June Lake Loop

Today we went to see three parks just off US-395 on a loop that runs around three lakes (one of which is called June Lake.)  Each lake has an RV park located on it for us to see with the benefit of driving along the edge of each of the lakes.  This area is slightly north of the Mammoth Lakes cutoff from US-395 and the trip is another astounding view of mountains mixed in with waterfalls and lake views. There is even a cafe in the middle of the trip where we find a lunch that is delicious (and healthy) with a view of Silver Lake.  The rain storms of the previous night have cleared in the early morning as we leave for our day's trip.

June Lake is the first stop and the park has a large area on the slope of a hill looking down over the lake and a launch area.  The park is busy and we find our sources of information in the well stocked store with multitudes of gift items that draw my eye, each claiming its own audience and tempting for a longer view. Though they are busy, the two camp hosts who assist us are great.  I learn one of them lives there year round in a 23 foot camper and has done so for 19 years!  He claims the county reliably plows them out in the winter and he doesn't mind the snow.  He is every bit of our age and shares this life with his wife. We drive the park with spaces tucked in between the trees and see lots of folks of all ages enjoying the outdoors.  There is no cell phone nor WiFi here which encourages everyone to step away from their electronic gadgets and enjoy the views and nature.  The joy of being a child in the woods like this (as I was raised) stirs within me and I long to linger here and play while pretending to merely be an old lady taking photos.  Well, maybe the two are intertwined.

We continue around June Lake and see the mountains we had viewed from the last RV park.  There is a bit of a town here and several vacation homes have claimed their space and views along the road.  We pass a huge rock at the beginning of town that looks as if God placed it there with His very own fingers and it measures twice the height of our car and at least the length.  While we have seen many of these boulders, this one's proximity to the road is awe inspiring and humbling at the same time when you consider the forces that moved it there and so carefully balanced it.

There is still snow melting here from small patches scattered about the slopes of the surrounding mountains.  Water is finding its way down to the lake and collecting into a waterfall effect in one spot we pass.  Waterfalls draw us to them with a desire to capture the action of the falling water, freezing it in our frame and hoping to capture its mesmerizing effect.  Due to its distance from our car, there is no sound but further down the road we see its end result as a stream gurgles over rocks into Silver Lake.

The resort at Silver Lake is gorgeous with cabins, RV sites and another great store.  The amenities are immaculate and it is a pleasure to review them aided by the very friendly staff and owner.  I mentally check off this location as a place to consider staying on next year's trip.  We see a woman walking to the lake to swim and a boy with his Dad heading is the same direction to fish.  There is kayaking or hiking for those too timid to climb into the water.  Again with no electronic gadgets, we find ourselves entertained by the scenery and people around us and I wonder why anyone would want to live in the masses of humanity ever again.

Further down the road the scenery returns to a more barren and desert look at Grant Lake which is decidedly lowered by the lack of rain.  Here there is no electricity in the RV park.  Boaters do seem to find the water enticing and several are fiddling with their boats along the dock or out in the lake.  This park is not my cup of tea, but to others the water and marina outweigh any alternative considerations.

I leave you with a cone filled willow branch chair from the Silver Lake Resort...

To Mammoth Lakes, CA

We left Bishop, CA today and traveled north again along US-395 climbing in elevation to over 8,000 feet by the time we arrived in Mammoth Lakes, CA where the mountains are just as spectacular as those we saw at Lone Pine.  The road continues to follow the valley that runs between the mountain ranges, climbing steadily with our RV taking it in stride thankfully.  The further north we progress, the more storm clouds we see gathering over the mountains to our northwest and ultimately we see rain falling from them with an occasional bolt of lightning slicing through the dark gray clouds.  We stop along the way and see one park before the rain reaches the coach.

The park is just off the highway and we find a place to park the RV and car without having to disconnect just a few steps from the entrance to the park.  A large stream runs through the park entertaining both young and fishermen alike.  The stream flows into a lake on the property and creates a wonderful area within the park for a serene view for anyone to enjoy.

Our inspection revolves around a pleasant conversation with the park hosts and Jim is given a grand tour of the grounds while I compile the computer information we need.  While we are here, I see the most amazing cone someone has collected and put in the office at the park.  It is incredibly heavy and huge-every bit of a foot long.  I cannot find out what it is from (pine, fir, conifer or something else) but will keep looking to identify it for us.

