PROOF

ROAD TRIPS VIVA LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS TO YOSE M ITE AN D BACK
1,175 miles

PHOTO BY JEFFREY PANG/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

KEARSARGE LAKES
AT KINGS CANYON
NATIONAL PARK

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 Viva Las Vegas
From the lights of Las Vegas to the wonders in Yosemite,
you'll be on a winning streak during this 1,175-mile
adventure.
W
hile the glittering lights
and entertainment in Las
Vegas can be intoxicat-
ing, there is much to be
PHOTO BY JEFFREY PANG/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
discovered beyond The
Strip. After catching a show and lounging
by your hotel pool, load up your car and
head to the Springs Preserve for a whirlwind
primer on area history, geology and critters.
A hidden gem, this 180-acre nature preserve
features indoor interactive exhibits on living
sustainably in the desert, the humble begin-
nings of Sin City and the habits of its an-
cient and modern inhabitants.
From there, head to Death Valley Nation-
al Park. Then drive north through what’s
YOS2018_RoadTrips_Vegas_PROOF.indd 75
known as “the other side of California,” a
startlingly beautiful high desert with sparse-
ly populated towns full of character. Enter
Yosemite through the East Entrance, tak-
ing Tioga Road past alpine meadows before
dropping into Yosemite Valley. On your re-
turn route to Vegas, exit the park through
the South Entrance and visit Sequoia and
Kings Canyon national parks.
Just outside of Sequoia and Kings Can-
yon national parks lies Tulare County. It's
one of the most productive agriculture areas
in the world, making it a great place to do
agri-tours, dine at restaurants serving locally
produced food and see the dazzling murals
in Exeter. Learn more in the pages to follow.
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 ROAD TRIPS VIVA LAS VEGAS
LAS VEGAS TO DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PAR K
118 miles, 2 hours and 15 minutes

FAR OUT
The largest national park in the contiguous
United States, Death Valley National Park is
just 142 miles from Las Vegas, but you might
as well have landed on the moon. Stretching
across 3.4 million acres, the park is made up
of a patchwork of salt flats, badlands, artfully
colored hills and ruins from those who dared
to settle in this unforgiving landscape. You'll
COURTESY

also find the lowest point in North America in

BYDEPOSIT

Badwater Basin, which sits 282 feet below

sea level and is home to nearly 200 square
PHOTOSBY
PHOTO

miles of salt flats.

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 Try Your Luck
Before you drive out of Bishop, fuel up at the
lowest-priced gas pumps in town at Paiute
Palace Gas Station.

N
ot a gambler but want to roll the dice for
fun? Head to the Paiute Palace Casino for
$15 worth of free slot play when you present a
current California or Nevada fishing license, a
current hunting license or current ski pass to
Mammoth or June Lake Ski Resort. It’s open 24 hours. The
casino offers free rides to and from the venue on its shuttle
if you call 760-873-4150.
Located between Los Angeles and Reno, the Paiute Pal-
ace Casino was established in October 1995 and has grown
from its early beginnings to a state-of-the-art Las Vegas
style gaming casino. It has more than 300 slot machines, six
table games, a restaurant and bar/lounge and more than
160 employees. The Paiute Palace Casino boasts the high-
est percentage of Native American employees in the state
with more than 60 percent.

Visit it at 2742 N. Sierra Hwy., in Bishop, Calif., or learn

more at paiutepalace.com.

TheOtherSideofCalifornia.com
DEATH VALLEY AND THE EASTERN SIERRA
PHOTOSBY
PHOTO COURTESY
BYDEPOSIT

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 ROAD TRIPS VIVA LAS VEGAS
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PAR K TO B ISHOP, CALI F.
162 miles, 2 hours and 56 minutes

The Other Side

Discover extraordinary beauty and the great outdoors east of Yosemite.

as the “Methuselah” tree, is still

alive after 4,849 years, making
it one of the oldest living things
on Earth. Walk among it and
other ancient bristlecone pines,
many more than 2,000 years old,
in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine
Forest in the White Mountains
an hour’s drive east of Bishop.
It’s just one of many unique
experiences you can have in the
Bishop area where crowds are
non-existent, trout-fishing and
bouldering are world-class and lo-
cals are happy to see you. It’s the
kind of place where you can drive
20 miles and it takes 20 minutes
because there's no traffic.  
“It’s a different part of Califor-
nia,” says Tawni Thomson, exec-
utive director of the Bishop Area
Chamber of Commerce & Visi-
tors Bureau. “You think of Holly-
wood with its glitz and glamour.
We don’t have that here. We’re
just real people. We have wide
open spaces and people are re-
OWENS RIVER laxed here.”
Discover the area’s history

