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My wife and I took a trip to Lone Pine California last weekend along with two other couples. Our goals were to visit the Alabama hills which is the site of many, many movies and TV shows since the 30s; Manzanar, the internment camp for Japanese Americans who lived on the west coast during WW2; and Cerro Gordo, a mining ghost town high in the mountains.

Here are some pictures of the trip:

Lone Pine has an excellent movie museum dedicated to the filming that was conducted in the area around the town.


A prop musket made from an 1873 Trapdoor rifle

The Gunga Din rope bridge was stretched between these two rocks. It looks much higher in the movie!

On the way up to Cerro Gordo looking back down to the Owens valley and the vast salt mining operation on the valley floor. Mt Whitney is somewhere over on the far mountain range


Our group near the hotel which was the location for several murders in the card room over the years. There are still some bullet scars in the walls and floor.


Looking into the hotel. We got a tour of several of the buildings by the town caretaker






One of the cable winding stations (long abandoned) on a hill as we drove up to the town. The ore was run by cable car from the mine to the valley floor. There is cable laying all across the mountains from the system which eventually collapsed once it was abandoned pre WW2.



The wife and I walked the last mile up to the town, the others drove. We gained over a thousand feet in one mile. I was puffing near the end. Snow on the ground at 8,000ft.

The front gate for Manzanar internment camp


Guard huts for the front gate


The cemetery for the camp. Only about 6 graves remain, the rest were relocated.

I have a friend who was interned with his family at Manzanar during the war. He entered the camp as a two year old in 1942 so he remembers nothing of the place. Manzanar is quite the blot on the reputation of the U.S. government. It now has a very interesting museum and several recreated barracks. There are also permanent structures made by the camp members such as the reservoir and gardens that have the names of the men who constructed them impressed into the concrete. A very interesting place and worth your time if you are in the area.

Excellent rufrdr, as usual you have posted pictures of an excellent landscape and interesting history. Thank you.

I knew about the Manzanar and the Japanese American Internment Camps, a knee jerk reaction from the American Government at the time to say the least.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manzanar

Your binoculars, are they Steiner?

Stunning pictures as ever, what was the temperature on the day of your visit?

Thanks a very interesting post.

Thanks again rfrdr, great photos.

This years Vacation is USA for the sixth time, Las Vegas a few days then 10 Days Anaheim CA and back to Las Vegas to fly home in order to get direct flight to Glasgow. Going in October to avoid heat though.

The drive along the I15 is quite enjoyable, wont be doing any adventure stuff like you do though.

Family will want to do Disney/Universal etc. Again. I've seen them, still, musn't complain, will have to plan some other exciting stuff, lots to see. Any recommendations?

Stunning pictures of an incredible landscape. Thank you very much

JohnG (who thought Cornwall was stunning!!)

Great photo tour - thanks for sharing. I never get tired of visiting the US, there's always something interesting around the next corner. I understand that a vast number of Americans don't have a passport as they feel they have plenty to see at home. I know why.

Redcat