last four.

Below, Silver Lake with Kirkwood Mountain behind; the rugged approach to Carson Pass; Caples Lake; the high desert before Monarch Pass; the Antelope Valley from Monitor Pass, with Nevada's White Mountains in the background; Topaz Lake. Rochelle took the last four pictures.

That last lake is Topaz Lake, one of those remaining and unstolen by Los Angeles along the east side of the Sierras. Topaz Lodge is barely in Nevada (so: gambling!) and we decided this was far enough for one day, and better than Mammoth, because fewer Angelenos. What we have instead (because we're barely over the state line into Nevada): slot machines!