We just left an absolutely beautiful spot just North of Mammoth Lakes, California on dispersed forest land. (off of Owens River Road). We had a nice large sunny spot all to ourselves and it was easy to get to and had good cell service. Plus the weather was perfect and there were no mosquitos! RVing doesn’t get much better than that.

We took advantage of the area while we were there for four days. There are a LOT of things to do within an hour’s drive of where we were parked. We started off by going into Mammoth Lakes Visitor Center – one of the ways we found out what to see and do. Then we drove up to Mammoth Mountain where we took the mandatory shuttle into the Devils Postpile National Monument.

The shuttle was standing room only and they really packed us in. But we were last in so I had a nice view out the windshield. And it was so nice to be back in the green!

We got off on the first shuttle stop to hike to the Postpile – something I’ve always wanted to see in person.

It didn’t disappoint. We hiked around the fascinating rock formations, then followed the trail along a river to see the aptly named Rainbow Falls.

It was a crowded spot there, so we hiked down to Lower Falls where we watched some guys jump off the rocks. (We stayed high and dry).

Then we hiked back up to the end of the shuttle route at the Red Meadow Resort to get a ride back to our car. It is a re-supply station along the Pacific Coast Trail (PCT) which is on Tom’s bucket list. He is planning on doing about 30 miles on the trail perhaps next summer. I will drop him off and pick him up – primitive camping is not for me!

Leaving Mammoth Mountain, we stopped at a brewery in town. After a beer, Tom added to the sticker pole with an Xscapers sticker.

Then we drove down Hwy 395 to Hot Creek Geologic Site – a natural not springs flowing into the river.

It was late in the day, and we were almost the only ones hiking around there. It was fascinating. I confess to hopping over the fence to touch the hot water – as many before had obviously done.

Another thing I found to do in the area was see the strange arch formations at Crowley Lake. Information on how to get there was hard to come by, but I knew we needed 4 wheel drive to maneuver the roads. After a couple of wrong turns, we finally found the correct dirt road, but as we got within view of the lake, it was clear it was just too late in the day. We didn’t want to have to make our way back on the rocky and rutted roads after dark. So we did a mission abort and saved it for another trip. Click here to see what I wanted to find.

The next day we went with Tom’s choices. First choice from his bucket list: a visit to Bodie Ghost Town, rated the number one ghost town in the US.

It was amazing to me how many people – and how many international travelers – were there. There was a lot to check out and you could easily spend a couple of days wandering around the old buildings. To get in to see the old mining buildings, you needed to be on a guided tour. We just used our walking guide tour map and spent quite a while looking into old homes and businesses where time stood still.

They are obviously into preservation, not restoration, but it was very interesting to get a glimpse into life there from the 1880’s.

Coming back from there, we stopped at an overlook to Mono Lake – and Tom added to their sticker collection. Apparently it’s a thing in this area.

On our way back home we stopped at the Mono Lake visitor center, then drove down to the South Lake Tufa area. It was an amazing landscape and I enjoyed walking around barefoot.

I learned the history of the lake that goes to nowhere and how it was diverted to LA in the early 40’s. That’s when the strange formations appeared above water.

Seagulls from the California Coast (100 miles straight west) fly over to raise their young, and the birds were everywhere.

The next day we stayed home to just enjoy the weather and work. Tom washed the outside of the RV, while I worked online all day long. My brain was tired from all I had to learn about setting up a new website (for the fairies). Tom even had to help when I got too frustrated with the process. I know this will be a work in progress for a long time to come. 

Now we are on our way through the exciting drive across the Tioga Pass. Many times the road stays closed all year because of snow (like this). You actually have to travel through Yosemite National Park, and it was hard not to be able to stop and hike because it was such a beautiful day.

We see many RV Rentals on our travels, with their big pictures on the back, but this is the first time we saw a picture of the national park while IN the national park! (the pic on the right)

As sad as we are to leave our great camp and head into the San Joaquin Valley heat, we are excited to be seeing family. Now our focus shifts to grandkids. Hopefully the new one will arrive on time!

Happy travels,

Peace & Love, Joy