Road Trip to Awesomeness - Day Five and Home

We thought we might do another day of exploring and end up staying overnight in Reno before heading home, but I have to tell you, this day would sort of "finish me off" for further adventures.  We didn't do the Devil's Postpile or Bodie after all.  Instead, we made the most of our morning, and used our afternoon to "horse to the barn"; taking turns driving and dozing and raving at the views that we were offered.
In the end, we toted up some stats: 3 National Parks, 6 new Counties, 1364 miles driven, lots of new stuff learned.  What a trip.  We're ready for the next one, but it'll have to wait until we've slowed down on doing all there is coming up this summer.

It's 5 a.m in Lone Pine, and this is the pre-sun view of Mt. Whitney and the Sierras.  Gosh, it made my heart sing!  Later, we would eat breakfast in the building farthest away, and eat with hikers from the hostel, which is the closer building.

Heading out to watch the sunrise

Before the light actually touches the tips

It's beginning to pink!

The light is on it fully.  It came on so fast!

Heading to see the Arch Rock that Jeffery had been to before.

The view as the light creeps down the peaks

Jeffery and I at the Arch Rock with Mt. Whitney behind us.

A stranger posed for me with Mt. Whitney

Jeffery waving from a rock that seemed so close when he hopped up on it.

The brown foreground mound is differently formed; more rectangular stackings and plinths.  See the cars?  People camp out among the formations, which we would like to do in the future.

See me down in the shadows?

Jeffery and a rock doing a shade-selfie together

The sun is coming down to meet us now

See the jack rabbit?

Cactus?

Cactus

I loved this leaning stack, and still can't figure out how all these formations were created, despite explanations.

Headed back to the car to get on the road north.  What a time we've had in this cool place.

Information and map

The turn-off to Manzanar, where the U.S. placed over 10,000 Japanese in internment during WWII.

The guard tower from afar

Plaque

Block 14 has been created to give us the sense of how people made life bearable in this barren place

One of the family spaces in one of the barracks.  The Japanese made all the furniture and privacy screens and toys for themselves, as they were provided with none of those things.

Close-up of work done to make a long hanging banner

Here it is in full view

The orchard

Pears are still growing on the trees!

One of the gardens that must have been such a solace to those who were imprisoned here.

An explanation about the gardens, which were several around the internment camp

The cemetary

Closer up

These guard houses were built by the internees, which struck us as another of the strange tangles that came from this sad moment in U.S. history

Old Courthouse in Bridgeport CA

Last view from Bridgeport and on towards home without further ado.

So many more views were viewed, but the days had been long, so we drove straight home, stopping only for gas, mail, and ice cream.  What a trip of discovery and magic.  Thank you, dear Jeffery!