N
in Bishop’s vibrant downtown
murals and see its artsy side in

ot long after the mammoth went extinct and
before Stonehenge was built more than 4,000
years ago, a young bristlecone pine seedling
burst through the soil near Bishop, Calif.
Today, that bristlecone pine tree, known
PHOTO COURTESY BISHOP AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND VISSITORS BUREAU BY DAVID WOLFE
downtown galleries. A big surprise is its diversity of res-
taurants from Thai and Chinese to Italian.
Stop by the Bishop Visitor Center at 690 N. Main St. or
learn more at bishopvisitor.com.

PHOTOS BY GRANT ORDELHEIDE, GLORIA WADZINSKI (ROCHE)

Sights to See
While the scenery in Inyo County is absolutely mesmerizing, so is its local culture. Here are three museums to see.

MANZANAR NATIONAL THE EASTERN CALIFORNIA LAWS RAILROAD MUSEUM

HISTORIC SITE
Six miles south of Independence
An estimated 10,000 Japanese Americans were
held in Manzanar after the bombing of Pearl
Harbor during World War II. While most of the site
was dismantled after the war, a replica barrack
and mess hall offer insights into camp life, and
the restored camp auditorium serves as a visitor
center.; 5001 Highway 395 or go to nps.gov/manz
MUSEUM
Independence
Peer through a window into the area’s rich past at this
museum. You’ll find baskets from Owens Valley Paiute-
Shoshone and Death Valley Panamint-Shoshone, the
Slim Princess, a fully restored narrow gauge steam
locomotive, tales of local mountaineer Norman Clyde
and a petrified mammoth leg from the Ice Age; 155 N.
Grant St.; inyocounty.us/ecmsite/exhibits
Five miles north of Bishop
Go back in time to see what early railroad
settlements looked like at this museum.
Each restored building and train help paint a
picture of life in the Owens Valley more than
100 years ago. Ride the green 1927 Death
Valley Railroad car during the summer. The
museum is located north of Bishop off of
U.S. 6; lawsmuseum.org

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 Read the Rocks
Nunatak
Nunataks are mountains that towered high enough to escape the
grind of advancing glaciers, leaving jagged, toothy peaks intact.
SEE IT: Take the 7-mile (round-trip) hike to Upper Cathedral Lake
Here's how to decipher the park's unique to see 10,912-foot Cathedral Peak, a double-peaked nunatak,
geology. rising above the water.
PHOTO COURTESY BISHOP AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND VISSITORS BUREAU BY DAVID WOLFE

PHOTOS BY GRANT ORDELHEIDE, GLORIA WADZINSKI (ROCHE)

Rôche Moutonnée Hanging Valley Granite Dome Glacial Erratic

Similar to domes, these have
asymmetrical ridges smoothed
by passing glaciers.
SEE IT: Hike 5.2 miles (round-
trip) to summit Lembert Dome
(despite its name, it’s actually a
rôche moutonnée), a fun
scramble with views of Tuolumne
Meadows.
When glaciers downcut a
valley's main channel more
deeply and quickly than its
tributary valleys, it leaves the
tributary “hanging” above the
valley when glaciers melt.
SEE IT: Bridalveil Fall
pours from a hanging valley. See it
from Tunnel View on
Wawona Road.
These round-topped peaks
formed about 65 million years
ago when igneous rock within
the Earth cooled to form granite
before being uplifted to the
surface. The top layers cleaved
off, rounding the peaks.
SEE IT: Half Dome and El
Capitan, strenuous hikes, are
visible from many viewpoints.
Ever wonder how a hulking,
boulder came to rest in a
meadow? Glaciers plow up
chunks of rock and debris as
they pass, depositing them
haphazardly.
SEE IT: Scan the rocky slopes
at Olmsted Point west of Tenaya
Lake on Tioga Road, to see
erratics dotting the area.

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 ROAD TRIPS VIVA LAS VEGAS
B ISHOP TO YOSE M ITE NATIONAL PAR K AN D TH E N COARSEGOLD, CALI F.
184 miles, 4 hours and 41 minutes

Pool Time
Relax and have fun at Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino near Yosemite’s South Entrance.

