Took the family to the woods. We are near bass lake about a half hour from the park entrance. Any of you guys familiar with the area and can make some non touristy suggestions. Ok. Even touristy is fine with the kids.

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Let us know if you see Bigfoot.

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Sure you did

Nearby to Sonora? Visit the Yos-se-mite Coffin factory. That's how it was pronounced. Nothing left but the building. Also, check out the red, Victorian house at the fork in the road. Both are historic.

Murphy's Hotel in Murphy's. Where Mark Twain and Brett Harte stayed.

Go east young man and visit Bodie. (Seriously, return home via 395) Visit Manzanar Internment Camp, the Dutch bakery outside of Bridgeport, Mammoth Springs) Go north and go downslope via Downieville. Hit Placerville ("Hangtown") for a "Hangtown Fry". Any of the Gold Rush Towns along Hwy 49 (The Gold Highway). Look up the "Chinee War" in Mok Hill (Mokelumne Hill).

I already checked out Bass lake and Manzinita lake. All the tooed up gang bangers made me feel right at home. can't wait to see what gangs are roaming through Yosemite.

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Beware of the real surly ones wearing fur and coming out at night. Hang out on the back trails, panhandling food from your backpack or breaking into your vehicle! Often mothers with their delinquent children, living out of dumpsters!

There is a melodrama theatre in Oakhurst that I find enjoyable

Golden Chain Theatre

I am 53 years out of date as I worked for the NPS in 1960. Our work camp was at wawona. We used to hang out at fish camp evenings. I used to know all the surrounding area but I and most of it must be prehistoric these days. One of the best six months of my life. Was a blister rust checker. They cross trained us for fire fighting and I think as a large crew we seen more fire than the guys that hired in as fire guards did. Lots of good memories.

Don't go towards Mammoth Pool ( NE) - large forest fire and roads,campgrounds etc closed

Aspen fire chars about 11,000 acres, expected to grow | Local News | FresnoBee.com

Many years ago my buddies and I stayed at one of the campgrounds at Bass Lake. I look over and see my buddy using his binoculars to ogle a young lady in a bikini who was about 50 feet away. Unfortunately his field of view at the magnification he was using was so narrow he failed to spot her father, coming toward us with his firewood ax. We decided that an early start on the drive home sounded good.

Dinner tomorrow night. Any of you ever been there?

The Forks Resort at Bass Lake California: Lodging, Boat Rentals, Restaurant, General Store

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It's been a few years since I was in that area, and the last time I used a Navy helicopter to pull a guy off of Half Dome.

If you haven't been up to Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Pass, I do recommend them, but during the week as the public is less numerous then. Good fishing in the streams up there, and good hiking on the trails.

Then continue over the pass, and down to Lee Vining. You can see Mono Lake there, where they filmed "High Plains Drifter", and then go over to Bodie, which is an old gold mining town made into a CA state park. Then I'd go north on US 395 to Carson City NV, and Virginia City. Both are worth the price of admission. Continue on the Reno, pick up I 80 over Donner Pass, and see all of the mining towns on the west side of the Sierra Nevada. Then on to Sacramento and "Old Sac" if you're interested. From there you can pick up the 5 back to LA, or go over to Monterrey and Carmel and take the PCH.

I've done all of those drives a few times back in the 80's and early 90's when I was living in Lemoore, and that route has lots of interesting sites on it. It may be too much to take in all at once, but IMO it takes in the best parts of Kali-well, except for the central valley which from what I understand has become Aztlan in recent days.

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