Bishop California, Paradise in the Eastern Sierra

Fishing in the High Sierras.
Skiing in the High Sierras, cross country or downhill.
Snowmobiling in the High Sierras.
Hiking in the High Sierras.
Visit Palisade Glacier.
Visit the Alabama Hills.
Visit the Ancient Bristlecomb Pine Forrest.
Visit Yosimite National Park, only 80 miles away.
Visit any of the hundreds of crystal clear lakes in the area.
Go ballooning in Mammoth.
The list could go on for quite awhile.

Quick Tips:

Be smart, check the weather and road conditions before you come up. www.us395.com is a good start.

Check on available lodging or camping facilities before you come. While Bishop is a small town with a fair number of hotel rooms, on tourist weekends the rooms here can become scarce.More info www.scenic395.com and www.sierrawilderness.com

Best Way To Get Around:

There is only one sure way to get around in Bishop or anywhere in the Owens Valley, your own personal vehicle. There are no taxis or buses to speak of.

The Creekside Inn is a nice diversion for my wife and I to get away from the teenagers once and awhile. The rooms here are clean and nicely appointed. The rooms which face Bishop Creek are slightly more expensive than those facing the parking lot. The price does vary quite a bit depending upon day of the week and peak season. This Motel is centrally located across from the local park, and just down the street is Schat''s Bakery.

My wife and I celebrate our anniversary on February 14, and this motel fits the bill nicely as it offers an indoor pool, spa and gym.T o make matters even better, it is centrally located in town. The rooms here are reasonably priced, well appointed, and service is good. We use this place to get away from our teenagers when we need a break from them, since we are locals they usually upgrade our room to a suite.

The Paradise Lodge is a virtual piece of history here. This resort has been in continous operation since 1916. Situated 16 miles north of Bishop, it stands alone, (literally). There are no other businesses or homes around it. This lodge sits on a bend of Lower Rock Creek. As a matter of fact, it's dining room stretches across Rock Creek, and its deck sits right next to this small brook.

To find this restaurant, call the number I supplied, it's your only hope. The effort is well worth it however, as the food is excellent and the price is reasonable.

If you visit during summer, be sure to have a coctail on the deck while you watch anglers flyfishing just upstream. Try the Crab or Prime Rib, both are excellent. Make sure to check on Jakes Specials. Ordering off the bar menu can save money also.

This restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday, 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM or maybe a little later depending on business. They sometimes close in January or February. Call ahead to make sure.

Remember, this is where the locals go to treat themselves.

Schat's Bakery is a local icon in this area. They bill themselves as the home of the orriginal Sheepherder Bread, and they are not kidding. This has simply got to be one of the best bakeries on earth. This is evident by the number of tour busses that park across the street. If you are traveling through Bishop California, this is a must stop. This bakery has been in continous operation here since 1938 and once you sample the product, you will see why.

Schat's Bakery offers almost every type of bread imaginable, and more. You can sample the fantastic assortment of pastries, cookies, cakes, tarts, and pies. Also available are sandwiches at the deli of many kinds, made to order as you wait. My personal favorite is The Mule Kick on Rye with home made Split Pea Soup. You can eat inside but my wife and I prefer to sit outside and watch the world go by. You can also eat in the beautiful park across the street with Bishop Creek running through it, and ducks galore. If the kids are not partial to the healthy foods of Schat's then you are also in luck as Carl's Jr. is right across the street.

Make sure not to miss Schat's if you're in Bishop, you won't regret it! You can also call the toll free number and request a free mail order catalog at 888-224-7647.

The owner of this fine restaurant is a stickler on service and quality food, and it shows. Firehouse Grill is located in the heart of town, and is within walking distance of most things in town, like the park, and Holiday Inn Express is across the street while The Creekside Inn is just down the street.

At The Firehouse Grill, the owner insists on quality meats and produce. He once returned an entire order of pork as it was not good enough for his customers. In order to do this he had to take all pork dishes off the menu for a week, but he didn't serve his customers inferior quality.

The atmosphere is of quiet elegant dining, with an excellent wine list. Banquet facilities are available as is a bar. There is plenty of available seating, and a twist not found in many restaurants, the kitchen is visible from the restaurant. You can actually see the food being prepared and thus assure yourself of the cleanliness and quality of the meal.

