Thankful

Given we put our last experience crossing the Sierra Nevadas into Yosemite out of our memories, we were not looking forward to heading back into this mountainous territory. Nevertheless, we were motivated by our invitation to Thanksgiving with friends in Bishop, CA.

 

We got into Bishop late, on my birthday, and were greeted with hugs, possibly a few tears, and chocolate cake! It was such a happy reunion! As promised, we headed out in the morning for a chilly walk to Schat’s Bakery. Our friends claimed we would be amazed and they were right. Let’s just say we made it a habit… Every. Day.

Our time in Bishop was spent exploring the Sierra Nevadas and hiking with our friend’s niece as our guide. Her love for this mountain town was infectious and we soon fell in love with its boundless beauty. I don’t know if it was the holidays, good company, or hiking in the cold reminiscent of my Midwest childhood, but it was glorious. 

Convict Lake

One of our favorite stops in Bishop was the Laws Railroad Museum. We have loved learning about historic boom towns, mining, and railways in the west. We may have gotten a bit silly while there! 

For Thanksgiving, we were welcomed into the warmest of homes abounding with good food, laughter, and wonderful conversation. We watched football, completed puzzles, and played in the fall leaves. Even Chance was welcome! It was such a needed respite for this traveling family. We will forever be grateful to our hostess for readily opening her home to us. She was even gracious enough to allow my 8 year old to decorate her Thanksgiving table. M took such care in collecting and creating fall flower arrangements, making turkey place mats, and cutting leaves for each guest to write down and share their blessings. I love this child so deeply.

Following Thanksgiving, our adventures in Bishop continued as we stumbled upon the quintessential Christmas Village nestled in the snowy mountains. The whole thing was right out of a book. The only thing that could have made it any better is if the lake was frozen for ice skating. I have never skated on a real pond before. I would have loved to skate in this picturesque setting! We saw Santa, crafted, and had en EPIC snowball fight.

Another adventure found us in a gondola rising to the top of Mammoth Mountain with winds of 50 - 70 MPH and temperatures in the teens. It was worth the trip! We had hope to ski ourselves, but it was a bit too pricey for this crew. We can’t wait to introduce the girls to skiing!

After an amazing week together, it was very hard to say goodbye. We found solace by buying a $5.00 sled at Kmart, wrapping our feet in plastic garbage bags, and driving until we hit snow. We built a fort complete with snowmen sentries, seating, and sled runs to exit. Then we found a sledding hill with the help of a ranger; it was something! We refused to be intimidated by this awesome, steep run and each got beat up, but kept going back for more. I have never actually rolled head over heels but I plowed! We were FROZEN, but full of laughter. 

 

The last time I saw this sign welcoming us to Inyo National Forest I vowed never to return. It was dark, we were at the tail end of a horrendous drive, and I was convinced there was nothing here worth seeing except Yosemite. I love being wrong. I fell in love with every inch of this beautiful landscape and would return to experience it again and again.