395 in 10 1/2 Hours

Any boy mommy, whose son has married, knows the delights of getting her boy alone for any amount of time. Due to weekend plans, our younger child was held captive for over 10 hours as we headed south on US 395. I was in Mom Heaven.

Our first stop was only 54 miles from our cabin. Walker Coffee is our new, on-the-road favorite. Great employees, tasty coffee, and they keep my frequent buyer card on file so I don't have to think about where it might be.

“Not all who wander are lost; some are simply looking for coffee.”

My view for 10 ½ hours!

This image captures our parental GLEE.

Our next stop, 244 miles from our coffee pause, was Fossil Falls.

Fossil Falls don't have either fossils or falls. What one will finds, rather, is a spectacular lava flow sculpted by rushing water and wind late in the Ice Ages—a “fossil” of nature’s handiwork.

This is one of the most unique geological features we've seen. The rugged and primitive features of Fossil Falls are the product of volcanic activity from as recently as 20,000 years ago. Lava from the local volcanic eruptions poured into the Owens River channel. The erosional forces of the river acted upon this volcanic rock, forming the polished and sculptured features that now can be ogled here. This is my third visit to Fossil Falls and I am just as impressed.