Highs and lows

Originally posted on MySpace on April 16, 2007.

It was very chilly in South Lake Tahoe this morning...low 30s! I was almost looking forward to the warmer temperatures I was traveling to today. Lake Tahoe in located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and I spent much of the morning driving at high elevation, around 7000 ft. I took Hwy 395, the main north-south route in eastern California. It's a nice, well-maintained road, but that's not the main reason I selected that highway. As I briefly touched on yesterday, the Five For Fighting song California Justice prominently features it in its lyrics. Not only that, John often takes this drive to and from Tahoe...a favorite vacation destination.

As I traveled south, I was impressed by the mountain scenery, giving way to high desert. I was eager to get to Bakersfield...I wouldn't have to drive too much today, thankfully. I only had a couple of points of interest on the agenda...one being the California Justice town of Lone Pine. But, before that, there was somewhere else a lot more important. About 10 miles south of Independence, is Manzanar National Historic Site.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Manzanar, it was the site of one of 10 Japanese relocation...some like to call it internment...camps established during World War II, after the Pearl Harbor attack. All people of Japanese ancestry on the mainland, regardless of their U.S. citizenship, were forced to leave everything and move to one of these camps. The justification of such government actions has been debated over the years, but ultimately can be agreed it was a shameful moment in American history. One that should never be repeated...I wonder if some people in this day and age need a refresher course? They should look no further than Manzanar.

The U.S. Park Service administers the Manzanar historic site. There is a visitor's center with audio-visual displays and artifacts. In addition, a self-guided auto tour of the Manzanar site allows you to see the actual camp grounds. I was pressed for time, so I kind of breezed throught the visitor's center...to be honest, I'm familiar with the history already. I was more interested in the auto tour. As I drove through the site, it really brought to home how difficult it must have been for the internees. After all, it's all desert...blazing hot in summer, bitter cold in winter. If you ever find yourself driving 395, take an hour or two to check out Manzanar...you'll never forget the experience. OK, enough of the history lesson...on to Lone Pine!

Lone Pine is actually a nice little town. As I entered the city limits, I saw a sign on the side of the road...Lone Pine...Little Town, Lots of Charm. How quaint! So, according to the California Justice song lyrics, he took a left at Lone Pine to get to Mt Whitney. I found the junction, and took a photo of the sign...you'll see the intersection in the pic section. Mt Whitney, itself, is majestic and impressive...another photo. I was done...onward to Bakersfield!

So, tomorrow is the big day...the start of the Five For Fighting World Tour! It all takes place at the Majestic Fox Theater. I'll be dropping by the Kelly 95.3 radio station in the morning to pick up window stickers. Hopefully, I can get some info on the bus arrival, since I have NO IDEA when that will be. I would love to meet John before the show, but I'm trying not to get my hopes TOO high. Still...it would be nice!

Tomorrow...will I get any sleep tonight?