SPYING THAT FIRST GOLDEN OAK, or aspen, or cottonwood while driving into the Eastern Sierra region? It's one of the pleasures of tooling around Mono County in the late summer and early autumn. Of course, you probably won't spy just a single tree, but many tall and leafy specimens, all in profusion, all wearing their fall-tastic wardrobes and glimmeriest glows. For even if you arrive a little early for the autumn show, or a tad late, you'll still behold some true seasonal wonders, given the size of the region, the varying elevations, and the thousands upon thousands of picture-perfect trees lining the roads, clustering against cliff faces, and dotting the shorelines of all of those famous Eastern Sierra lakes. If you find yourself jazzed over this joyful, once-a-year sight, and you're craving a foliage-centered night away, best line up your maps, your snacks and all of the loops and hikes you intend to take, then consider booking at...
TAMARACK LODGE, a lake-close property that has a Fall Colors Package on now. It won't last forever, but then those shimmery yellow aspen leaves don't last forever, either, so you'll want to stay through Oct. 14, 2018. Other wise things to keep in mind? You'll receive a book as part of the package — "California's Fall Color: A Photographer's Guide to Autumn in the Sierra" — and other goodies, like a boat rental (good for two hours, hurrah) or a mountain bike rental deal (it is 2-for-1, so tell your favorite bike bud). Starting price? Think $75 per person. Filling up on fall? There's only a brief window to do so, and the Mammoth Lakes area, on up to June Lake and down to Bishop and beyond, is known as one of California's nicest leaf-peeping spots. So get plannin' and get peepin', leaf lovers, pronto.
