If you, like I, are a fan of the most secluded California lake camping spots, then come with me on a California road trip adventure!
So, off we jet-packed at 5 a.m., farting our way up Highway 395 (I swear, the dog’s just a natural gas factory), fueled by Raisin Bran and way too much espresso. Lake George was a blessed stop for “lunch”—read: a desperate attempt to curb the ravenous hunger after surviving the gassy road trip. Honestly, by that point, I was just dreaming of a fresh Peach Caprese Salad, because nothing says “vacation” like inhaling your lunch in the car.
Once sufficiently fed and slightly less gassy, we headed up to TJ Lake with our old pal, Trumpie—aka, the blow-up pool toy, the next social media star. It was time to trek up to TJ Lake for a quick swim and a photo shoot that probably made my Instagram followers jealous (or confused, possibly both). Then, it was onward to our silver nugget of paradise—Silver Lake campground, where I somehow scored the last lakeside spot in the entire Eastern Sierra. Spoiler: it’s probably because many travelers are still waiting for Labor Day the load up their RVs and not because I’m secretly a camping genius.
So there I was, living my best life in the Eastern Sierra, where it’s apparently acceptable to judge someone for picking up their dog’s GMO-filled, corn-fed poop—No Sherie, unlike your bleached blonde Orange County extensions, your dog’s feces is nothing natural. Welcome to Mammoth Lakes, California, where the Orange County Tesla-driving bimbos and their eye rolls are basically part of the scenery. Late August is a great time to explore all of the California lake camping spots with your favorite kind of smelly adventure dog; you just need to know where to go to avoid the crowds and the drama.
If it’s a summertime weekend, then the City-its are definitely here. Please don’t cancel me, Becky, just because I pick up my dog’s corn-fed GMO-filled poo, you know, like a responsible pet owner. Of course, we have idiots in Big Bear Lake, California, five hours to the south where I live as well. Of course, most of them work at Big Bear-Izon our local Verizon Wireless Store and the reason I have not had Internet on my brand new phone for a month. After a summer working 7 days a week straight in tourist hell, I needed an escape hatch—something remote, sacred, and miles away from Verizon Wireless stores and people who think “8 Mbps” is fast internet.
The highlight of our little Eastern Sierra getaway, I mean after we escaped the crowds off the beaten path? Paddleboarding with my super-excitable, stick-chasing, duck-bothering pup—who proved once again that her life goal is to make every trip a wet, furry adventure. Honestly, she just wants to be a viral meme, I think.
Day one of this mountain madness is in the books, and I’m already dreaming of more hikes, lake swims, and maybe a eucalyptus sauna spa day. Who knew disconnecting could be this chaotic—and this fabulous? Stay tuned, because the Eastern Sierra has many more ways to test my patience and my love for nature (and picking up poop).