We recently compared lunch prices at several of the local restaurants in town and found this restaurant less expensive than many in town, and certainly offers better food. A Bar Burger special, offered everyday is $5.95 and it's huge, and made with only the best meats in town. The Bar Fish and Chips is the only one I order here; it actually surpasses the Fish and Chips I've had in London in both quality and taste.

Dinner here is excellent and offers a dining experience to suit every taste. A tip here: try the alligator.

I recommend this restaurant highly.

This festival is held on Columbus Day weekend and can be a lot of fun. Celebrating 75 years of western film making in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine. Tours are offered of the various movie locations, including information on the films and actors, but the fun doesn't stop there.

There is a parade, a movie memorabillia show, food booths, pit barbeque and dance along with western music, arts and crafts fair and western theme poetry.

The real charm of this festival is it's setting, the Alabama Hills with Mount Witney as a backdrop. Given the setting and the festival, this trip can make a perfect weekend getaway while allowing the visitor to relax in the splendor of the Eastern Sierra.

After a day or week of hiking or other sports in the Sierras a visit to the Keough Hot Springs Resort can soothe those aching muscles and relax your mind. The waters or this spring have long been rumored to be therapeutic. I'm not certain of that, but they are sure relaxing.

The Brown family bought the run down facility in 1999 and have renovated it. There are actually two pools here. First is the shallow Hot Pool and the deeper swimming pool. Both pools are surrounded by walls reducing wind and allowing more usage throughout the year. The hot pool has a roof for winter while the swiming pool is open for tanning. They rent towels and have a snack bar.

This is a good way to unwind after a long day.

Why anyone would want to celebrate the existence of the Death Valley Mule is beyond me, but every year on Memorial Day Weekend in Bishop that's exactly what they do. This long running local event has been signaling the near arrival of summer here since 1939. This celebration is packed with things to do and virtually the whole town gets into the act.

Features include the longest running non-motorized parade, concerts, dances, B-B-Ques, arts, crafts, golf tournament, mule clinics, and much more.

Be advised that hotel prices go up significantly during this weekend as the event attracts a lot of people.For tickets and information you can call 760-872-4263 or email the at muledays@qnet.com, or I think they may have a web page at www.muledays.org.

The ancient Bristlecomb Forest sits at 10,000 ft atop the White Mountains as if they were guarding the Owens Valley. Some of the ancient and odd looking twisted trees have silently stood on this site for 4,700 years. It has been said that standing amongst these ancient beings while looking down on the valley floor can make you realize how small we humans really are.

To get to this site turn east of US 395 on hwy 168 and travel 13 miles toward Westgard Pass then turn left on White Mountain Road and go for another 11 miles to Shulman Grove. Several miles beyond that is Patriarch Grove.

Camping is available but limited.For more information call the White Mountain Ranger District at 760-873-2500.

Please call the ranger station and make sure that the road to the Bristlcomb Pine Forrest is open. The gate the road during winter due to snow.

Since I don't like the taste of fish, I have long since given up fishing. I have fished at the Horseshoe, and it's fun. The local guides charge for taking you there, but if you are a good fisherman, you really don't need one. I would not venture to this place--the combination of unfamiliar country, steep grades, and rattlers make this a risky proposition at best.

One of the local fishermen here catches 75 catch and release a day at the horseshoe. It is possibly the best flyfishing area in Eastern California. While I wouldn't count on the same results, you are sure to have a good time. Some of the pools here are 100' lond, 20'wide, and eight feet deep. I would suggest bringing a pair of waders,and check for current fishing regulations. Follow these regulations to the letter as Fish and Game here are tough.

I will draw a map, and scan it in to aid in locating this great fishing spot.

The Sierras form an ominous barrier to the east of the Mojave Desert, creating unusual weather patterns in the area. If you're lucky, you may see some of the most unusual cloud formations seen anywhere. Unfortunately, I rarely have a camera in my hand when these happen and can only stand and watch when they do occur. I have actually seen traffic stop on Highway 395 to photograph these natural wonders.

One night while at work, I was fortunate enough to snap a picture of this unusual cloud formation from my control room in The Owens Gorge. I thought some people might find it interesting to see what they can sometimes witness out here.