Bishop, Bristlecones, Lake Sabrina, and a Brewery Birthday Brownie

Since we wanted to be within walking distance of town, we opted to stay at the Tri-County Fairground’s Bishop RV park. While it was essentially just a big gravel parking lot, it did have full hookups and was within walking distance of everything in Bishop. That and blazingly fast wifi made it a good choice for a week of catch-up. Another plus was access to the fairgrounds, a HUGE field for off-leash romps, lovely stretches of cool, green grass with giant shade trees and stellar views of the Sierras.

Hey, I got my mountain view back.... well sort of anyhow. :) 

We made the Fairgrounds our home in Bishop, CA.

We arrived on Tuesday, 5/1, and after getting set up walked downtown to the Visitor’s Center. Since that was right across the street from the Eric Schat’s Bakery, we decided we might as well cross that off the list right away. It’s definitely a tourist spot but we weren’t that impressed. Later we found the Great Basin Bakery off a little side street. Much less imposing to look at but all the baked goods we tried were beyond delicious. And we tried quite a few, since we ended up making four trips there! Rosemary Shortbread cookies? I wasn’t too sure at first, but they ended up being our favorite!

Eric Schat's Bakery -  impressive on the outside.....

Great Basin Bakery.... the magic is on the inside! :) 

Our stay wasn’t all coffee and cookies, though. On Wednesday, we took Riley in for a recheck with the local vet. We were concerned that not all his hot spots seemed to be healing. He ended up back on antibiotics, 3 pills 3 times a day for 14 days. Ugh. We’ll be stocking up on liverwurst! (Thanks again for that tip, Ilana!) He also had a mild ear infection, so there is ear wash and drops for that. And oh, he’s supposed to get a bath 2-3 times a week. The fun never ends. Lol.

Over the next couple of days, Riley got bath number one, I did umpteen loads of laundry, we walked the town and found an excellent dog park where Riley got to play with some new friends.

Riley making friends. 

Look, someone tells time like I do!

Ok, some things you will only find in rural America.
Who doesn't need a harness to walk their chicken??

On Friday, while Rog checked out the Lower Rock Creek mountain bike trail, Riley and I went to work. The inside of the coach was in serious need of a cleaning and I spent about five hours (with Riley’s help) trying to remove the coating of dust, dog hair, and drool that covered everything. For at least five minutes the inside of the RV looked great… and then Riley shook. Oh well. 😊 

Lower Rock Creek Trail - Rog found the rocks and the creek!

Old abandoned car along the trail.... how does this stuff get out in the middle of nowhere?

Beautiful spot for a lunch break.

Basalt columns line the hillside. Cool!

Fantastic views!

Another advantage of staying at the Fairgrounds was easy access to the events held there. Friday evening was the “Taste of the Sierra” with samples from local eateries. It was standing room only and a great way to try out dishes from several restaurants! Saturday morning was the Choo-Choo swap meet, held twice a year as a fundraiser for the local train museum. Since I buy and sell antiques, I was all over that one.

Apparently, this swap meet is a big deal around here. It opened at 8:30am, but by 6:30am I was seeing a steady stream of cars coming in. Hmmmmm… maybe they let folks in early? Not one to miss an opportunity, I headed over around 7am and found a line already forming. I chatted up the family in front of me in line who had come prepared with chairs and snacks. Nope, they don’t open early but I was told if you wait until 8:30am the line is all the way out of sight. Really? Ok, I’m in and snagged a chair from the RV and a book. They did not lie. By opening time the line snaked through the parking lot and was hundreds deep. Folks come from all around, and it didn’t disappoint.  I made multiple trips to the RV with my loot and even talked Rog into doing a walk through. I spent the rest of the day cleaning and packing my treasures. A fun (and profitable) day for Mommy!

The Choo-Choo Swap Meet = Fun, Fun, Fun for Mommy!

Treasures!

Not all our adventures were in town. On Sunday, we drove to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the Inyo National Forest. There are several trails and we decided to do the 4 ½ mile Methuselah Trail. Somewhere along the trail is the oldest living thing on earth, the Methuselah tree which is over 4,700 years old. To protect it from souvenir hunters, the tree is not identified in any way. Not sure which one it was, but we saw some awesome trees! The hike turned out to be a bit harder than anticipated, over 10,000 feet of elevation makes a difference! We took a break every half mile or so and Rog found a snowbank, so Riley got a snow cone! He loved it!!

Ancient and Beautiful...love the Bristlecone Pines.

Will Methuselah please step forward. 

Snow cones - Riley's favorite part of the whole hike!

Taking a break with Mommy.

Fantastic sculpture.

Awesome tree, awesome boy. :) 

Bristlecone forest.

We rewarded ourselves with an early dinner at the Copper Top BBQ in Big Pine. Excellent tri-tip and Riley gave it high marks since the owner brought him out a piece too. They post pictures of the “Dogs of Copper Top” on their website, we may have a celebrity on our hands! The photos are hilarious, I didn't see Riley's picture posted yet, but you can check here: Coppertop Doggies

At the Copper Top BBQ in Big Pine, CA.

Monday, 5/7, was our last day in Bishop and we packed it full. Starting with an early hike to Lake Sabrina. The views of the lake and snowy peaks were great and Riley was in heaven. There were banks of snow all along the trail and he wanted to sample every single one. He loves ice cubes, but he thinks snow cones are even better!

Half the fun is getting there.... what a gorgeous drive.

Lake Sabrina.

A bald eagle perched near the trail.

Daytime moon over the peaks.

A whole field of snow cones!!!

This is his, "Hurry up, Monkeys!" look. :) 

After our hike, Riley got his second bath. This time we used a horse washing rack in the fairgrounds. It was way better than washing him on the gravel next to our coach. And we refrained from using the hog washing stall, that might have hurt his feelings. Lol.

During our stay in Bishop, we connected with Bob Wells – Roger’s partner when he worked as a paramedic for the Tacoma Fire Department. Bob retired earlier this year and took off in his truck camper with his motorcycle in tow to explore the country. He stopped by earlier in the week and we swapped stories over beer and dinner at the Mountain Rambler Brewery. It was so great to see Bob and hear that he is loving retirement as much as we are. We told him about the Alabama Hills, so after spending a few days there he came back by on Monday. We had steaks on the Traeger and, since the next day was Roger’s birthday, headed back to the brewery to celebrate. They brew some excellent beer, but they also bake an exceptionally delish Porter Brownie which they top with homemade ice cream. Who knew the secret to an awesome brownie is beer?!

Good Beer, better brownies!

Brother Bob and Rog bond over brews and a birthday brownie.

It was a delightful visiting with Bob and it’s been a busy, fun week. We would be sorry to pull out in the morning, but we’re super excited about a boondocking spot near some natural hot springs. Let’s hope it works out!