I
f spending time outdoors has you dreaming of
swimming pools, a massage and a clean hotel room,
consider getting pampered for a night or two at
Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino.
Just 30 miles from Yosemite’s South Entrance,

PHOTO BY MIKKI PIPER COURTESY CHUKCHANSI GOLD RESORT & CASINO

you can swim up to a poolside bar in a heated indoor
and outdoor pool, get a pedicure or roll the dice in the
56,000-square-foot gaming area at Chukchansi Gold Resort
& Casino. Chukchansi also has an outdoor summer concert
series and monthly comedy shows for those 21 and over.
Owned by the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians,
the resort has five restaurants offering something for every-
one. Head to the Vintage Steakhouse for fine dining that
includes steak and seafood. For Asian food, try the Noodle
Bar that serves authentic Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and
Japanese dishes. Those with a sweet tooth should stop in at
The Bakery for pastries, cakes and panini sandwiches.

Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino is located off Hwy. 41 three

miles south of the town of Coarsegold, 12 miles south of Oakhurst THE POOL AT
and 30 miles south of Yosemite’s South Entrance. Learn more at CHUKCHANSI GOLD
RESORT & CASINO
chukchansigold.com.

Play for fun

when you stay...
Something for everyone!
Fun for the night..
Fun for Life... at CHUKCHANSI!
PHOTO BY DEPOSIT

Hwy 41 North To Coarsegold | Minutes from Yosemite

www.chukchansigold.com | 866.794.6946

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  Majestic Mountain Loop
Visit three stunning national parks in three days.

I
f the only national park
you visit in California is GIANT SEQUOIA IN
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK
Yosemite, you’ll miss seeing
the world’s largest living
PHOTO BY MIKKI PIPER COURTESY CHUKCHANSI GOLD RESORT & CASINO

tree, which grows a short

drive away.
Just five hours north of Los
Angeles, the legendary General
Sherman Tree lives in Sequoia
National Park. Part of the fun is
getting there as you drive through
the awe-inspiring Tunnel Log,
formed when a giant sequoia fell
across the park road in 1937. The
General Sherman Tree reaches 275
feet up to the sky and is 102 feet
in circumference at its base.
“People do not realize how close
the three national parks are,”
says Rhonda Salisbury, CEO of
Visit Yosemite|Madera County,
referring to Sequoia, Kings
Canyon and Yosemite national
parks. “If you are in California
for a week, you can see three
amazing parks in three days.”
In Kings Canyon National
Park, next to Sequoia, you can
explore the General Grant Tree
and Boyden Cave, giving you a
rare opportunity to see the Earth
from the inside. A huge bonus is
you see incredible natural wonders
without the crowds. While more
than 4 million visitors flock to
Yosemite each year, only 1.7
million make it to Sequoia and
Kings Canyon.
But Yosemite’s beauty is not
to be missed, so drive two hours
north to the park. Before you get
to Yosemite’s South Entrance,
stop in Oakhurst to fuel up on
supplies, food and gas. Then head
to Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine
Railroad to ride a steam train
and pan for gold. By the time you
arrive in Yosemite, you’ll have
two additional stamps on your
National Parks Passport. Don't
miss the Mariposa Grove of Giant
PHOTO BY DEPOSIT

Sequoias reopening in spring 2018.  

Learn more at majesticmountain

loop.com.

