Journeys›Photograph

A Spring Day Trip to a Mountain Valley

·Inyo County, California·#road-trip#travel#spring#mountains#landscape
An outdoor scene with a wooden fire pit by a rocky stream, a lush garden, and a fence under a blue sky.

We spent a day out in the mountains back in mid-April. The place we stayed had this beautifully landscaped stream running right through the property, with stone paths and fire pits along the water. The weather was perfect for it — clear skies and bright sun.

My companion and I just spent some time relaxing by the water. You could see the snow-capped peaks in the distance from almost anywhere you stood. The contrast of the green landscaping against the big, rugged mountains was pretty striking.

We wandered around a bit and came across a shop filled with shelves of ceramic vases and trinkets. Later in the day, the view of the valley really opened up. The mountain range was huge against the blue sky, with some clouds settling in over the peaks.

Just a short distance away from the more developed areas, the landscape changed completely. We found a small, clear stream making its way through an arid, rocky wash. It was quiet and felt much more wild than the manicured creekside back at the lodge.

Two smiling people wave at the camera, seated outdoors with a stone wall, metal fence, and building behind them.A landscaped stream flows through a resort area with buildings and snow-capped mountains under a bright sky.A winding stream flows between rocky banks and greenery, with buildings, distant mountains, and a pale sky.A stream flows through a landscaped area with buildings and snow-capped mountains under a hazy sky.Shelves filled with blue and white pottery and decorative items are displayed in a sunny window, with mountains visible outside.Blue sky above a wide band of white clouds obscuring distant mountains, with trees and a building roof in the foreground.Snow-dusted mountains dominate a landscape of dry brush and scattered small buildings under a light blue sky.A clear stream flows through a desert landscape with large rocks, green grasses, and arid bushes under a bright sky.

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