Monday, March 29, 2021

Bishop Camping Trip

A couple weekends ago the hubby and I went to Bishop for a quick weekend camping trip. Normally Bishop is somewhere we "drive through", but this time we wanted to make it our final destination (and we're so happy we did).

We left Thursday after I got off of work and ended up stopping in Alabama Hills for the night to sleep. It wasn't too crowded, which was nice, especially since we pulled in a little before midnight (I work until 7pm and since we had to get gas before hitting the road we technically didn't leave till closer to 8). We found a spot, popped the top and hit the hay. 

Loved waking up to see the snow on the mountains

Our little spot for Thursday night. Thought the rock behind the truck looked like a shark fin.

In case you've never been to Alabama Hills, the landscape is pretty out-of-this-world. Here's what we woke to Friday:


The hubby still had to work on Friday (he has been working "from home" for the past year now and expects it to last until at least July), so we left the "campsite" (Alabama Hills is just a wide open area, so there aren't sites persay, just little coves and turn-offs folks use) and found a spot that would have decent cell reception so he could get some work done.

Let's just say the spot we moved to so the hubby could work did NOT suck...

The marketing team is looking for a new employee, so he actually had to sit in on an interview for a potential co-worker. With that said, he needed to come across "professional", which meant Walt and I couldn't be causing a ruckus in the background ;) The pup and I decided we'd walk around for the hour and a half while the hubby needed peace and quiet. 

I listened to an audiobook and tried to wrangle the wiener dog while the hubby had work calls.

Walt contemplating life by the water ;)


Once he was done with the interview, we hit the road and continued towards Bishop (he was still on work calls, but I was able to drive and Walt could lay in the backseat {apparently I tired him out on our 3+ mile walk}). We had to pull over when the signal would cut in and out, but it wasn't too much of a hassle (and we had the Eastern Sierras as a backdrop!).

We love the beach, yes, but there is something pretty spectacular about the mountains too!

Eventually the hubby wrapped up work for the day and we made it to Bishop. We hadn't booked a campsite (which would normally make me very anxious, but I'm working on "going with the flow"), but the hubby had found a couple BLM spots he thought would work. Well, come to find out the first one was closed, so thankfully the second option was open (and awesome). It was $5 a night, had fire pits (our fire ring was made of rocks, but there were some spots with metal rings with grates), vaulted toilets and trash/recycle service... They also had two large metal boxes, one for a lost and found and one for a book/ gear swap! HOW COOL IS THAT?! Oh yeah, and the views were hard to beat too! Apparently I didn't take a ton any of pictures of the campground (oops... #BadBlogger), but I'd absolutely go back, so that's saying something ;) 

It might not look like much, but it was just what we were looking for!

Yup, that's about all you get... a picture of my water bottle on the picnic table, HAHA!

Pretty sweet, right?! I think more places need things like this (but only if campers will respect them!).

After we paid our fee and claimed our spot (the envelope you put your $5 in has a portion you tear off and hang on the spot's post - pretty primitive, but it worked perfectly for us!) we decided we'd take a little drive to the snow. Bishop doesn't tend to get snow, but we drove up the mountains a bit and were able to explore a bit. Walt is definitely a sunshine doggy who doesn't enjoy being cold, but he humored us and frolicked a bit when we were walking around a closed campground.

We took a burst and look at the last shot we got! Walt's ear was being blown straight up! #Perfection

Walt and I trying to get a "good picture" on one of the bridges over the stream.

GRRRR! Always on the look out for trash and found some while we were hiking around (and,
while I'm at it, let me say how much I DISLIKE the extra plastic that is on top of this bottle... sure,
it might get your kids to drink more veggies/ fruit, but do we have to do it with single-use plastic?!)

