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After a few days to recover from our wintery detour, we are ready to go exploring. Our first priority is to enjoy the Amador County wine region. Could we go wine tasting in Napa? Sure. But that is crowded and overexposed. There is plenty of fine wine to be discovered across California. And our hosts are well versed in their local wineries.
We had a simple and scenic plan when leaving the Alabama Hills. We would trace the eastern Sierras up to Lake Tahoe and then cross over to the Western Sierras where friends were ready to great us upon our arrival. However, before we could even reach Bishop, highway patrol waved us over. There were extreme gusts along our route, we had to take a scenic detour through Nevada.
After tearing through the American west, it is a relief to finally take a bit of time to relax in the Alabama Hills. Those familiar with the location are envious. Those who are not familiar probably question what a place called “Alabama Hills” is doing outside of the state of Alabama. But, I assure you, you are familiar with these hills, even if you didn’t already know it.
When we pull off I-40 for Petrified Forest National Park, I expect to be looking at rocks. Yet, it takes us a while to get to the rocks. We are so distracted by the breathtaking views! The Painted Desert is result of the Chinle Formation. It is a mineral deposit from river beds over 200 million years ago, during the Late Triassic Period.