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 ROAD TRIPS VIVA LAS VEGAS
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PAR K TO VISALIA, CALI F.
57 miles, 1 hour and 53 minutes
Fields of Dreams
It’s not easy to feed the world, but someone’s got to do it. See how it’s done.
I
t’s a nice twist of fate that actor Kevin Costner who
starred in the 1989 film Field of Dreams attended high
school in Tulare County.   olive oil. Owners Ryan and Kyle Sawatzky are the fifth
Today the county has a minor league team that
serves as a feeder to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But the majority of fields, which roll up to the towering
Sierra Nevada mountains to the east, are filled with the
intoxicating scent of peaches, table grapes, nectarines,
kiwis, oranges, walnuts and beyond.   1908 governed by African Americans. While its prominence
“We feed the world,” says Suzanne Bianco, director
of Visalia Convention and Visitors Bureau, noting that
nestled against Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks
is one of the most productive farming areas in the world
[learn more on page 81].
More than 89 countries import food from the county,
which makes it a fantastic place to see where your food
comes from. Start off at McKellar Farms, an orange and
mandarin farm established in 1927 by the McKellar family
in Ivanhoe. Bob McKellar offers tours by appointment only.
You also can spend the night on the farm in Hummingbird
Cottage, a farm-style home (mckellarfamilyfarms.com).
Next, head to Bravo Farms’ cheese factory off Hwy. 99
in Traver to sample cheese and Californian wine, watch
staff make artisanal cheese, climb the award-winning tree-
house, visit the petting farm and get a scoop of gourmet
ice cream. You can even dine at Wild Jacks restaurant.
There are locations in Visalia and Tulare, as well.
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ORANGE GROVE IN
TULARE COUNTY
For olive lovers, stop at the Bari Olive Oil gift shop and
tasting room in Dinuba to discover infused and organic
generation to farm the property founded in 1936.
But there's also a fascinating agricultural history to dis-
cover in the area. In Earlimart, Calif., you'll find Colonel
Allensworth State Historic Park where Allensworth, a for-
mer slave, and a handful of families established a town in
faded after Allensworth's death in 1914, tour his house, a
historic schoolhouse, Baptist church and library.  
Amid all the agriculture, you’ll find an artistic bent.
In Exeter, 31 vibrant murals tell the story of the quaint
town where restaurant names like Monet’s Wine Bistro
are a tribute to the arts, as well as to the farm-to-fork
movement. Check out the “When Emperors Ruled” mural
that captures an era before the county’s popular Emperor
grapes were upstaged by seedless varieties.  
In Visalia, Fox Theatre, one of many built by Fox Film
PHOTO BY ANITA RITENOUR/FLICKR
Corp. in the 1920s, is home to the town’s symphony,
comedy shows, old movies and big-name acts like Dwight
Yoakam. The Tulare County Museum houses one of the
state's largest Native American basket collections.
“People have always felt we need to feed our souls like we
nurture the food we grow,” Bianco says.
Learn more at discoverthesequoias.com.
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 ROAD TRIPS VIVA LAS VEGAS
VISALIA, CALI F., TO R I DG ECR EST, CALI F.
186 miles, 3 hours and 10 minutes

 Rockin' Ridgecrest
In the heart of the Mojave Desert, you’ll find a far-out desert scene where strangely formed
rocks, a military base and ancient rock art collide.

ROCK ART
Arguably the largest concentration of Paleo-Indian and Na-
tive American petroglyphs can be found covering the rocks
of the Coso Rock Art National Historic Landmark. But
access is really limited to this fascinating site since it is
located within the active Naval Air Weapons Station China
Lake. Attend the Ridgecrest Petroglyph Festival in the fall
to get on a tour.
Otherwise, guided tours are offered in fall and spring
only. Apply for a spot by contacting the Maturango Mu-
seum in Ridgecrest. Only American citizens can visit this
active military base, and you’ll need to fill out paperwork
a minimum of 25 days in advance as well as pay a fee to
obtain clearance. In Ridgecrest on a whim? Head to Petro-
glyph Park in town that features replicas of the ancient art.

FOSSIL FALLS
About 30-40 minutes from Ridgecrest is a geologic wonder TRONA PINNACLES
called  Fossil Falls. If you’re expecting a dramatic cascad-

ing waterfall or ancient fossils, you won’t find either. Fos-

sil Falls was created after area volcanoes erupted between
400,000 and 10,000 years ago, spilling lava across the land-
scape. As glaciers melted, the water filled the Owens River,
which cut through volcanic rock, polishing and sculpting
it. Turn off Hwy. 395 and drive over a mile to reach the
trailhead. A short trail leads you to this wonder.

TRONA PINNACLES
Stroll this bizarre landscape where dozens of TV commer-
cials and Hollywood movies have been filmed. Scenes from
Star Trek and the remake of Planet of the Apes were shot
here. As you walk around, you might find yourself looking
to see Spock strolling under one of the 500 tufa forma-
tions rising out of the dry Searles Lake. Tufas are pinnacles
made of calcium carbonate. During the Pleistocene era,
they formed underwater when inland seas covered the area.

A LIVING GHOST TOWN

There are quite a few ghost towns that dot this stretch
of desert, a reminder of the Gold Rush boom and follow-
ing bust. If you drive 20 minutes from Ridgecrest, you’ll
discover a ghost town named Randsburg that comes alive
Thursdays through Sundays. A former mining town,
Randsburg formed after gold was discovered at the nearby
Rand Mine in 1895. Stroll the dusty streets and order
PHOTO BY DOLLAR

something to eat at the White House Saloon and in the

General Store.

Learn more at visitdeserts.com.

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