Bridgeport, California

I've been camping outside the small town of Bridgeport, California, since I was a small child. The town and campground have changed very little over the years.

Although the main part of town is only about three streets wide, Bridgeport has a wonderful bakery which has been operating for over 50 years, a spectacular courthouse dating from 1880, a charming restaurant which serves reliably excellent breakfasts and lunches, a fascinating museum, and a world-famous sporting goods store.

Bridgeport is the kind of small, friendly town where the same woman who waits on you in the post office by day serves you dinner that night, or the waitress who serves you breakfast one day serves you dinner at another restaurant the next day. We've had both experiences!

Bridgeport hosts a wonderful Independence Day celebration -- this year is the 145th annual event. We attended in 2005 and enjoyed a parade, Arts & Crafts Festival, used book sale (we came home with a large stack!), games, and fireworks over the airport that night.

For logistical reasons (long story about a misplaced battery charger, grin) most of our photos were on film this year, but I hope to have CDs of the pictures by week's end. In the meantime, a view of Robinson Creek, by our campsite (click to enlarge):


Another view:


Below is Hunewill Ranch, viewed from a moving car (hence the slight blurriness). The ranch lies midway between Bridgeport and our campsite at Lower Twin Lake. The meadows surrounding Bridgeport are as much a part of the area's beauty as the surrounding Sierra Mountains.


Some of the interesting sights near Bridgeport include Mono Lake, which is one of the oldest lakes in North America, and Bodie, a gold-mining ghost town, which once was home to 10,000 citizens and is now a state park.

More photos can be seen at my pre-trip post.

Hope you enjoy this peek at a very special place.