Page 147 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2021 REDISCOVERING CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST

ith intercontinental travel cur- feet, the tallest peak in the Sierra Nevada.
tailed during this era of COVID Most exciting, as we headed north last Fall,
19, exploring destinations closer was taking the time to explore significant Cali-
W to home might be a good way to fornia landmarks, from the “living” ghost town of
take care of wanderlust. The road trip my hus- Randsburg hidden away among barren desert
band and I took before COVID set in perfectly hills, to Ridgecrest, a gateway to Death Valley
fits the bill. and China Lake Naval Weapons Center. In far-
I had never driven up one of California’s most from-deserted Lone Pine, the Lone Pine Film
scenic routes: Historic Highway 395, the main Museum is a vintage movie fan’s dream. And
link between Southern California and the ski past the granite outcroppings of the imposing
slopes of Lake Tahoe. The freeway slices through Alabama Hills, beckons the most moving historic
Inyo and Tulare counties, affording glorious landmark of all, Manzanar National Historic Site.
views of towering Mount Whitney, at 14,500

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