Then we continue on to Mammoth Lakes and find a late lunch in a small cafe after checking into our RV park for the next three days.  It is delicious.  Mammoth Lakes is busy with a Jazz Festival starting the day after our arrival.  The RV park where we are staying has virtually no Wifi and phone service is marginal.  This is a condition we will have to become accustomed to over the next several stops and it is frustrating since so much of our work depends upon it.  This town is both a summer and winter destination with ski slopes nearby and shops catering to a multitude of sports for either season.

Relief from the heat is wondrous and we can finally turn off the air conditioner in the coach.  The altitude does have an impact on our breathing and heart rates whenever we walk about the park.  We are staying now in the woods and fir trees rise all around us and pine cones collect about the back edges of the spaces and in the common areas around the park's buildings.  It is hard not to collect a bag of them to take home to decorate for Christmas.  There is a bike path that runs along the highway and we see people walking and biking by the front of the park.  It is pleasant and a relief to relax here without the heat.

Bishop CA

Continuing north along US-395, we pass the site of fish hatcheries.  The mountain streams and lakes here are famous for trout fishing and thus a huge draw for many of the campers we encounter.  Here too is the vast Los Angeles Aqueduct system that drains down the many lakes of this region to serve its citizens.  I have mixed emotions about seeing this area’s sacrifice of water to support the city of L.A.  The necessity of water for the fields of the San Fernando Valley’s crops is justifiable, even if it leaves little for this valley aside from cattle ranching and growing alfalfa hay.  Although we did not encounter them, this area harbors a herd of Tule elk, a subspecies of Elk found only in California and rare California bighorn sheep.

We also cross en route to Bishop the Big Pine Volcanic Field where rock hounds search for gems and minerals among the dark black and brown rocks reflecting their fiery birth.  To our west is the largest glacier field of the Sierra Nevada range, the Palisade Crest.  To our east roads lead over the White Mountains to the Death Valley National Park or a 10,000-foot climb to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest with its thousands of year old, wind shaped, gnarly pines.  It was tempting to seek them out, but we had to leave them also for the next trip.

Volcanism and earthquake activity still occur in this valley creating hot springs through this part of the valley that hosts Bishop.  One of our parks actually has a hot spring pool and spa heated naturally to 90 degrees and 104 degrees respectively, which are open year round.  On one of our longer days it seems like a grand idea to join those floating in this pool, but unfortunately we did not stay at this particular park during our time in Bishop.  Outside the pool area there was a rock sculpture and the original bathhouse building constructed in the 1920s.  We found an Internet café here, which helped us to get our work done while we sipped on awesome ice cold Italian sodas. 

Bishop is the main commercial area of this valley.   We found a super market and K-Mart and bought gas not knowing what the next leg of the journey to Mammoth Lakes would yield.  They host an annual event here called the “Mule Days Celebration” on Memorial Day, as well as a Wild West Rodeo, complete with stagecoach parades, arts and crafts, concerts and dancing.  It sounds like an event that would be entertaining to experience.

This is the first time we have stayed at a park without full hookups.  I learned the meaning of water management well during our three-night stay.  (Little did I know at the time that this would become the norm for the next two parks after this one as well.)  After our inspections in the area, we learned where to stay the next time for full hook-ups.  We left Bishop seeing the moon set over the mountains and continue up US-395 to Mammoth Lakes along this trail of exotic mountains knowing why people settled here amid all of this natural beauty.

  

RV Parks with Golf

Here is the article I wrote for Good Sam on RV Parks with Golf published today.  Just click on the link to read my latest published article for them...

Lone Pine, CA

Continuing north along US-395 we come to Lone Pine, California with the Sierra Nevada Mountains becoming even more impressive.  Here we are able to view Muir Crest with Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the Continental United States at an elevation of 14,508 feet and Lone Pine Peak at a mere 12,944 feet.  This is a climber and hiker’s paradise. 

We stayed in Boulder Creek RV Resort here, a wonderful RV park with beautiful trees, spaces and amenities.  One morning I got up at 6 am to watch the sun climb the slopes of Mt. Whitney.  It is an awesome start to the day with cool temperatures and singing birds to keep me company as I walked around the park taking photographs.  The rise in elevation has given us a welcomed relief from the heat especially early in the morning. 

