more from the field trip

This is a photo of the cemetery at Manzanar, which is a historic site now part of the national park service. That's Mt. Williamson in the background (i think); Mt. Whitney is just a tad bit south.

There are more graves in the cemetery than people actually buried there, but more people died in the camp than are buried there too. I guess family members came and got the remains to rebury them closer to home. One of the internees designed the monument, and many people come to pay homage to the dead: there are paper cranes, coins, and other paraphernalia on the fence and around the markers.

Manzanar is definitely worth a stop if you're on your way to Mt. Whitney, Mammoth or the Sierras from SoCal! For one thing, the exhibit is incredibly informative and has lots of artifacts to look at, including a model of the housing and the entire camp. The exhibits are also air-conditioned, and there are clean bathrooms and great-tasting drinking fountains. And it's free! What more does one need for a great stop on a long trip?