Every year we make a broad travel goal for ourselves. In 2007, we bought a T@B trailer to test out camping with a baby (Ava). In 2008 and 2009, we bought the Airstream and were taking long extended trips in it (while pregnant with Mila). In 2010, we spent more time in the Airstream than out & traveled cross country to Florida Keys for the first time. In 2011, we explored the west (while pregnant with Luka). In 2012, we went back to the south east (as a family of 5). In 2013, we traveled up to western Canada. In 2014, we explored the north east. In 2015, we traveled to Alaska. In 2016, we bought the truck camper to spend the year in Baja, mainland Mexico and Atlantic Canada. And now in 2017, with 49 US states, all Canadian provinces, Yukon territory & most of Mexico under our belts, we have decided to visit all of our old favorite spots in the West while purposely finding new ones.

Blog Lone Pine California

One of favorite places in the United States is the Eastern Sierra. For one reason or another, we never get to spend as much time as we want in the Eastern Sierra range. This time it’s different. We are purposely soaking it all in. First stop up the 395 highway is Lone Pine, California.

Blog Lone Pine California

In the past, we stayed at Tuttle Creek campground but this time around we found a beautiful spot in the Alabama Hills thanks to our relatively new T-Mobile service plans for the work week.

Blog Lone Pine California

The kids love this spot as much as we do. There’s plenty of rocks to climb on.

Blog Lone Pine California

And dirt roads for miles and miles.

Blog Lone Pine California

Pink helmet, pink dress, pink bike, pink flip flops and a pink sky to match. That’s my Mila.

Blog Lone Pine California

And to top it all off, our buddies Skyler and Tori from @meantforadventure are here as well in their shiny Airstream.

Blog Lone Pine California

Blog Lone Pine California

More climbing please!

Blog Lone Pine California

Blog Lone Pine California

Blog Lone Pine California

The wind here this week has been bad so the kids have been occupying themselves with plenty of art projects.

Blog Lone Pine California

And with Dan working in the Four Wheel Camper now, the kids and I have plenty of room for homeschool in Casita.

Blog Lone Pine California

Blog Lone Pine California

The wind also kept us from hiking to the Mobius Arch that we’ve done in the past but we did make it to Shark’s Fin Rock for the first time which wasn’t too far from the campground.

Blog Lone Pine California

Luka is slowly getting the hand of this bike with pedals thing. He occasionally forgets he has brakes, crashes with grace and has run into our friend Skyler’s leg once. With a few more days of practice, he will have no issues at all.

Blog Lone Pine California

There’s Shark’s Fin. Dead center.

Blog Lone Pine California

Can you see Luka in the photo below? So tiny in comparison to that rock.

Blog Lone Pine California

There are anchors all over the rock for rock climbing. We choose to scramble on the near by rocks instead.

Blog Lone Pine California

Blog Lone Pine California

When you are used to wearing flip flops everyday but then go on a hike in real shoes, expect them to feel tight. Mila chose to ride her bike with socks only on the way back while I “chose” to hold her shoes. Haha.

Blog Lone Pine California

Blog Lone Pine California

Blog Lone Pine California

After the work week was over, we decided to spend the next work week near Mammoth. But weekends are for exploring, so on Saturday and Sunday we had plans for more adventuring.

Blog Lone Pine California

Our last visit to Manzanar National Historic Site was 4 years ago. The girls earned their junior ranger badges then but don’t remember much.

Blog Lone Pine California

Here in the Owen Valley, over 20,000 immigrants and citizens of Japanese descent were held here against their will from 1942 to 1945. Many of them had merely a couple of days to leave their homes from the Pacific states.

Blog Lone Pine California

Thick anti-Japanese sentiment fueled by the bombing of Pearl Harbor resulted in Executive Order 9066 allowing civil liberties being stripped from more than 120,000 American citizens and permanent residents in 10 ‘War Relocation Camps’.

Blog Lone Pine California

Blog Lone Pine California

It’s important for us to show the kids all the good and the bad of our US past. It was a lot for them to process and it was difficult to answer some of their questions but it’s why we travel. To learn and help each other not make the same mistakes again.

Blog Lone Pine California

Next stop, a little soak in a near by hot spring. It’s one of things we have been most looking forward too near Bishop, California. Well, besides the brisket jerky at Mahogany Smoked Meats 🙂

Blog Lone Pine California

Blog Lone Pine California





Thanks for reading,
Marlene


3 Comments

SERGIO HERNANDEZ · May 14, 2017 at 8:20 pm

What kind of truck camper is it. I like how it’s relatively low.

    Marlene · May 16, 2017 at 3:04 pm

    It’s a Four Wheel Camper. We have a 2015 Silver Spur Grandby model.

      SERGIO HERNANDEZ · May 16, 2017 at 8:37 pm

      Thank you

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