Arriving in Bishop via Eastern Sierra Regional Airport sets you up perfectly, with the Sierra Nevada on one side, the White Mountains on the other, and the whole Owens Valley in between. Bishop is a ranching and outdoor town at the top of the valley, the kind of place where climbers, anglers, and mule packers share the same diner counter. The light is sharp, the peaks are enormous, and the main street still has a Western feel.

Favorite things around Bishop: - Buy a loaf of sheepherder bread at Erick Schat's Bakkery - Boulder at the Buttermilks or the Happy Boulders, two of the most famous climbing areas in the country - Drive Bishop Creek Canyon to South Lake and Lake Sabrina, especially in fall when the aspens turn - Fly-fish the Owens River for trout - Soak at Keough's Hot Springs south of town - Ride the little train at the Laws Railroad Museum - Come for Mule Days over Memorial Day weekend, with parades and packing contests - Visit the Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center to learn whose valley this is

The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to the oldest trees on earth, is about an hour from Bishop up in the White Mountains. Mammoth Lakes is 45 minutes north for skiing and hot springs, with June Lake and Mono Lake not far beyond. Manzanar National Historic Site and the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine are about an hour south, with Mount Whitney towering above. Bishop calls itself the Mule Capital of the World and means it. Pack layers, because the valley is hot and the passes are cold.