FEATURED CITIES INCLUDE: Ridgecrest, Kernville, Lake Isabella, Lone Pine, Olancha, Bishop and Inyokern

RIDGECREST
Ridgecrest boasts Metropolitan amenities with small town affordability... dozens of natural and man made attractions... and the most consistent great weather in North America. Ridgecrest, California, is the perfect oasis for your next vacation!

Located in the Mojave "High Desert" Ridgecrest is a blend of old west and gold mining history combined with the contemporary high technology of the Navy's top rated research and development facility, China Lake.

Ridgecrest's 350 days a year of sunshine provide the perfect climate for dozens of outdoor activities: hunting, fishing, boating, skiing (snow and water), back packing, mountain climbing, rock hounding, horseback riding, off road vehicle fun, land yachting... or just relaxing at one of its hotels, motels, or bed and breakfasts. Breathtaking sunrises and sunsets are a specialty.

Located along the 178 Corridor, Ridgecrest is one of Tour 178's featured cities. It is conveniently located just two hours from Death Valley National Park, three hours from Los Angeles and four hours from Las Vegas and San Diego.

KERNVILLE
Kern County is called California's Golden Empire for a good reason. This grand and historic area, where settlers once sought the riches brough by gold and the "black gold" of oil, is now a place of golden opportunity. Kern County is filled with booming cities and an unparalleled quality of life. Kernville is the host of Whiskey Flat Days, which is a leap back to the good ol' wild west days when the area was settled by gold miners, cattle ranchers and trappers. Kernville reverts to its old name "Whiskey Flat" for four nostalgic days of fun or the entire family. Kernville is also home of the Kern Valley Museum, where you will find artifacts and memorabilia which make the history of this valley come alive, including Indians, Gold Mining, Farming and Ranching, Lumbering and Western Movies.

LAKE ISABELLA
Surrounded by the spectacular Sequoia National Forest in beautiful, scenic Kern River Valley, Lake Isabella is a feature point of Tour 178. In 1953, the U.S. Corps of Engineers build earthen dams across two forks of the Kern River to create the Isabella Resevoir, Kern County's largest body of water year round with a surface area of 11,200 acres. Lake Isabella now bustless with year-round activities including camping; fishing for trout, bass, bluegill, crappie and catfish; golf; hiking; motorcross driving; photography; snow skiing at nearby Shirley Meadows and Sugar Loaf Peak; and water sports including boating, sailing, water skiing, jetskiing, windsurfing and fishing.

LONE PINE
The main attraction of the Lone Pine area is undoubtedly Mt. Whitney. With its summit elevation of 14,496, it is the highest peak in the U. S. outside of Alaska. There is much more to Lone Pine than Mt. Whitney however.

The Alabama Hills offer the chance to get lost in a maze of beatiful rock formations. These exquisite ramparts have provided many movie makers with a unique and exciting setting for their films. The annual film festival in Lone Pine pays homage to the history of film making in this area.

Trout fishing gets an early start in the Eastern Sierra with the opening day in the Lone Pine area being the first Saturday in March. Mountain biking is another enticing option during the spring. The endless dirt roads which abound in the Owens Valley offer challenging rides as well as meandering journeys through the sage and cacti.

OLANCHA
High desert area right next to the Sierra 's with 10,000' peaks towering above; dry lake - Owens Lake nearby. Elevation 3648', Population 134. Area Activities include: Backpacking, camping, Death Valley National Park, Fossil Falls, Ghost Towns, Golden Trout Wilderness, Nine Mile Canyon Road, Walker Creek, Sage Flat, Olanch Peak, Backroad Exploration and more!

BISHOP
Bishop boasts a beautiful park on it's Main Street, which is comprised of 40 acres of lawn, shade trees, picnic areas, swimming pool, tennis courts, baseball diamonds and a lake with a restful pavilion in the center. There is even a jogging course on the path around the lake and places for volleyball and roller skating.

There are other parks nearby, including Bulpitt Park on West Line Street, which is mostly reserved for group picnics and barbeques, and the Millpond recreational complex about six miles northwest of town which offers lake swimming, horseshoe pitching, picnicking, softball fields, tennis courts, a playground, a BMX track for cyclists, an RV park and equestrian center. And while you're out in that area, stop and watch the Eastern Sierra Flyers put their model airplanes through intricate maneuvers at their location on Ed Powers Road.

For golfers, there is the Bishop Country Club just south of town which offers a challenging 18-hole course with all the amenities.

There are two fine museums in the vicinity; the Laws Railroad Museum on Hwy. 6, about three miles north of town, which will transport you back to the days of the "Slim Princess" narrow gauge train, and the Piute- Shoshone Indian Cultural Center on West Line Street. Over a thousand years ago, long before Samuel Bishop arrived, the Indians were the only inhabitants of this area. Today, there are still approximately 2,000 Native Americans living on the Bishop Reservation, the largest of four reservations located in the Owens Valley.

There are also many enjoyable day trips from Bishop. To the north, Mammoth Lakes provides great skiing in the winter and fishing, pack trips and sight seeing (Devil's Postpile, Inyo Craters, Rainbow Falls, etc.) the rest of the year. Other day trips north include Crowley Lake, Convict Lake, the June Lake Loop and the indescribable Mono Lake with its eerie tufa towers. A little further north are Bodie State Park and Mono County's historical Courthouse in Bridgeport.

To the south, you can visit the Anciant Bristlecone Pines off Hwy. 168, and the Eastern California Museum, the Commander's House and other points of interest in Independence.

INYOKERN
Inyokern is a small funky desert town, close to Hwy 395 & Hwy 14. There are minimal restaurants and grocery stores, so keep that in mind when travelling through. With a population of 984, Inyokern activities include camping, OHV Routes, backroad exploration, Inyo National Forest, horseback riding, Eastern Sierra, Death Valley National Park and Panamint Valley.

 

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