Jun 16 - 24 Quincy, CA PART 1

Arrived in Quincy to the Pioneer RV Park. This is a very nice, clean and spacious park. The owners are very involved in the day to day operation of the park and keep the place immaculate. They are very helpful and accommodating. Highly recommend this campsite. This is a great location to be to gain access to the myriad of outdoor activities available in the area. There is not much in town as far as restaurants or things to do, however, there are tons of outdoor activities to do in the area especially a huge network of logging roads that are open to the public throughout the Plumas National Forest...

  

The drive from Bishop to Quincy was breathtaking with a myriad of mountain views and lakes along the way...

  

  

BUCKS LAKE
We visited Bucks Lake located about 14 miles west of Quincy. This lake is at 5,100 feet elevation and it is very nice.

         

Next to Bucks Lake is a smaller lake called Lower Bucks Lake. This is just beautiful with no power boats permitted...

        

SILVER LAKE
But by far the most beautiful lake was Silver Lake. This Lake is a short drive from Quincy, but on an unpaved and sometimes pretty rough road with again, stunning views...



  

     

SNAKE LAKE
We visited Snake Lake.... unfortunately, this lake is covered in lily pads and you can barely see the water...

      

LAKE ALMANOR
Lake Almanor is north of Quincy and the largest lake in the area... The background on the lake looking Northwest is Lassen Peak... Very developed lake with plenty of hotels, resorts, RV camping and restaurants available.

   

LAKE TAHOE - East Side
Drove down the east side of Lake Tahoe to meet the hikers in South Lake Tahoe. The views are just incredible. The water is the bluest we have seen thus far.

Jun 09 - 16, 2016 Bishop, California

Stayed at the Highlands RV Park in Bishop. This park is on the outskirts of town right off the highway. Site are paved and very clean, but close to each other. Roads are narrow especially for big rigs. No dog run, but they have an area for dogs to do "their thing".

  

MONO LAKE
North America's second oldest lake... We visited the South Tufa Reserve area of this lake where you can take a mile-long walk among the tufa. Tufa are these rather large rock formations created by the flow of springs under the lake that bring mineral deposits to create them. The lake water is so low, that some of the Tufa is now exposed.

We also walked the rim trail around Panum Crater. This is the left over crater of an ancient volcano

JUNE LAKE
June Lake Loop passes through the resort town of June Lake and four lakes: Grant, Silver, Gull and June.


   


MAMMOTH LAKES
We enjoyed visiting the ski resort town of Mammoth Lakes. We planned to see Rainbow Falls and Devils Postpile but the road was closed due to snow. We drove as far as we could which was to Minaret Vista.

             



CONVICT LAKE
A small but pretty lake perfect for families. Named for a couple of escaped convicts that were captured here...

 


















ANCIENT BRISTLECONE PINE FOREST
This is a must see! It is located about 25 miles east of Big Pine on steep and winding White Mountain Road. There are two hiking trails you can take from Schulman Grove Visitor Center. At 10,000' you can see the oldest living things on earth. Some of these trees are over 4,000 years old

  

We drove the rough 12 mile road to The Patriarch Grove where the largest bristlecone pines can be found. We were surprised to see a lone wild horse (Campito the Wild Horse) there and learned that he has been seen there every year since the 1990s.

   

A view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains from the road at around 9,000 feet...

Jun 02 - 09, 2016 Lone Pine, California

Arrived in Lone Pine and set up at the Boulder Creek RV Resort. Nice big park with dusty sites all through the property. Big boulders separate the sites from each other. Needed to be careful not to hit a boulder at arrival and departure since you cannot see them from the coach. Small pool and a hot tub that was not working... bummer!!!

  

Lone Pine is at the foot hills of the Sierras and very close to Mount Whitney. The views of the Sierras are stunning even from town...

Incredible sunset from the park...

ALABAMA HILLS

This is an area with rock formations in between The Sierras and Lone Pine. Many movies have been shot here through the years... mostly westerns, but also Start Trek Movies... it's easy to see why!

You can even see Mt. Whitney through the rocks!! 

MANZANAR

Manzanar is the camp used to detain Japanese during WWII. This is a beautiful place with an unfortunate background... There are just a few structures reconstructed, but it was mostly demolished after that period...

    

DEATH VALLEY

HOT is the only way to describe Death Valley. A long 125 mile drive from Lone Pine through some absolutely beautiful mountains...



Just before the final descent you drive through a real sand desert...

  

And then you are there: Bad Water Basin... 282 feet below sea level!!!

  
Yes, that is salt! We were lucky, the temperature that day was a very cool 112!!!

On the way out of Bad Water Basin we drove the Artist Drive road... The colors in these mountains are just unreal... Pictures do not do it justice!!!

  

  

  

WHITNEY PORTAL

Whitney Portal is the closest location you can drive to and climb up Mount Whitney. It is at an elevation of over 8,000 feet, but still way shy of Whitney's 14,505 feet, so you still have a long hard climb to the top. This is a very nice campground with lots of water...

  



  

Our stay in Lone Pine was only a week. We could have stayed here longer and enjoyed all the places nearby... we will be back!!!