Stuck in Bishop

First of all I want to take a moment and express our heartfelt condolences to the Bayfield Bunch on the loss of Checkers today.  We truly feel for them and understand.  If you have never had a dog, you might not be able to understand the devastation that comes with the loss of a beloved furry friend, but, believe me, it hurts.  Al and Kelly, we are so sorry.

In my last post we were planning to leave Bishop on Tuesday morning…destination unknown.  Unfortunately, Monday afternoon your truly started getting very sick.  Many trips to the pharmacy later, we decided I was in no condition to travel.  I even called the local ER on Monday night to get some suggestions but couldn’t bring myself to go to a strange doctor.  I called my doc on Tuesday and got some advice so I am feeling much better today.   We are staying tonight as well in Bishop to give me chance to recover and we will leave tomorrow: destination unknown.  We could not have traveled comfortably today anyway as the wind is pretty strong and travel in trailers, campers, etc. is not advised.

SO…today we took the dogs out to the desert for a walk.  Poor things were cooped up pretty much all day yesterday.  Rusty pretty much refused to leave my side.  Russ had to force him to go on potty walks.  Here’s what we found in our walk today.
Tiny little blooms dot the landscape and provide beauty for those willing to look for it.


This may be just a humble weed but look at its determination to survive in the harsh desert conditions.


These tiny white flowers look like wild verbena…but don’t quote me, I really am not a desert botanist!


The little purple flowers are difficult to spot among the small gravel and sand, but they are worth the effort.  It’s hard to show their beauty here as their color is much more vibrant than it appears.



We also saw some native wildlife…like this HUGE Cable Snake.  If you have never seen a Cable Snake, well, you have seen one now.


There is a lot of junk in the desert, some old, some recently dumped.  I think this is a pile ready to be burned.


After our walk, we went to Brown’s Town Rv Park and Museum.  It is the sister resort to Brown’s Millpond Campground where we stayed when we first got to town.  On the way we passed a pasture and Russ had to get some photos of the little foal.  The first shot is mine…I stayed on the car with the dogs and only managed a photo of an eight-legged horse with two hitch-hikers along for the ride.
 
The rest of the horse pictures were taken by Russ and the eight-legged horse resolves into a mare and her foal.

We must have been there at lunch time.




Look closely at the foal, he has his tongue hanging out…no doubt remembering that delicious lunch.
 


Wouldn’t it be nice if our young ones followed us so willingly?


Another horse in the field…looks like it could be related to the baby .


Then it was on to Brown’s Town.  This campground is located just on the south edge of Bishop right on Hwy. 395.  We would have chosen to stay her except for the fact that they don’t have Wi-Fi or sewer hookup and we wanted to stay put for over a week.  They do have a dump station but it’s kind of a pain to unhook and go dump your tanks.  I gotta say, when I was so sick, I was glad we had a sewer hook-up and did not need to restrict our water usage.  For three of four days, I would definitely stay at Brown's Town.

This campground has a museum of sorts at the front of the property.  They have many antique wagons and other remnants of the past.  The buildings themselves are reproductions built to show off things such as blacksmith tools, old gas pumps, and the like.  It’s all very enjoyable.  We are told they also have the best pies in town but they were out when we were there.  These are just some of the sights we saw while we were there.

These are Russ’s photos:


Rusty enjoying some “grass” time.





This contraption carried a familiar name…
 

…but I don’t think Rick could get it going even with a HUGE hammer…


I think these people should have talked to Mike about the Pressure-pro Tire Monitoring system.


In the front of the property is the picnic area and museum.  The campground is in the rear, father away from the highway.



Browns Town Photos


That’s it for today.

Bishop– Part 4 (last one, I promise!)

Welcome Connie and Tracy http://gypsygmas.blogspot.com/  and
Kelly and Al (Stargeezer) http://thebayfieldbunch.com/   anyone else who happens by.

The promise to not post anymore about Bishop is only good for the next few months!  Next time we go back, I probably won’t be able to help myself.  We will be in the RV by that time and I will have a whole new perspective on where to stay and what to do.

The quickest way to actually get into the Sierras from Bishop is to take Hwy 168 (Line St.) east into the mountains. This Hwy. is a moderately steep climb, but most RVs should make it with no problem.  In just a few miles you begin to climb and soon you can look down on the Owens Valley.  It’s clear from this vantage point, how Bishop lies in the heart of the Owens Valley, with the White Mountains to the east and the Sierras to the west. 
 
These photos were taken at different times – notice the difference in the snow on the far mountains.


There are lots of little side roads and places to stop and take pictures.  One of the easiest campgrounds to get to is Lower Intake 2.  This is a reservoir created by a dam on Bishop Creek.  It is a popular fishing and camping area in the summer.  All of this area is part of the Inyo National Forest.


The views from this area are outstanding and the mountains extremely rugged.  Can you imagine trying to access this area before modern roads and vehicles?  Might work if you are a mountain goat.




We were there in early October 2007 and hoped to get some fall foliage shots.  However, I think we were about a week too late.





The night before we took this drive, there was an early snowstorm and it was COLD!  I think the snow caught some people unawares.  I was glad we were just visiting for the day and NOT trying to camp in a tent.


Just a little bit too chilly for comfort.  This was at Bishop Creek Campground, a little higher up than Intake 2. 

We had wanted to go clear to the end of the Hwy and see Lake Sabrina.  Although the road was not closed, we didn’t have chains and the slipping and sliding caused us to turn back.  We tried again to see Lake Sabrina in March 2009 and this time, although the road appeared fairly clear, the gate was firmly locked.  They were serious about this gate locking.  I counted SEVEN locks on that gate.

