Gypsy & The Navigator

Lone Pine Film History Museum And Our Return To Arizona

On our last day in Lone Pine we visited the Film History Museum.

They have an extensive collection of real movie costumes, movie cars, props, posters, and other memorabilia.  The old posters were so fun to see.  We were amazed to see how many movies and TV shows had been filmed in the Alabama Hills and the Sierras near Lone Pine.

The museum tells the story of filming in the area in and around Lone Pine from the early days of the Round Up to the modern blockbusters of today such as Iron Man.   

The largest production was the 1939 filming of Gunga Din.  There were huge sets built depicting many places in India for the movie.  Unfortunately none of them were saved. 

The Alabama Hills appeared in over 300 movies in the 1920s to 1950s, mostly Westerns.  As Westerns became less popular the movies changed to the distant past or sci-fi future including Star Trek V and VII, Tremors, Gladiator, and Dinosaur.  

The BLM Bishop Field Office still issues about 30 to 40 film permits a year for movies, TV shows, commercials and still photo shoots in the Alabama Hills. 

 

Walt loves the old western movies and all those old cowboy TV shows of the 50's.  Seven of John Wayne's movies were made here.  "The Duke" said that Lone Pine was one of his favorite places of all time. 

Many of the movie props were authentic and have been preserved here at the museum.

Much of The Roy Rogers TV show was filmed here.  The museum has a nice exhibit not only about the show but about his family as well.  Isn't Dale Evans outfit great?  Fringe and bling way back in the 50's.

I think Gene Autry was actually before my time so I never really got into "the singing cowboy."  But, I do like his boots.  Gene Autry made over twenty theatrical features and twelve TV episodes for his CBS television show in the Lone Pine area.

One of the biggest collection of items in the museum was Hopalong Cassidy memorabilia.  Who our age doesn't recall a boy wearing a Hopalong Cassidy outfit?  I do, his name was Billy and his horse was his bicycle.

Hoppy had his name on everything.  In 1950, Hopalong Cassidy was featured on the first lunchbox to bear an image and think what that started.

Confession.  The Lone Ranger was my favorite cowboy.  

He did look good in that blue shirt and pants but I secretly had a crush on Tonto.  

Silver was my favorite horse.  Tonto's horse, Scout, was a close second.  So much fun taking a trip down movie and TV memory lane.  This is a really nice museum with a very interesting movie and the displays are very well done with so much information. 

What an interesting, picturesque and unique place Lone Pine and the surrounding area is.  Great visit and great sights but it is time to head back to Arizona.

We continued south on Highway 395 until we headed east on Highway 40 to Lake Havasu City, AZ.

We soon left the rugged mountains behind and drove through miles and miles of desert.  The temperature rose and rose.............at one time on the trip reaching 113 degrees.

 We spent a couple days in Lake Havasu.

We didn't do much sightseeing.  It was too hot. 

We did take a short drive to see some more of the replica lighthouses around the lake. We had seen some of them when we were in Lake Havasu in 2013.  These 1/3 scale replicas are actual functioning navigational aids built to the specifications of famous East Coast, West Coast and Great Lakes lighthouses.

This charming collection of lighthouses was originally started for safety purposes. The Lake Havasu Lighthouse Club wanted to make the lake a safe place for night boating and fishing. So instead of settling on simple and ordinary lighthouses that could be cheaply produced, they took pride in their development and decided to replicate some of the greatest lighthouses in the U.S. by making copies of them in a smaller size. 

Soon we will be back in Arizona for four months.  Excited to see the family and share in their activities. We will have some down time to do trailer and car maintenance, Doctor and Dentist appointments, Hair cuts, and holiday preparation but we will have time for some adventures.  Will be interesting to see what we find. 

"Step with care and great tact, and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act."

Dr. Seuss

Up The Mountain And We Got Lost In The Alabama Hills

We left our pretty spot in Lee Vining and continued south to Lone Pine.

The next morning we headed out to explore with the most unusual skies above us.

 We drove up the Whitney Portal Road.  It is a short but spectacular drive that takes you about halfway up Mount Whitney, the highest point in California.  The unusual skies left all my photos with strange hues. 

The high point of Mt. Whitney is 14,505 feet above the sea level.  I love how rugged the mountain is.

The road is paved (but not well maintained) and is narrow, steep and winding with dramatic switchbacks. 

It wasn't long and Walt I am sure was thinking......."what has she gotten me into?"  I tell him let's go to such and such and he is always willing to go. But this is a dangerous and difficult climb out of the high desert to almost 8000 feet.  We were amazed to hear that people actually drive it in the winter.  They do not plow it so I can't believe that anyone can safely make it without sliding off the cliffs. 