Because watching Walt walk in/ on the snow is too good not to share... enjoy ;)


Once we had enough of the cold, we ventured back down to our campground to max and relax. I'm not sure if you saw, but MPOWERD had sent us some of their string lights (I was doing a review and giveaway for them) so we were STOKED to get them set up. Friday night we set them up outside on the back of the AdventureMobile. Let's just say they lived up to the hype. We L-O-V-E them (and I'm not just saying that... you know I've always gotta #KeepItReal). Every time I'd walk away from our site I'd come back telling the hubby how much I loved them! I can't wait until we are somewhere longer than a night and can get our campsite all steezed out (I think our May trip to Yellowstone will be our next opportunity!)!

And, of course I had to sneak a s'more in! The hubby said he HAD TO take a pic because I had marshmallow all over... 

We put one of the strings along the top of the roof and one around the door.

Before we tucked in for the night we actually took the lights down because rain was on its way and although they are made to be used outdoors, we didn't want anything to happen to them on the first use! #BetterSafeThanSorry

We got the colored lights and couldn't decide which color combination(s) we liked best so kept switching them.

Saturday we woke up and decided to get in a hike (it rained overnight, and sounded pretty heavy at times, but everything seemed to have dried up by the time we woke). The hubby had done the Druid Stones Hike with a friend before, but I had never done it so he offered to do it again. It is a pretty strenuous hike (you gain 2,000+ feet of elevation in the first 2.5 miles... and you're already at 5,000 feet above sea level when you start), but we had the trail to ourselves and the weather was pretty perfect. (We went early, starting around 9am, so that it'd be plenty cool for Walt to hang out in the camper.) By the time we got back to the truck we saw five hikers, two bikers and one dog... and they were all on the way down.

We picked up this rock in Flagstaff last year and I finally remembered to place it somewhere!

Definitely had to work for this one!

And, just like everywhere else in Bishop, the views did NOT suck... even if we were sucking air!

After our hike we walked around town, hoping to find a store with stickers (we love adding stickers to the fridge inside of the AdventureMobile from where we've been), but we struck out everywhere we went. We were able to find a family owned grocery store where the hubby picked up some local beer, so he'd consider that a win ;) We also stopped at a hot springs (hubby loves them, I sit on the edge with the pup #GoodWifePoints) before heading back to the campground.

Hubby with his beer and some of the natural waterfalls in the hot springs.

Walked along the Owens River (we won't share the drama that ensued on
this portion of the trip...), and the mountains were out in all of their glory!

The winds were pretty crazy on Saturday, so we hunkered down at the campsite as best we could. We were able to make a small (safe) fire so I could enjoy a s'more, but after that we moved the party inside the trailer and played some Scrabble.

Get in my belly!

Boomshakalaka!

Since it was so windy outside, we put the MPOWERD string lights inside to add to the ambiance ;) They worked perfectly as I wiped the floor with the hubby in our game of pass-and-play Scrabble. {He loves Scrabble, but rarely beats me.}

Walt liked the vibe too ;)

Sunday morning came quickly and it was time to hit the road. The drive home would normally take about five and a half hours, but there were some accidents along the way, so Googles estimated it'd take closer to six and a half. Since I had driven most of the way there, the hubby offered to do a bit of the driving on the way home. And VERY SURPRISINGLY Walt decided to snuggle on my lap in the sun, so I soaked up every moment of the ride! (It might have only lasted about 45 minutes {then I hopped in the driver's seat}, but it was glorious, especially since he doesn't snuggle with me often.) 

The lighting is a bit harsh, but you get the idea!

It was a quick trip, but one that was absolutely necessary. The hubby and I try to get away once a month now that things are reopening (we do our best to be self-contained, give everyone their space and recreate responsibly) and we love it. We are beyond thrilled with our AdventureMobile and the opportunity to hit the road whenever possible! These mini trips are something we really look forward to. Being able to get away, unplug and reconnect with each other and nature is something that has been HUGE for my mental health! Thanks, Bishop, for the memories! We will definitely be back!

Until next time!

What is something you do for your mental health?

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