Thursday, July 18, 2013

Bishop! In July!

July is not the recommended time for a trip to Bishop, but it just happened to be when it worked out. So it was us and the infinitely more hardy European tourists, braving the heat. Which turned out to be pretty bearable after all since there's a gentle all day breeze and the clouds more than made up for it.

395 North
{395 north}

Road trip!
{road trip!}

Lower Owens River
{lower owens river}

Gear loaded
{gear loaded}

Dad
{dad inspecting flies}

gnarled tree
{gnarled tree}

LA property in the Owens Valley
{LA property in the owens valley}

Shauna picking up ticks
{shauna picking up ticks}

Schat's sandwich
{schat's sandwich}

Pink clouds over Bishop
{pink clouds over bishop}

game night
{game night}

explosion
{mini fridge settings were a little off}

schat's
{schat's}

best dinner in town
{best dinner in town}

thunderbird motel neon
{thunderbird motel neon}

Reel
{reel}

belated birthday
{belated birthday}

Field, flock of birds
{field, flock of birds}

Mammoth Brewing Co pitcher at Upper Crust
{mammoth brewing co pitcher}

I've only camped in Bishop, so staying in town was new. It's teeny tiny, but filled with an abundance of cute homes and excellent neon lights.

We didn't catch anything, but that wasn't the point. I'm so glad we made this trip happen and it was incredibly special for all of us.

Notes for Bishop: True to form, I obsessively researched everything before going. Given that the town is only a mile long, you'd think this wasn't necessary, but it did help.

Get sandwiches at Schat's. Ignore the people on Yelp who claim it's become overhyped and overpriced. It's still so good. Walk across the street and picnic in the city park. Buy some cheese bread for the ride home.

Go for drinks at Rusty's. But probably stay away from the jello shots.

Order the Epic IPA from Mammoth Brewing Co whenever you get a chance. Opt for the Real McCoy Amber if hops aren't your thing.

It seems odd that the bowling alley is the best reviewed restaurant in town, but it holds up. Fish and chips are surprisingly good. They also made us a grilled cheese after the kitchen had closed so they have my undying love.

Rent anything you need for fishing from Brock's and hire a guide if you don't have my dad to lead you around.

Get coffee at Black Sheep Coffee Roasters. The brewed coffee is great, the espresso is very light and acidic, so if that's your thing you're golden. The veg breakfast burritos also looked awesome.

Buy the gluten free Sierra mud cookies at Great Basin Bakery even if you aren't gluten free.

Try the jerky at Mahogany Meats and purchase some of the sweet and spicy. But not too much, because you won't have money left for anything else.

Go for a run up and down Home St. in the early morning so you can pretend house shop. Walk up and down Main St. in the evening so you can admire all the old neon signs.




*Just in case you're wondering, I do take a ton of standard vacation pictures, you know, with actual people in them. It's just that I don't usually like to share too many people photos here and risk making people feel uncomfortable, so I pick and choose carefully when I post. But I don't end up with photo albums just full of people's hands and backs, which I know is how it looks when you see these posts!

22 comments:

  1. I was just thinking, "I admire how she can take pictures that look like real life without showing any friends/family members". It doesn't look "weird", it looks arty! You're a great photographer.

    What a fun getaway! It sounds relaxing.

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    1. Ha! Thanks, hon! I added that note because it feels really natural to me at this point to avoid faces for the most part when posting but as I was pulling them together I realized it might seem like all my pictures are like this, always. I'm glad they don't look weird!

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    2. i'll second HMH; i just think you do a lovely job of making things personal without making then squirmy for non-internet types (joe is one of those, so i know how that goes).

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  2. love this post! the photos are amazing. discovered your blog via cupcakes and cashmere - love it!!

    thecasualclassic.blogspot.com

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  3. i have so much faith in your skills that before i saw the coke caption, i assumed you were doing some sort of high-concept beverage riff on frito pie.

    i grew up in so cal and never even heard of bishop, which makes me very sad (our family shared a cabin with many other families up in big bear, so our local trips were always there, and we tended to camp up by mendocino). i'm so glad you had a good time with your dad.

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    1. So many places to camp, so little vacation time. California problems, right? There are a million places I'd like to get to or get back to, Big Bear included.

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    2. Yes - what Lauren said about your skills. (I expected you'd figured out how to cook something in a soda can.)

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  4. this post made me SO nostalgic.. when i was a child we used to drive through bishop on our way to camp at june lake, so schat's and the scenery still tugs pretty hard at my heart. thank you for sharing the beautiful photos!
    kasey

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    1. The whole trip made me nostalgic! So glad you enjoyed the photos!

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  5. I was getting to the bottom of your list and started to panic that you hadn't mentioned Mahogany Meats. MAN, that place is good. Their sandwiches are pretty fantastic too. Check out the Mountain Light Gallery next time. Filled with beautiful landscape photography from the late Galen and Barbara Rowell.

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    1. Yes! We went at the wrong time for sandwiches (too late, I guess?) but the jerky was great. Sad I didn't know about the gallery. That sounds lovely!

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  6. love this. i wish it was easier to take roadtrips out of nyc...but renting a car is beyond a headache. luckily the train system is pretty good but still...a little more freedom would be nice. love your pictures - sounds like you had a wonderful weekend.

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    1. We rented a car once in NYC and it was a little stressful so I feel you. And we rented on the UES which made it super easy to get out of the city. I'm sure it would be way worse if you were further in!

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  7. These are beautiful, and it sounds like a lovely trip. I'm the same way about pictures I post to my blog too. I used to post pictures of my boys, but as they've gotten older, I've begun doing it less and less, at least pictures that include their faces.

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    1. Yes, I sometimes show faces but I try to avoid it as a general rule. Ironically, I really love seeing my friends' blogs and getting to see all the faces, but I'm just shy about mine.

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  8. Beautiful photos, dear!
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  9. Love these pictures.. a lot of them would make awesome vintage looking postcards.

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  10. Agreed. I've always noticed that about your blog, but in the best possible way. Your photos really do seem to capture a mood without seeming overly staged. For instance, we never see faces on your party or vacation posts, but you can tell it was a good time!

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    1. Thanks, Judy! I'm glad it doesn't look like I'm just friends with a bunch of disembodied hands. : )

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  11. I like that about your photos! I tend to post family faces though, not so much friends. More because my blog is a visual diary and I want to see them!
    Looks like a fun trip

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    1. Yeah, I sometimes show faces but tend to feel a little shy about it. I'm trying to be better about making actual photo books so I get to look back at the faces as well!

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  12. Rachel, these are awesome. It looks like it was an awesome (and delicious) trip.

    (I always love your photos, disembodied hands and all.)

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