Tioga Toomey's Whoa Nellie Deli

Again at the suggestion of the Klugs, I had a beauty of a short hike up to May Lake, on the quiet side of Yosemite, on the Tioga Pass road heading east out of the park.

What a sight, what a day.
After May Lake’s beauty, I slowly finished the drive
to and through Tioga Pass. It’s a drive full of beautiful panoramas,
and the views towards Clouds Rest ridge and peak (tomorrow’s hike), and to Half Dome, are stunning, spectacular.


That evening, I found the El Mono Hotel featuring the Latte Da Café
in quirky Lee Vining, CA. I'm picking up quite a bit of Spanish while in California. “El Mono Hotel” translates loosely into English as “The Mono Hotel.” (Mono Lake is across the street.) Spanish seems easier than French, and the food is spicier, and served in larger quantities, too. Anyway, rooms were $60, or $45 with a bathroom down the hall. You know darn well which room I took and my economy was rewarded with a bright and clean room, no bugs, and with better towels than Sunday River housekeeping passes out at our $400/night condo. So, El Mono earns the $45 No Bug designation in my travel guide, narrowly bettering the $45 One Bug Hotel in Nebraska. Honestly, I should put an asterisk on the No Bug* designation as there were three little micro-mini ants on my camera this morning. They were eating the remnants of a Power Bar that melted in my pack and stuck to my camera, so it’s really my fault, and they were actually being helpful. So we’ll designate the El Mono Hotel featuring the Latte Da Café as a $45 No Bug* Hotel.

I asked the helpful El Mono owner for the insider’s dining recommendation in Lee Vining. Without hesitation, she said, “Go back to the Mobil gas station. It’s the best.”
“I drove to California from New Hampshire and you want me to eat supper in a gas station?”
“Hey, you chose a room without a bathroom. You might as well complete the experience and eat dinner at a gas station.” Everybody is a joker.
Well, what a fine recommendation it was. The Mobil station features “Tioga Toomey’s Whoa Nellie Deli, with World Famous Fish Tacos.” What a feast I had. I took the world’s advice and ordered the tacos, with a side of mashed potatoes.
Delish, and fun and fast service, too. Full of regulars, tourists, uniformed employees of Your Government, and whacked out employees. I paid with my debit card, and they about threw me a parade when they saw my name matched the name of their favorite cook, who had the night off. In New England, most Irish guys are named “John Riley,” and it doesn’t get me much attention.