Cerro Gordo
Unless you're a lover of ghost towns you're not likely to go to Cerro Gordo. It's a little off the beaten track up a mountain on a twisty bumpy dirt road above the Owens Dry Lake and the small town of Keeler. It's worth the effort to find it, although progress is slow the current owner is doing a fine job of restoration .
Lone Pine's Movie Heritage
About 60 miles north of Ridgecrest on Highway 395 is the town of Lone Pine, named for a single pine that stood at the mouth of a canyon. Although the pine was lost years ago in a flood the town remains. Outside Lone Pine are the Alabama Hills. You may not realize it but it's pretty likely you've seen the area at least once. They've been making films and commercials here since the 20s. You could also take the drive up the side of Mount Whitney to Whitney Portals and have a picnic. If you're really ambitious you could get a permit and make the hike up to the top and sign the guestbook. Mt. Whitney is the highest point in the continental United States.
Winnedumah Hotel, Independence CA
We spent out 25th anniversary here. Like alot of places in this part of California it's in the process of being restored. It was a great place. Independence is also home to the Eastern Sierra Museum which houses artifacts from local Indian tribes, early mining days, and the Japanese internment camp of Manzanar. The American nation did a terrible thing to these people out of fear but many of the items found there show they had great strength even in adversity. It's a fascinating display.
Brown's Town Campground
This campground is right outside Bishop and is our favorite place to park the 5th wheel while we visit. It's right next to the golf course. Larry can get in 18 holes and I can feed the ducks and critique the golfers.
Bishop CA
Bishop is a wonderful little town on the way to Mammoth Mountain, very scenic, very homey with quaint little stores and lots of atmoshpere, not to mention I have some cousins that live there. A good place to stop is Schat's Bakery. They make cheese bread that is to die for, no better yet to kill for! It's right on Main Street but you need to plan to walk a ways cause you can never find find any parking nearby. It's that popular a spot.
Laws
Railroad Museum
While there you just have to stop and see the railroad museum at Laws, just outside Bishop, home of the remaining Slim Princess narrow gauge engine. The buildings at Laws were part of the set for the movie "Nevada Smith" with Steve McQueen and Karl Malden. They preserved an entire street with the station master's home and have a wonderful collection of old bottles, and some really scary looking medical equipment in one of the other buildings. There's a real feeling of the old west to be found here.
Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort
One of the best places in Califonia to ski. In a good year they ski until June.
June Lake CA
Just up the road a piece from Mammoth Mountain is another ski resort and camping area. It's not as bustling but there's great history here and beautiful scenery.
Mono Lake
A very "other wordly" area Mono Lake has a variety of interesting features. I like the way the tufa towers stand starkly against the sky. Millions of birds stop here during migration and at least one species comes here each year to nest.
Bodie CA
A must see place to visit. There's something about Bodie that haunts you. So little of it remains yet it's huge for a ghost town. I was particularly struck by the number of children's graves in the cemetery. It's a high lonely place and must have been even more so when the severe winter storms limited travel. Even trees don't seem to want to stay there. I can't imagine spending the winter in all this desolation.
Southern California
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