in north to south order:
- Gardnerville, NV: last chance for reasonably priced gas; past here you'll be paying literally the highest gas prices in the lower 48, according to a newspaper article I saw
- Walker, CA: Walker Coffee Company
- Walker Canyon (from Walker to CA 108): extremely scenic drive; you can walk by the water at Shingle Mill Flat Picnic Area
- CA 108: consider a short side trip here, along the West Walker River, to Leavitt Falls Vista Point
- Buckeye Hot Springs, just before Bridgeport, is my favorite hot springs, an absolutely gorgeous stream-side place to alternate between hot soaks and cold plunges (be careful on the steep descent)
- Bridgeport CA:
- Ruby Inn is an excellent, well-kept motel run by nice people
- Bridgeport Inn is vintage lodging, inexpensive small single rooms suitable for wandering cowboys, nothing electronic
- The Barn is a takeout counter (with picnic tables outside) with surprisingly excellent fish tacos
- Travertine Hot Springs, just after Bridgeport: excellent collection of hot springs of various sizes and temperatures, with stunning mountain views; good for exploring on foot as well as actual soaking
- Bodie CA (Bodie State Historic Park) requires a detour up CA 270 but is a must-visit; amazing, extensive ghost town with many surviving structures, including a few in brick and stone; get the guide brochure; definitely the premier Eastern Sierra ghost town
- Virginia Lakes: I am not an expert on the hundreds of amazing hikes that exist in the mountains around here, but this is one I know and strongly recommend. you start at Virginia Lakes Trailhead and then you hike up past a series of lovely alpine lakes of various sizes. the rocks are really varied, lots of strange/interesting metamorphic rocks along with the usual granite. the hike is worth doing even if you only have 2-3 hours and can only go so far, but the longer you keep going, it continues being freshly rewarding (and with fewer and fewer people). here's photos: https://flickr.com/photos/tisue/albums/72157715021861233/ if you make it all the way up to the top, you can see west into Yosemite and it's drop dead stunning: https://flickr.com/photos/tisue/50091344712/in/album-72157715021861233
- Mono Lake Vista Point, on the curvy descent to Lee Vining; turnoff comes at you fast and is easy to miss; panoramic views of the lake and mountains
- Mono Lake Visitor Center: nice visitor center, but not the best spot for close-up tufa viewing, the south side of the lake is better for that
- Lee Vining CA:
- pay the upside-down-house a visit (at the town park, where there are is also restrooms and shade)
- Latte Da Cafe: good coffee, nice atmosphere with pleasant outdoor seating. it's attached to a hippie-ish motel that appears really pleasant as well but I haven't actually stayed there
- Mono Market is a good small grocery store
- Nicely's Restaurant has a good vintage sign and interior (diner food, nothing special, though let me know if you have a better experience)
- The Mono Lake Foundation has nature and conservation info; buy a souvenir or a book to support them
- Whoa Nellie Deli, at the Mobil station just south of town, has surprisingly good food for a gas station, and it's a gathering place for hikers and a good place to people-watch and overhear conversations. also a good selection of souvenirs and books and such
- Mono Lake: the tufa area on the south shore of the lake is amazing, a must-see. btw you might recognize it from the inner sleeve of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"
- Tioga Pass Road CA: closed much of the year, but the road (which leads to Yosemite) is extremely scenic even if you end up having to turn around before the summit -- try to get as far as Tenaya Lake if you can, but if that's too far or the road is closed, at least try to get to Ellery Lake Falls
- June Lake Loop CA: scenic side drive with lakes, recommended
- Mammoth Lakes CA:
- Schat's Bakery, much smaller than the one in Bishop, with a much more limited selection, but excellent regardless. baked goods in the front, sandwiches and soup in the back
- Black Velvet: excellent coffee, and it's a perfect spot to sit and work on your laptop, too; there's plenty of space and they don't mind
- there's at least two proper supermarkets in town
- the gondola up to the top of Mammouth Mountain is expensive (about $50 or $60 iirc) but absolutely worth it IMO, there's lots of room at the top to walk around, and there aren't really other places in the high Sierras where you can see the mountains from a mountaintop without a difficult hike
- Earthquake Fault is a (misnamed) geological curiosity well worth a stop
- Devil's Postpile is deservedly famous. it's only a short walk from where you park. make sure you climb up on top as well as view it from beneath
- Rainbow Falls is an excellent hike near Devil's Postpile
- Inyo Craters is a good nearby hike
- Twin Lakes has swimming (I haven't been there but intend to go; I've seen the beach from the top of the gondola)
- Crowley Lake area:
- Crowley Lake Stone Columns look amazing in photos but require some hiking to get to -- I haven't done it myself yet
- Hot Creek Geologic Area is well worth a visit -- it's like a little fragment of Yellowstone. no soaking or swimming, just looking
- there are many more hot springs (that allow soaking) nearby that I haven't tried yet
- McGee Creek is a good hike up into the mountains a bit
- Bishop CA:
- cheapest gas in town is at Yuhubi Nobi -- cheap because it's on the Indian reservation
- Schat's Bakery is deservedly famous and hugely popular. their strongest strong point is bread IMO, but the sweet stuff's good too
- the town park by Schat's is spacious, shady, and pleasant
- Spellbinder Books is good. some used books, more new
- library is attractive and librarians helpful, but there are very few power outlets and you have to ask at the desk to get limited-time wifi access, so don't expect to camp out here and work for longer than an hour or two
- Keough Hot Springs: developed hot springs I've always meant to try -- if you go, let me know how it is
- Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest: side trip from Big Pine on CA 168. very nice main trail. a must-see if you've never seen bristlecones. a very good stop IMO even if you've seen them elsewhere
- Big Pine CA:
- fabulous barbecue at Copper Top BBQ, I always stop there if at all possible. very popular spot, deservedly so -- you might need to wait in line during high season. it's worth it
- Independence CA:
- Still Life Cafe: authentic French cuisine, bizarrely/ inexplicably existing in this very small town. a must if you can get the timing right (they aren't open every day, and only for dinner, and it's not a quick stop, food is cooked to order)
- Manzanar National Historic Site
- WWII concentration camp for the Japanese. little is left of the original buildings but they've built reconstructions with exhibits. strongly recommend, especially if you haven't been to any of the other such sites scattered around the West
- Lone Pine CA:
- Merry Go Round: quite good Szechwan food in a well-preserved midcentury building, wonderful sign too
- I've been to various other restaurants and motels in town and they've all been fine but nothing has really stood out, let me know if you find anything notable
- film museum: I haven't been but I bet it's cool
- Alabama Hills: short (very short) side trip from Lone Pine, amazing surreal weathered granite rock formations, strongly recommend exploring here, both by car and on foot. go see the (modestly sized) arch and take a picture of Mt Whitney through it -- you have to
- CA 190: even if you don't have time to go all the way into Death Valley, consider a side trip through the Joshua tree "forest" (especially if Joshua trees are a new sight for you) and into spectacular Panamint Valley,
- Owens Lake: formerly a proper lake, it was drained nearly dry because the water is now diverted all the way to Los Angeles (!!). the site has to be actively managed to control the toxic dust storms that would result if they didn't pump water onto it. you're free to drive out on causeways into the managed area and see the infrastructure, strongly recommended if you have a taste for ruinous collisions of man and nature