Sunday, October 16, 2011

Topaz Lake

 

At the northern end of the Antelope Valley, where California greets Nevada, you can find “Topaz Lake … Home of the Trophy Trout.” 

It’s easy to feel like a winner at Topaz Lake simply by spending a day fishing, sailing or exploring the lake and its 25 miles of shoreline. Or you can hit the Topaz Lodge Resort and Casino overlooking the lake and try your luck there.

Besides the option for gambling, there are a couple other things that make Topaz Lake unique. The man-made lake is in both California and Nevada, making a fishing license from either state valid. The other is that Topaz Lake is actually at its best in the winter and early spring, when most bodies of water in the Eastern Sierra are frozen or buried under snow. Topaz Lodge even runs an annual winter fishing derby, offering anglers a nice outdoor fix in the midst of the chilly winter months.

For those who prefer drier activities, Northern Mono County is also known for offering some of the best ATV riding in the Golden State. The hiking and horseback riding near Topaz Lake are also terrific.

Directions: Topaz Lake is located along Highway 395 at the California/Nevada border. It is located about halfway between Reno and Mammoth Lakes.

 























 

 

 

Friday, September 30, 2011

Big Crush Harvest Festival - Amador County, CA.

What a fun time and if you are ever in the area, or plan to be, in early October be sure to add 'The Crush' to your bucket list.

We stayed at the 49er Village in Plymouth which is not only a great Park but close to all the goings on.

Area History

"California’s nascent wine industry took flight during the Gold Rush of the 1850s, amid the rugged western foothills of the majestic Sierra Nevada mountain range. As fortune seekers, many of them European, flocked to the Sierras to prospect for gold, small wineries arose to help slake their thirst. Within a few decades, there were over 100 wineries in the area known as the Mother Lode, more than any other region of California. Some of the vineyards planted during that era survive to this day. 
The decline of gold mining at the end of the 19th-century, followed by the advent of Prohibition in 1920, devastated this frontier wine community, which remained dormant until the late 1960s. Then, a new generation of pioneers began migrating to the Gold Country’s Amador County, this time drawn by the region’s rolling, sun-drenched hillsides, warm daytime temperatures, and volcanic, decomposed granite soils – ideal conditions for producing top-quality wine grapes. When their robustly flavored wines, especially zinfandel, began attracting the attention of wine lovers throughout California and the U.S., the historic Sierra Foothills wine region was reborn. 
Today, where gold once reigned, some forty wineries produce a new treasure: superb wines which have earned Amador County international acclaim."

"Wine lovers enamored with the rich, robust wines of Amador County in California’s picturesque Sierra foothills can soon savor them to their heart’s content. Every year in early October, member wineries of the Amador Vintners will host “The Big Crush,” the vintners’ annual Harvest Wine Festival. For two days during the heart of the grape harvest season, Amador aficionados can partake of great wine, food, music and watch harvest in action amidst the scenic beauty of Amador Wine Country.
For over 16 years, winery members of the Amador Vintners Association have held a collective fĂȘte in the thick of the busiest part of the year – a rare occurrence in busy wine country regions. During The Big Crush, over 40 winery members of the group will see to it that guests observe the sights, sounds, and the smells of the harvest season.
At The Big Crush, guests will witness picking, crushing, pressing, and fermenting fruit. They’ll taste grapes fresh off the vine, and meet winery principals and owners. For the grape growers and vintners of Amador County wine is a passion and not just a crush...they’ll be sharing their enthusiasm through barrel tasting, blending sessions, and educational presentations."


























Sunday, July 17, 2011

Paradise Shores Camp and Visiting the Historic Town of Bodie.

 Located in Bridgeport, CA the town itself is a charming mix of around 500 local residents and hundreds of other people visiting from all over the world, all depending on the time of year.  In the winter months it's a sleepy little town, with only a few permanent residents staying over during the cold season. However, winter here has its own rewards to offer, including some of the most scenic and spectacular back-country terrain to be found anywhere in the High Sierra. Hundreds of miles of trails are available for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. The East Walker River is open to fishing year-round.  Its trophy sized brown and rainbow trouts enjoy the cooler water temperatures and light angling pressure, and fishermen who brave the cold have all the best spots on the river to themselves.  Come spring, Bridgeport turns into a vibrant, active community. The trails and wilderness are still available, but the solitude of the mountains might have to be shared with others. Luckily, this part of the Sierra Nevada Range remains isolated, untouched, and ready to be explored.

In summary, the town of Bridgeport, situated at 6463 feet and surrounded by some of the tallest mountains in the country, is the hidden gem of the outdoor enthusiast. Located less then one hour from Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite and only an hour and a half from South Lake Tahoe, the town provides an incomparable base location for many adventures. The numerous lakes and rivers, including the Bridgeport Reservoir, East and West Walker River, Owens River, Virginia Lakes, Twin Lakes, Topaz Lake, and the many wonderful creeks including Robinson, Green, Virginia, Lundy, Lee Vining, Rush and Hot Creek, to name a few, offer some of the best fishing to be experienced anywhere in the world.

 















Paradise Shores Camp is located near Bodie ghost town. We're one of the closest lodging facilities (20 miles drive) to Bodie, Ca.

Now a well known ghost town, Bodie in its heyday was a booming community comprised of about 8,000 residents and 2,000 buildings. It was gold, first discovered in this area around 1859, that drew people to this god-forsaken desert location, where many a miner's wife and child perished during the bitterly cold winters, either in childbirth or from influenza.  The old gravestones in the town's cemetery tell the sad tale of their hard lives and early demise.  One miner's wife wrote to her friend back home, "Goodbye world, I'm going to Bodie."    Established in the late 1800s, Bodie prospered as a thriving mining community until the mine played-out and most of its residents decided to follow the gold-mining boom as it spread across the West to newly discovered claims and newly erected boom-towns.  Eventually the town was abandoned and left to its slow decay.

In order to preserve the historic town in an authentic state of "arrested decay," the State set aside Bodie as a State Park in 1962.  As a result, this piece of California gold-fever history has become a world-renown tourist destination attracting about 200,000 visitors every year. With many of the original buildings still in place, a walk through the park is an experience that will transport you back in time to the mid-1980s. Even if you do not participate in one of the informative tours offered by the rangers and only explore the park yourself, you will be struck with wonder at the uniqueness and authenticity of this place. It is a "must-do" visit if you find yourself traveling through this area. Make sure to bring your camera and stick around for the sunset, as the pictures can be just magnificent.