After leaving Crater Lake and Klamath Falls, we continued south. The original intention was to stop at Lava Bed Monument, but by the time we passed Tule Lake the sun was too low in the sky. So rather than stop and camp we kept driving and driving (and driving) until we got to Reno around midnight.  We didn't get to our room at the Circus Circus until about 1:00 AM.

With just a few hours sleep, we went to a breakfast buffet and spent $15 gambling (well, mostly "gaming").  From there we drove up Interstate 80 to Truckee and the Donner Party memorial.  We continued on smaller highways down the west side of Lake Tahoe toward Mono Lake and the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite.

We spent our second night at the Circus Circus casino in Reno.

For 3 years before we left Seattle, nearly every week at a poker party there was some joke made about Circus Circus. So of course when we rolled into town after midnight the shiny lights almost seemed like a long lost friend.

We got a good night's sleep and then had some buffet before hitting the gaming rooms.

Gaming... not gambling. We spent our money at the carnival area. At least there no sense of disappointment throwing money in these machines.

Gregg tries an electronic jump rope.

I won by throwing a chicken in a pot. We gave all our prize winning tickets to kids walking by.

We even put money in photo booth.

A short drive up Interstate 80 and we came to Truckee and Donner Pass.

Near Truckee.

The Donner Pass memorial is down in the valley.

Donner Pass Memorial.

At a scenic over look on Lake Tahoe.

At a scenic over look on Lake Tahoe.

Somewhere on hiway 89 east of Luther Pass, on our way to hiway 395 and Mono Lake.

Approaching Mono Lake.

Mono Lake

Mono Lake

We arrived too late in the day. The visitor center was closed.

We are here.

We are going to spend the night there.

More of Mono Lake.

Skateboarding at the Mono Lake visitor center.

Skateboarding at the Mono Lake visitor center.

Going up Tioga Pass to enter Yosemite National Park.

We didn't know that we were taking our overloaded mini van up the highest pass in California -- 9,943 feet.

After this feat we gave the mini van the nick name "Butch".

A few miles from the entrance to Yosemite. Once in the park we found a camping site at Tuolumne Meadows.