California Road Trip: Mammoth Lakes

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

–Mark Twain

Refund those expensive plane tickets, leave the passport at home, and ditch the foreign formalities. The destination this year is home. For the entire rest of the world, California is thee place to be, and we, lucky as we are, are fortunate enough to live here. There’s plenty to explore right in our own backyards; whether you reside in San Diego, Orange County, or Los Angeles you’re never very far from adventure. So let’s round up the crew, gas up the tank, and prepare for some Sunshine State road trippin’.

Road trip to Mammoth Lakes

The 6-7 hour trek to mountain town will be void of any coast but rich in California’s other prized landscapes. Stop in the tiny town of Lone Pine and delve into the Wild Wests’ past by paying a visit to The Beverly and Jim Rodgers Museum of Lone Pine Film History. Over 700 filmmakers have made the Eastern Sierra Nevadas’ the backdrop for their Hollywood Westerns, and the museum plays host to an extensive collection of historic memorabilia.

About an hour before you hit Mammoth, make a body-fuel stop in Bishop and stock up on some jerky at Mahogany Smoked Meats — rated by the LA Times as the “undisputed jerky champ.” Fish, beef, turkey, pork, or elk jerky, it doesn’t matter what you get, you’re embarking on mountain territory now, and it’s time you start eating like a mountain man.

Once you’ve arrived, check in at The Westin Monache Resort. The gorgeous resort is in the center of all the fun, and just steps away from the village. Forget your hiking shoes at home? Fear not, the hotel has teamed up with New Balance and will deliver all the workout gear you desire straight to your hotel room for a fee.

Gear up and head out the door for a day trip along the John Muir Trail to see the wonder that is Devil’s Postpile National Monument. A steep cliff of columnar basalt, the phenomenon was created by lava flow around 100,000 years ago. After a hike and a half, replenish your body with the best steak in town at The Mogul Restaurant, which is hands down the locals’ favorite. Order the Porterhouse Steak (and yes, you will take a side of Gorgonzola butter, thank you very much)!