The ascent is especially steep as you near the top.   

At the top of the road it levels out and there are parking lots at the trailhead for the hike the rest of the way up Mt. Whitney. 

There is a pretty little waterfall up there and a store where you can get hiking supplies and snacks. 

The sky did look like it was getting back to normal.  Now it looked like a hazy summer sky.

After our nice break at the top we headed back down.  The valley is way down there. 

It is pretty scary when there is nothing between the road edge and the valley floor.  So happy Walt is a good driver.

Whew!  We made it down and now we are headed for the Alabama Hills.

No, we haven't left California.  The Alabama Hills are a range of hills below the Sierra's that were named for the Confederate warship CSS Alabama.  The prospectors in California in the 1800's were sympathetic to the American Civil War Confederates. 

Though geographically considered a range of hills, geologically they are a part of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Part of the reason that these hills are so unusual is the fact that the area has had many earthquakes. The 1872 Lone Pine earthquake in a single event caused a vertical displacement of 15–20 feet.  

This is one of those places that you could take photograph after photograph and still not be able to convey the great views that we were seeing.

The Alabama Hills is a several mile wide patch of rocks and eroding hills, at the foot of Mount Whitney that run parallel with Highway 395 for several miles.

Just driving down 395 this is what you would see.  No hint of the wonder on the other side of those hills. 

It looks out of this world with desert vegetation and varying colors of  rounded boulders scattered over the area.

We had a very sketchy map provided to us by the RV Park we were staying in but felt that the roads listed on it should be easy to spot.

We left Whitney Portal Road and turned onto the unpaved Movie Flat Road.

It's appropriately named, since dozens of westerns were shot here in the Alabama Hills. 

We bounced along on the gravel road enjoying the unique formations.

They say the area is popular with climbers and hikers but after a few miles in we didn't see another car or anyone hiking or climbing.

We kept looking for the cross road that showed on the little map we had.  

No road, no signs, no markers but plenty of amazing formations.

 

At last........some side roads.  No signs, no markers, which one should we take?  Let's go right.  Right is always good.

Hmm!  The road gets narrower.

There's an old mine up here.  The road must go somewhere.

Nope.  Dead end.  Ok, we'll turn around.

We have plenty of gas, something to drink.  No problem.

Back to where we started.  Guess we will continue on the original road.

Wow, this road is getting really rough.  More washboardy than the one near Escalante, UT that we thought had won the prize for bumps and jolts.  This is hands down the winner.

There are an endless number of photos to be taken here whether the road is rough or not.

We found arches, faces, animals, and much more in the rock formations.  

 We knew we were going North.  The Sierra's were on our left and the hills were on our right.

 The hills have to run out sometime.  The rocks were silent witness to our dilemma.

If the scenes in the photos seem familiar to you chances are you are a fan of old western movies and TV shows.  Also many commercials have been filmed in the area. 

Oh look.............I think the hills are ending.

There is civilization ahead.   Back to 395 and into Lone Pine and Walt found a good map so he could see what had happened.  We used it to go to the southern part of the hills to see what we had missed.

It is green over there.  Lots of spots where springs offer water.

Nice contrast with the rocks and the green.  Much of the area on the south are small ranches.

I'll bet the people that live here have a smile on their face every day as they see the fields full of sunflowers and those rugged mountains right in front of them. 

 Such a great old west scene. 

I see Kermit the Frog with a smile out there.

Walt found an old fashioned catchers mitt. 

A little art work on the rocks.  It's a no no now but apparently this has been there a long time. 

"The road to glory is difficult with its rocks and boulders, its strain and struggle. Things aren't always as easy as we would like. Surprises and pitfalls wait for us along the road of life. We're going to sweat and sway, we're going to wonder why things are the way they are. But every road has an end; every mountain has its peak. If we can just hold on and keep climbing, knowing that God is aware of how we're straining, he will bring us up and over the mountains."

Thelma Wells

 

 

A Drive To Bishop............June Lake Loop Detour

Even though we were close to the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite Park we decided to explore more on Highway 395 since we had been to Yosemite before and had not been to the sights on 395.

This side of the Sierras offers spectacular views of the mountains.  

Some of the mountains still had snow on them.  From talking to the people that live in the area there was usually more snow on the mountains at this time of year but in recent years it has diminished. 

We had heard that the June Lake Loop off Highway 395 was a beautiful drive so off we went.

They were right!  It was so pretty right from the start.

I could see Heidi climbing up to her Grandfather's cottage and hear the goats bells as I looked at this scene. 

