Mono Lake and Mammoth Lakes

The next day after our second tour of Yosemite, it was time to leave the Evergreen Lodge and head to The Village Lodge in Mammoth Lakes.  To get there, we used the Tioga Pass (the seasonal road [CA 120] through Yosemite) and then turned right onto Scenic Byway US Route 395 South.

When planning the trip, I didn't think much about the roads we would need to take; they looked pretty unimpressive on a map.  (Most highways around here aren't very scenic.)  So, I was a little surprised when both these highways, CA 120 and US 395, felt like they were taking us back in time to the American Frontier or the Wild West.  There were snow covered mountains, snow-melt lakes, dusty prairies, abandoned mining shacks, tall pine trees, and rolling tumbleweeds.  We were in awe during the two and a half hour trip to Mammoth Lakes, and come to find out, this area is used a lot in Hollywood films.  We even saw a set for a new Netflix series.  (Unfortunately, we didn't find out what they were filming.)

The Village Lodge at Mammoth Lakes is this cool, upscale resort area, frequented by skiers during the winter and tourists/adventure seekers in the summer.  There was a Yoga Festival going on during the few days that we stayed at the lodge, but there were plenty of people there to do some extreme rock climbing or mountain biking.  My original thought was to use these few days for some resting by the pool side, but with 50 to 70 degree weather, it was hardly warm enough to enjoy the outdoor pool.  (I think we used it once.)

We changed gears and decided to use our few days to go sightseeing.  Each morning, we started our day with a crepe from the Side Door Cafe and Wine Bar in the Village.  Then we ventured out to see the Mammoth Lakes Basin (in Mammoth) and Mono Lake (in Lee Vining).  To see the Mammoth Lakes (namely Lake Mary, Lake George, Lake Mamie, the Twin Lakes, and Horseshoe Lake) we took the Town Trolley.  We had the trolley drop us off at the Horseshoe Lake where we walked around, took some pictures, and even dared to go in for a dip.

It was a 50 degree day at the Lakes Basin.  My husband, as usual, did not dress for the weather...

The striking uniqueness of this lake is that it's surrounded by 120 acres of dead trees.  The trees are thought to have died from high levels of naturally occurring CO₂ from a gas reservoir reservoir under Mammoth Mountain.

The water was so clean!!

The next day, we traveled US 395 North to Lee Vining (right outside of Yosemite) to see Mono Lake, also known as the Mono Basin National Forest.  We had passed by the lake on our ride to Mammoth Lakes and knew we wanted to go back.  Besides being told it was an area we'd want to visit, we also saw for ourselves its majestic beauty.

The lake is strangely located between the Sierra Nevada Range and volcanic formations on three sides.  It's unique because 1) it's one of the oldest lakes in North America, estimated to be at least 760,000 years old, 2) it has no outlet, which means "for thousands of years, streams have carried minerals into the lake and evaporation has removed fresh water from it, making its salinity content over twice that of the ocean," 3) no fish live in the lake, but "the high desert environment harbors a thriving ecosystem of plant and animal species--some found nowhere else in the world," and 4) some of its strange beauty comes from the tufa tower formations, which are made of limestone; these towers were made "when fresh water springs containing calcium bubbled up to meet the carbonate-rich lake water" from Mono Lake.  (All information is from our Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area visitor sheet written by the U.S. Forest Service and the United States Department of Agriculture.)

Learning about the Lake at the Visitor Center was extraordinary, but seeing it for ourselves was awe inspiring.  The pictures speak for themselves...

The Mono Basin National Forest Visitor Center

Our visit to Mono Lake ended with a trip to the Whoa Nelli Deli in Lee Vining.  Everyone told us their fish tacos were superb, and while I'm not a fish taco person, I can say their burger was outstanding.  The restaurant is part of a Mobile gas station, which made us second guess its rave reviews, but I changed my mind once we went inside.  For one, the place had a great gift shop, and second, they played live music outside, so we could sit and enjoy the music, enjoy the food, and enjoy the view of Mono Lake.

The Whoa Nellie Deli

Outside sitting area of the restaurant.

When planning our trip to Yosemite, I never gave much thought to the Mammoth Lakes area.  It was supposed to be the part of our trip for rest and relaxation, but I soon discovered that this side of California is just as beautiful as the West Coast.  Filled with majestic beauty and a unique history, there were still many more places for us to see.  For example, there is the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest or the Brodie State Historic Park (which is an old ghost town of a mining village from 1877 to 1888).  I want to come back!