From the Desert to the Big Valley

On May 26th, we left Mesquite Springs campground and headed back out to the main road in Death Valley. We headed 5 miles north past the unmanned ranger station at Grapevine and drove into the Ubehebe Crater area. It is the remains of an ancient volcano. Just a few hundred years ago a massive volcanic explosion caused by magma mixing with an underground spring, shattered the silence of northern Death Valley. When the cinders and dust settled, this 600 foot deep crater remained. Despite the craters and elaborate erosion we could hike along the rim and see several other craters. The only wildlife we saw were a pair of ravens watching us.

We retraced out driving route out south on Scotty's Castle Road and stopped at Stovepipe Well. We drove into the site of the historic well. This waterhole is the only one in the sand dune area of Death Valley. And was at the junction of two Indian trails. During the mining phase of valley history, when sand obscured the spot, a length of stovepipe was inserted as a marker. Hence it's unique name.

We then picked up Route 190 west and began the long ascent out through Paramint Springs and out of the National Park. We split off onto route 136 and headed up to Lone Pine to begin a journey up Route 395 North. Lone Pine had lots of interesting stops to check out. Our first stop was at the road junction and the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor's Center. We got updated information on what public lands camping areas were open and headed to our first tourist spot.

Bob especially loved Lone Pine Film History Museum. It showcased memorabilia from over 650 movies filmed in the area. We saw a 15 minute short film that showcased movie clips from over 400 films made right here in the Museum's Back Lot- the iconic Alabama Hills. Bob especially loved the old Westerns. Roy, Gene, Hoppy, the "Duke" are but a few great film and TV series heroes that are honored in exhibits through photos, costumes, props, scripts and priceless movie posters. From there we headed up into town and stopped at the Bonanza Restaurant, for a tasty Mexican lunch.

We then headed to Manzanar National Historic Site. In 1942, the United States government ordered more than 110,000 men, women and children to leave their homes and detained them in remote, military-style camps. Manzanar War Relocation Center was one of 10 camps where Japanese American Citizens and resident Japanese aliens were confined during WWII. It was enlightening to see and hear their personal stories. Established as a National Historic Site in 1992, Manzanar also tells the stories of Owens Valley Paiute life, the homesteading era, and the fruit-growing community of Manzanar.

From there we didn't have to travel but a few more miles downtown to the Eastern California Museum in Independence, CA. It showcased "fancy" and "utilitarian" baskets, arrowheads, beadwork and ceremonial dress housed in the Anna and OK Kelley Gallery of Native American Life. There were exhibits here too of the Japanese Americans in the Manzanar encampment, frontier and ranch farm life exhibits, gems and minerals, and the hydro projects built to bring water down to the highly populated Los Angeles. We closed the place at 5 pm sharp and headed uphill just into the mountains. Camp was at Lower Gray Meadows along a babbling stream. A signpost near the site reminded us to be on watch for rattlesnakes. The snow capped Sierra Nevada range above us made for a nice cool night.

"Going Places with Smiling Faces!"