5 Things to Do in Mammoth Lakes

There is truly nothing like a long weekend.  Especially a HOLIDAY weekend.

Sometimes I’m content to just hang out at home, relax, and catch up on everything.  But when there’s a weekend escape on offer, it’s hard to turn down.

So when friends invited my husband and me to join them for Memorial Day weekend in Mammoth, CA, it was a no-brainer.  Yes, please!

If you’ve never heard of Mammoth Mountain, it’s a….well, it’s a mountain.  Mammoth is in the Eastern Sierras (more mountains), about a five-hour drive north of LA.

Mammoth is about an hour from Yosemite, so that should give you an idea of the scenery: clear blue lakes, dreamy meadows and of course, snow-capped peaks.

I’ve been to Mammoth a few times in the winter.  I’d never been in the spring or summer, though, so I was really excited to check out the scenery when it wasn’t blanketed in snow.

What did we get up to?  There may have been some wine involved.  But on balance, also hiking.  And lots, and lots of eating.  That mountain air really makes you want to EAT.  And eat I did.

A few places we went and I loved:

Roberto’s: a margarita with chambord?  ¡SÍ!

Side Door Cafe & Wine Bar: for a mid-day pickmeup

Toomey’s: perfect for lunch post-hike

Convict Lake Hiking Trail: the perfect not-too-hard-but-still-a-workout hike with a beautiful view. It’s where I took this pic.

Convict Lake Resort restaurant: more upscale dining with tasty steaks and, of course, a cheese plate.  As you might predict, the story behind the name “Convict Lake” is straight out of an old western film and involves convicts, sheriffs, and lots of drama.

An aside:  Convict Lake is frequently included on lists of places with unusual names.  I didn’t know this list even existed and it’s easily THE MOST hilarious wikipedia post i’ve ever read.

Anyway, I can’t wait to tell you more about the road trip there and back.  It’s six hours each way from San Diego, but it flew by.  Why?  By listening to the best road trip soundtrack around.

Until then, I’M SO GLAD IT’S FINALLY SUMMER.