Bishop Visitor Logo

Bishop Visitor's Center

About the Author: Gigi

blog author image

Gigi is “crazy mad in love with Bishop.” Since moving here in 2006 she has made it her mission to participate in as many of the outdoor activities as possible. She learned to snowboard, improved upon her very average climbing skills, took long hikes, has driven up and down innumerable mountain roads and 4x4 tracks, cycled and occasionally tumbled down mountain bike trails, taken to the roads on a bicycle or motorcycle – sometimes for fun and sometimes to commute, and successfully completed her first attempt at a triathlon. She spent 10 months touring the western US and Canada on a bicycle and after 4,000 plus miles returned to Bishop – for the beauty of the place and the spirit of the community. “My soul belongs here,” she says.

Bishop Visitor Blog Posts by Gigi:

Summertime Fun in a Wintertime Wonderland

Summertime Fun in a Wintertime Wonderland

Oh yeah, it’s cold out there. Snow has fallen. Ski season has started. You’ve packed your bags and you’re all geared up for a winter experience. But have you considered that you could experience a little summer with your winter? No. Well consider this … you can! Right...
It’s a Wonderful Life in Bishop during the Holidays

It’s a Wonderful Life in Bishop during the Holidays

“Then it seemed to me that the Sierra should be called, not the Nevada or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light. And after ten years of wandering and wondering in the heart of it, rejoicing in its glorious floods of light, the white beams of the morning streaming...
The Railroad Express

The Railroad Express

Intro This is the train ride of the year. In fact it’s a magical train ride into yesteryear and it only happens once every year. Do you believe in holiday magic and that wishes really do come true? Well then get your Golden Ticket and receive a happy holiday bell when...
Guide to Fall Color Spotting from Behind the Lens

Guide to Fall Color Spotting from Behind the Lens

Outside on the Eastside Fall is long in the Eastern Sierra. The topography of the region provides a slow shift into winter that starts first at the higher elevations and descends slowly over the open plains of the Owens Valley below. The cooling begins in September as...
How to Beat the Heat in Bishop

How to Beat the Heat in Bishop

It’s not unusual for temperatures to climb to and over the 100-degree mark during the summer months in Bishop. And, yes, there’s that wonderful and oft-repeated phrase, “But it’s a dry heat.” Well, that’s true and it does make it a little more bearable, but for those...
5 Reasons to Rest, Refuel, & Regroup in Bishop

5 Reasons to Rest, Refuel, & Regroup in Bishop

Photo: Madi Taylor “Miles weren’t things that blazed dully past. They were long, intimate straggles of weeds and clumps of dirt, blades of grass and flowers that bent in the wind, trees that lumbered and screeched. They were the sound of my breath and my feet...
The Night Sky in the Eastern Sierra

The Night Sky in the Eastern Sierra

Ancient Bristlecone Pine & Milky Way. Photo: Tony Rowell Intro The night sky has captured the human imagination from time immemorial. Here in the Eastern Sierra the clear air and lack of light pollution make way for unimpeded visibility of the stars. On a night...
Camping Successfully With Kids

Camping Successfully With Kids

Have your kids outgrown camping in your backyard? Bring them for a camping vacation in our big backyard. Here in the Eastern Sierra, Bishop has many wonderful options for camping that offer the gamut from full hookups to dispersed camping. Camping is a great way to...
Laws Poleta Area

Laws Poleta Area

Intro At the base of the White Mountains, 5 miles east of the center of Bishop, is an exceptional off-road motorcycling and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) area. The Poleta Open Area, covering 2,500 acres, consists of about 50 miles of single-track and ATV trails...
The Alabama Hills – A Quick Guide

The Alabama Hills – A Quick Guide

Intro The Alabama Hills, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada just west of Lone Pine, is one of Hollywood’s favorite filming locations. This monumental landscape provides a multitude of settings for movie backgrounds and evocative scenes. The beautiful rock...
Made in Bishop

Made in Bishop

The old world charm and quiet, country setting of Bishop belies its bold business heart. There are, living here, brave explorers and daring entrepreneurs who are making products and building businesses inspired by the mountains and a lifestyle of clean air, beautiful...
Owens Gorge

Owens Gorge

Intro The Owens Gorge is a deep, steep-sided canyon about 10 miles long located northwest of Bishop. It is a world-class destination for rock climbing and a favorite fishing area. The gorge offers fun and adventure all year long for climbers, anglers and hikers. About...

Mule Days

A world-class equestrian event promoting the legacy, heritage and talents of the mule. Intro For five days, every Memorial Day weekend, more than 30,000 fans from around the country (and the world) converge on Bishop for this colorful and fun festival. It is a...
Must Do Trail Runs in the Eastern Sierra

Must Do Trail Runs in the Eastern Sierra

Trail running and mountain running are not new to the world of running, but are becoming more popular as a way to enjoy the natural world around us and, at the same time, achieve fitness goals. Running on trails and in areas removed from urban life, where traffic and...
Bishop Adds Up To More Fun This Winter

Bishop Adds Up To More Fun This Winter

Where do crisp, snowy mountain mornings and sunny, warm high desert afternoons add up to the perfect winter experience? In Bishop, of course! Follow freshies at Mammoth Mountain with afternoon fishing on the Lower Owens River. Add a vertical component to your morning...
London. Paris. New York. Bishop.

London. Paris. New York. Bishop.

During the last century the major urban centers of the world were traditionally hubs for creativity where low-cost urban living and compact communities were places where artists could live inexpensively and create art. The lifestyle was such that artists could gather...
6½ Reasons Why Bishop Rocks

6½ Reasons Why Bishop Rocks

I could list a thousand reasons why Bishop rocks. It’s stunningly beautiful. The mountains are majestic. The high desert is surreal. The climate is wonderful. There are scores of world-class outdoor activities to be enjoyed. The city is small and attractive. The...
The Season for Gold in Bishop

The Season for Gold in Bishop

The Olympic Games have ended and will happen again in 2020, but here in the Eastern Sierra gold is far more easily attained and is awarded to us every year. When the air cools and summer turns to autumn the leaves begin to change color and an abundance of yellow,...
Half Way Between Heaven and Well … Heaven!

Half Way Between Heaven and Well … Heaven!

The National Park Service is 100 years old this year. President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill 100 years ago directing the Department of the Interior “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of...
Finding Solitude – An Essential Guide

Finding Solitude – An Essential Guide

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir. The annals of history are full of the reminiscences of women and men who have sought and found solitude in the mountains. Many of these individuals also found inspiration there and much of our cultural heritage...