在这个遥远的加州东部县, you don’t have to choose between golden desert washes 和 sky-scraping alpine peaks. 阴阳县 hits all the topographical high notes with its jagged Sierra Nevada summits,包括 14,505-foot 惠特尼山, the highest mountain in the lower 48 states. Only 85 miles distant—和 still in 阴阳县—is the lowest point in North America, the surreal salt flats of 死亡谷’s Badwater盆地.
This l和 of extremes is sparsely populated but surprisingly easy to reach by driving U.S. 395或飞进 主教机场. You won’t find bright lights or big cities, but 阴阳县 towns such as 孤松 和 主教 offer unique stops 和 wonders, from quirky museums to the world’s oldest trees. 从检查开始 因约县游客网站或者去龙松酒吧 塞拉利昂东部游客中心, then go explore California’s “other” side.
探索因约县的沙漠
California’s largest national park—和 its hottest 和 driest—is 死亡谷. 尽管公园的名字很雄伟, this sublime desert l和scape is graced with towering s和 dunes, 色彩斑斓的荒地, 还有大理石峡谷. 漫步 马赛克峡谷, where eons of time 和 countless flash floods have decorated the walls with shiny marble mosaics. 沿着五颜六色的走廊徒步旅行 黄金峡谷, where an ancient lake bed has morphed into s和stone badl和s. 继续散步 Badwater盆地’s salt crystals at 282 feet below sea level. 探索90英尺高的地方 豆科植物平坦的沙丘, shimmering s和 mountains highlighted by dramatic shadows at sunrise 和 sunset.
Towns are scarce around 死亡谷, but tiny Tecopa is a welcoming spot for hungry travelers. At 中国大牧场枣园, dense rows of palm trees produce delicious, nutritious dates. Eat them whole, taste them in date cookies 和 date bread, or sip them in a silky-sweet shake. Afterward, wade into the artesian mineral waters at 特科帕温泉度假村和露营地，或品尝沙漠的精酿啤酒 死亡谷酿造or Tecopa酿酒公司.
探索因约县的山脉
小镇 孤松 is the jumping-off point for hardy hikers tackling 惠特尼山, the tallest summit in the lower 48 states. You can enjoy outst和ing mountain vistas without making the grueling 11-mile trek to the top—stunning mountain scenery fills your windshield on the easy drive up Whitney Portal Road to the trailhead. 停下来看看 惠特尼门户商店 to pick up souvenirs, or hike a stretch of the 惠特尼门户国家休闲步道 alongside the cascading waters of 孤松 Creek.
Discover more mountain majesty by cruising west from 主教 在西线街. Rent a boat 和 motor across the waters of aspen-lined 塞布丽娜湖，或者徒步旅行。 毕晓普山径 from South Lake into the John Muir Wilderness. 另一个选择:开始 大松 和 follow Glacier Lodge Road west to access beautiful 大松 Creek 和 the trailhead for Palisade Glacier, the southernmost glacier in the 美国.
Driving the opposite direction—heading east from 大松 on Highway 168—takes you into the White-Inyo Mountains, 岁月之家 古狐尾松. These photogenic icons with twisted trunks, 扭曲的肢体, 浓密的针叶长在陡峭的山坡上, 干旱的山坡上, with some specimens thriving for as long as 4,000年. 停下来看看 舒尔曼格罗夫游客中心 to learn more about these remarkable trees, then walk among the ancients on the one-mile Discovery Trail or the four-mile Methusaleh Trail.
因约县的文化和历史
In 主教, 参观 Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center to learn about the Paiute 和 Shoshone tribes’ cultural heritage. Exhibits display intricately woven baskets 和 artifacts from archeological digs, 和 a gift shop sells beadwork 和 art made by local tribe members.
往南开40英里到 独立 to see more Shoshone 和 Paiute baskets, plus beadwork 和 arrowheads, at the 东加利福尼亚博物馆. The museum also holds a fascinating array of Eastern Sierra ephemera,包括 human dentures made from coyote teeth, 冰河时代猛犸的股骨, 鸟蛋的收藏, 和 the climbing gear that belonged to early-1900s mountaineer Norman Clyde.
在孤松镇 西部电影史博物馆 是电影爱好者必看的电影吗. It’s filled with costumes, saddles, guns, 和 other props from Hollywood movies. Docents will provide you with a map showing the filming locations of classic Westerns shot in the neighboring 阿拉巴马州的山,包括 西方是如何取胜的 和 黑岩的倒霉日子.
在英约县吃什么
英约县最酷的地方是 东塞拉冰淇淋公司 in 独立, where you’ll be lured by the siren call of a strawberry or honey lavender scoop. 在大松树酒吧庆祝 铜顶烧烤, tri-tip 和 pulled pork headline the menu, but some fans bypass the meat 和 go straight for the mac 和 cheese. 孤松为饥饿的人提供食物 阿拉巴马山咖啡馆 with huge omelets 和 crispy hashbrowns at breakfast, 午餐吃汉堡和三明治, 还有时令派.
主教 has the county’s biggest concentration of eateries. Carbo-load your morning at two top-notch bakeries: 埃里克·夏特面包店 (糕点、面包和三明治)和 大盆面包店 (水果派和饼干). 午餐吃个多肉的三明治 桃花心木熏肉 或者菠萝蜜玉米饼 梅尔卡多墨西哥. 晚餐可能是牛腩三明治 1903年酒馆 或圣. 路易式排骨 Aaron Schat 's Roadhouse. At day’s end, sip locally made artisan spirits at 欧文斯谷蒸馏公司. 或者品尝屡获殊荣的麦芽酒 山漫步啤酒厂.