 Just off Main Street, a row of rocky outcroppings made up of clusters of colorful granite boulders and sand called the Alabama Hills creates a barrier between town and the mountains to the west.  These hills were thrust up suddenly in 1872 during an earthquake equivalent to the one that leveled San Francisco in 1907.  An 1872 cemetery at the north end of Lone Pine attests to the devastation when Lone Pine was practically destroyed entirely by this earthquake.  A road leads through the Alabama Hills, across the desert landscape of Horseshoe Meadow and then ascends to the base of Mt. Whitney to around the 8,400-foot level along a narrow, winding switchback called Whitney Portal.

It is well worth the harrowing climb in your car for the views of the mountains as you climb and the valley views as you descend.  At the end of the road is the trailhead to Mt. Whitney as well as the John Muir trail to Yosemite through the mountains.  We shared a breakfast with a young man who had just completed the 225-mile hike from Yosemite in ten days averaging 22.5 miles per day only eating peanut butter and energy bars.  The over generous servings of pancakes, eggs, sausage and hash browns served by the café at the trailhead is a boon to hikers and to those of us who traveled there by virtue of the café’s reputation.  Eating amid the redwood trees next to a rushing alpine stream and entertained by birds anxious to share in the bounty was exhilarating.  Brandon shared a ride back down the mountain in our car after breakfast.  It was a pleasure hearing his story of following in John Muir’s footsteps and we enjoyed the unique pleasure of his company that arose merely from a friendly interchange of conversation over breakfast at a shared picnic table.

The town of Lone Pine is small and western styled.  We celebrated my birthday here in a Chinese Restaurant called the “Merry Go Round” with a wonderful waiter along with the restaurant’s owner whose authentic Chinese cooking was superb.  Steamed pot stickers, Hunan chicken and Mongolian beef were delicious choices and we went home with enough for lunch the next day.

 

This is the site of many Hollywood movies and their history is preserved in a local museum located in Lone Pine.  Up the road a piece is Manzanar National Historical site of the Japanese-American citizen internment camp during World War II with an interpretive center.  Remnants of foundations and still standing guard towers attest to the grim atmosphere of that war here. 

There is much to do in this little town and two days was hardly long enough.  We will have to linger longer on the next trip through.  

Mojave, CA

We turned the corner from our southerly trek through the Central Valley at Bakersfield and moved east to the other side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains today to Mojave and the desert.  If we thought the Valley and Bakersfield in particular were warm, we now discovered the true meaning of H-O-T!

The park we decided to stay in was definitely an oasis in the middle of the desert but with only 30-amp service available, our air conditioning struggled to overcome an outdoor temperature of 108 degrees.  Cold water became the definite beverage of choice, although there were times when I thought something stronger might be in order.  Then we opted for Arnold Palmer iced tea with lemonade.

Joshua plants are prevalent here as they are in some parts of Arizona.  We discovered Tehachapi (a town a few miles south of where we are staying with three RV parks to inspect) interestingly is slightly cooler because of its higher elevation.  It also has a more vibrant town with more shopping available.  The mountains here are fascinatingly beautiful.  I find myself taking multiple photos of them during the day as the light upon their slopes changes.

The owner of the park where we are staying makes quilt beds for the local animal shelter here out of colorful fabrics on one side and recycled jeans on the other with a nice padding in between.  (I had to buy one for Snoopy at the mere cost of $7!)  She makes them in two sizes.  One that fits a small crate and another is larger for bigger crates.  She donates most to the shelter, selling a few at the RV Park to cover her costs.  Her husband makes jewelry.  They pass their time caring for the park and doing crafts.  We enjoyed spending several occasions visiting with them during our stay.

Vintage Pinball

Seeing something unusual or creative in a park always makes our visit more interesting.  Such was the case recently when we encountered a park’s fascinating game room consisting of a variety of vintage pinball and arcade machines that were operated before the modern versions of computer generated arcade games.  This park had several and all of them still work!  It would have been fun to have time to play a few of them while we were there, but sadly we did not try any of them while we were there.  The owner accumulated the collection of machines over the years and he decided to put them into a game room at his park. 

Test your love, look into the future, compete in a bike race, tackle a pinball machine or take a “knotty peek” with these and you will enjoy some old fashioned fun.  Lost Hills RV Park is located just off Interstate-5 east of Bakersfield.  We really had fun meeting the staff and owners at the park.  They were all so friendly.  That always makes a visit more fun.  They are making an awesome effort at their park to make it inviting and clean which makes the inspection easy and the temptation to stay there even greater the next time we come down Interstate-5.