Highway 6 – A Long, Deserted Drive

I was sad to leave Yosemite this morning. As we drove along the Tioga Road, I was continually amazed by the surrounding beauty of the mountains and trees. I have never been to a place quite as beautiful – it must be God’s country. Now I understand why Ansel Adams spent so much time here. I felt some solidarity with him. Even though I was not lugging heavy camera equipment on our hikes, I was carrying Addison, so I got a feel for what it must have been like for him.

We spent our day driving across Nevada. Though it was a long drive, and what few towns we came across were often tiny or abandoned, I was grateful for the beautiful scenery. The desert was not at all what I expected. Huge brown, craggy mountains rose from yellow and green fields. There are cows everywhere!

Plus, Addison took a turn driving for us so we could rest! 😉

Tonight we have an incredible campsite at Great Basin National Park. There is a stream behind our site, which is the most secluded we’ve had yet. I know we’ll all sleep well listening to the rush of water so nearby. I managed to start a fire with some kindling and small branches I found around the site, and Kendra and I feasted on chicken sausages with quinoa on the side.

We spent a few hours sleeping in the car when a lightening storm passed through, but then moved back to the tent once it passed. As I looked up at the sky, I was blown away by the number of stars. We spoke with an astronomer earlier in the day who is running an astronomy workshop at the park, and he told us that on the east coast, we see roughly 2,000 stars, but out in Nevada, you can see roughly 6,000.