There’s Russ…pushing the envelope again.  Look Ma, no constraints!



With no hope of going farther, we decided to play in the snow a bit.  We always travel with a padded garden kneeler which we use when we want to kneel down for low angle shots.  But Russ had other ideas.

The road bank was quite steep so Russ decided to put our kneeler to good use. 


After “posing” for the above picture, Russ decides he REALLY can do this.  This is the result.  Pardon my giggles.  I was trying so hard not to laugh that I was just squeaking!!  The funniest part is when he tries to get up at the end of his ride.  Look Ma, no brains!

On the way back down the mountain we stopped to take pictures of an old redwood water pipe.  This 54” flow line was first built in 1908, rebuilt in the early fifties, and was finally replaced with steel pipe in 1991.  This section has been preserved as as historical item.



Where does all this water go?  Los Angeles!  In the early 1900’s, William Mulholland purchased hundreds of acres of the Owens Valley for pennies.  This was done for the Los Angeles Water and Power company.  Mulholland had the foresight to realize that Los Angeles was going to need water someday.  All that water going into the California Aqueduct System, gets its start right here in the Inyo National Forest. 

This answers the question of why the beautiful city of Bishop has only about 3500 residents.  There is no where to live!  What homes are for sale are fairly pricey and rental properties are hard to come by.  There is virtually  no land available for new buildings. Bishop is also becoming more arid and its greenery is shrinking as water is siphoned off and sent to Los Angeles.

Now, there are two sides to this coin.  On the one hand, the native Paiute and other tribes, as well as early settlers, gave up much of their land for a very small price.  That can never be regained.  There are still Reservations in the area and they are, for the most part, impoverished, or nearly so.  On the other hand, if the City of Los Angeles did NOT own all the open land, Bishop would likely be much, much different.  With its natural beauty and recreational opportunities, Bishop would likely be a sprawling resort town, with high rise condos and eight lane freeways.  As it is, it remains one of the most beautiful and quaint little towns in America with none of the hustle and bustle of big resort cities.  So, although many Bishop citizens resent Los Angeles, the big city does in a way, protect the uniqueness of the area.  Who is right and who is wrong in this relationship?  I don’t know.  I will leave that to those more politically astute than I am.  As for me, I will just continue to enjoy and love Bishop.

Bishop CA, Part 3 - Laws Railroad Museum

Just north of Bishop (4.5 miles to be exact) on Hwy. 6, is the Laws Railroad Museum.  The Laws railway station was the home of the Slim Princess, Engine Number 9, the last of the common carrier railway lines.  In 1880, this railway was intended to run from Mound House, Nevada to the Colorado River.  It never made it past Keeler, CA.  As word got out of the new railway, people began to arrive in what is now called Laws, CA.   The first train arrived in 1883.  The railroad ceased operation in 1959.  You can read more about the history of this railway here: http://www.lawsmuseum.org/index.htm

Visiting the Laws Railroad Museum is a must do every time we are in the Bishop area.  Just head north on 395 and when you get just past the K-Mart and Von's, turn right onto Hwy. 6. This highway is the second longest in the US.  The photo on the right is a view of the Owens River from the road.



Owens River

On arrival at the Laws Museum, you enter the visitor's center to pay your admission.  It is by donation.  There is plenty of parking across the street.  We have never been there in the summer, but in the fall and the spring, we have never seen more than two or three other visitors at the same time. 

There are many glass case displays inside the visitor's center as well as a wealth of books and photos to explore.  When we were there in April 2010, I spoke with the person working in the center and told them I was looking for old photos from the late 50s or early 60s.  She graciously allowed me to look through their archives and even made copies for me, and later sent me jpeg files.  Nice people.  Leaving the visitor's center, you are on a self guided tour of the property.  There are many restored period buildings with an authentic boardwalk in front.

If you recognize these you must

be as old as I am!!

                    Some Paiute handwork

Here you see the apothecary and the doctor's tools - YIKES!

The agent’s house was built in 1883.  This house and the depot were about all that was left when the railroad donated the entire 11 acre site to the Laws Historical Society in 1964.  The house has been restored and you can walk through all the rooms.  There are even some things you can pick up and examine such as an old stereoscope.

 

There are old barns filled with wagons of all kinds, including old hearses.   You can't climb on these like you can the trains but it is fun to look and take pictures.

The main attraction is old Engine Number 9.  At first I thought the sign said "Keep off train" and I was admonishing Russ to stay off.  Then I saw that the sign REALLY said, "Keep off TOP of train."  We stayed off the top and we were fine.

This is a restored house filled with interesting things from the time period.

The buildings and displays are interesting and the scenery is beyond beautiful.  What a way to spend a day.





One of the best things about the Laws Railroad Museum is the peace and quiet.  It’s out in the country and there is nothing much else around.  There is a particular bench under a particular tree that Russ likes to sit on and just listen to the birds. 
I had more pictures to share, but if you already read my blog for the day, you know I am a bit frustrated with Blogger today.  I am writing the end of this blog with Live Writer and we will see how I do with that.  I am too tired to do more!!  If you want to see more photos you can go to my Picassa album here: https://picasaweb.google.com/117721361905951490931/TravelsInTherapy?authkey=Gv1sRgCO2q1_i1k9WoXw#
The album has more than just today’s photos in it, and a lot I had not planned to use, but just go near the end and you will see the relevant photos.  I really don’t want to shortchange the Laws Railroad Museum, so I hope I have at least piqued your interest in this beautiful and historical site.