The June Lake Loop area has been dubbed the "Switzerland of California." 

Sierra scenery that defies description. It is so perfect it doesn't seem real. 

There are four lakes along the loop.  This is Silver Lake.  It is named Silver Lake because on cloudy days the water is silver. 

I will be quite honest...............I do not know if this is June Lake or Gull Lake.  They are quite close together and I did not leave myself a clue in my photos of which was which.

 But, aren't they beautiful?  

The June Lake area has anything that an outdoor enthusiast could possibly want.  Including a ski area.

The brochure we got from one of the Resorts there says  "The loop is probably best know for its world class trout fishing.  There are also many hiking trails, swimming, boating, waterskiing, wake boarding, paddle boarding, sailing, sailboarding, bicycling, canoeing, rock climbing, art and photography, scenic drives or just relaxing in a tranquil mountain setting."   

It is a place that we would like to be able to come back to and spend time...........another one for the list. 

From the June Lake Loop we took another side trip off Highway 395 toward Mammoth Lakes.

The beauty continues.

 Mammoth is one of the largest mountain resorts in the nation.  It boasts an 11,053 summit with 28 chairlifts.

 The new McDonald's they are building in Mammoth looked like a Swiss Chalet.

Continuing southward on 395 the mountains become more barren and rocky.

Soon we were in Bishop.  

Schat's Bakery is one of those landmark kind of places that if you are in the area you have to go.  There must have been 25 signs stating "no pictures or video" so I can't show you their racks, tables and cases full of amazing baked products.  It is known for a unique bread, called Original Sheepherder's Bread (trademarked in 1938) and produces 450 other products.  The bakery produces approximately 25,000 loaves of bread per day.  While the bread was wonderful it was the 450 other products that I was interested in.  First we had a late lunch of sandwiches on that delicious bread.   Then we did some sampling trying to decide what we would bring home with us.  It was sourdough bread, cream cheese coffee cake and dark chocolate cashew turtles.  Just so you know how good those turtles were let me quote Walt.  "If they told me that these turtles were poison and if I ate them I would die in 24 hours I think I would still eat them."  Now, that's good!

With our stomachs full we headed back to Lee Vining past Lake Crowley. The lake was created in 1941 by the building of the Long Valley Dam by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, as storage for the Los Angeles Aqueduct and for flood control.  The city of Los Angeles’s appropriation of the water supply has made agriculture impossible in the Owens Valley so the residents depend upon tourists for their economy.  The lake is known for its trout fishing but it is so low because of the drought that I wonder how many fish have survived.  An article that I read said that the lake should be at the level that those boulders in the picture are on the edge or in the water. 

There was an abundance of beauty in the towering mountains, glistening lakes and the forest of trees that we enjoyed today.

The scenery never ends but our day is coming to a close.

 This was our laugh for the day.  At a rest stop along the highway is this official looking plaque.  For those of you trying to read this on your phone I will repeat it's message.

LOST CEMENT MINE

Somewhere near this spot is located the famous Lost Cement Mine.  First discovered in 1857, the find was described as a ledge, "Wide as a curb stone" of rusty, reddish cement, two thirds of it pure gold. Various circumstances prevented the original discoverers from returning to claim their wealth. History indicates the location of the Lost Cement Mine may have been rediscovered and mined periodically until 1877 and then again concealed.  An occasional prospector still searches for the elusive treasure but its location today still remains a secret.  If while hiking in the area, you happen to come upon a ledge of pure gold please notify the nearest ECV Chapter so that we might relocate this monument to the correct site.

PLAQUE DEDICATED SEPTEMBER 6, 1980

BODIE CHAPTER OF E CLAMPUS VITIUS

After we stopped shaking our heads in disbelief we laughed and laughed and wondered if anyone would hand over their find to E Clampus Vitus.   (We assured each other that if we found it it would be a total secret with those gold nuggets being ours alone.) Then I had to find out more about them.  The info below pretty much sums them up.  It was written by the Honorable Brother Al Shumate, M.D., ECV.

First, what does E Clampus Vitus mean?   Well, that is the greatest mystery of all, because none of us know what it means!

Second, what is the purpose of the society?    There is a description of the society that all of you have heard. It is claimed ECV is a historical drinking society; others claim it to be a drinking historical society. The debate continues; it has never been solved.

Third, the objectives of ECV are well known:    Members swear to take care of the widows and orphans -- especially the widows.

Fourth, the governing authority of the Clampers is equally as explicit:    All members are officers and all officers are of equal indignity.

What a wonderful day.................so much scenery, so much good food and a good chuckle as well.