Manzanar National Historic Site
Manzanar National Historic Site preserves the spartan remnants of a WWII concentration camp that held Japanese Americans during the war near Bishop, California
Category California
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Pleasant Valley Pit Campground
Take in jaw-dropping vistas of the Sierra Nevada mountains from Pleasant Valley Pit's primitive campground just north of Bishop, California.
Biking Movie Road
Bike the filming locations of How the West Was Won, Tremors, and Iron Man along Movie Road in the Alabama Hills outside Lone Pine, California.
Foresthill OHV Trail System
Explore old mines, reservoirs, and ghost towns along dirt roads and a network of OHV routes in the Foresthill OHV Trail System in the Tahoe National Forest.
Foresthill Bridge
The Foresthill Bridge (aka Auburn-Foresthill Bridge & Auburn Bridge) is the tallest bridge in California towering 730-feet over the North Fork American River in Placer County and the Sierra Nevada foothills
Tuttle Creek Campground
After tearing through the American west, it is a relief to finally take a bit of time to relax in the Alabama Hills. Those familiar with the location are envious. Those who are not familiar probably question what a place called “Alabama Hills” is doing outside of the state of Alabama. But, I assure you, you are familiar with these hills, even if you didn’t already know it.
Islay Creek Campground
The Islay Creek Campground is a primitive wooded campground Montaña de Oro State Park, near Morro Bay, California. The grounds include 50 camp sites, some of which sit right next to the eponymous Islay Creek. Most enjoy some degree of shade from the surrounding oak trees. The camp grounds have a wide selection of unoccupied camp sites on the off-season weeknight that we visit.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
The Sierra Nevada mountains range is host to a stunning range of natural diversity. With the ocean to the west, the desert to the east, and glacial mountaintops in between, there are new surprises to be encountered with each change in ecosystem. At about 4,700 feet in elevation and just off Alpine State Highway is a collection of giants that can grow to 325 feet tall and 33 feet wide - some as old as 2,000 years. Despite a turbulent, tragic, and occasionally uncertain history, these giants are now protected for all to enjoy in the Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
Mark Twain Cabin
I thought my directions were wrong when we turned up a steep incline and wandered down a rough but clearly residential road. I don't expect historic sites to be flanked by rural homes with horses and chicken coops. Yet, standing across the street from the accusatory glare of a neighboring donkey is the Mark Twain Cabin.
Murphys, California
The California foothills are full to bursting with beautiful historic towns but Murphys takes a place of special prominence. The "Queen of the Sierra" is quintessentially Californian. It traces its origins to the California Gold Rush but retains its relevance thanks to its proximity to the outdoor draws of Calaveras Big Trees State Park and Bear Valley Ski Resort while surrounded by vineyards. Over two dozen wine tasting rooms line the main street. While the rest of the world visits Napa and Sonoma, Californians in the know visit Murphys and other neighboring appellations .