Looking for a perfect stop to get the wiggles out or to have a picnic? Check out the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery. Located just a few hundred yards off 395, the hatchery offers leg-stretching activity for kids and kids at heart.

As you turn from the stark, desolate 395 to climb a few hundred yards to the hatchery, the access road opens to reveal classical architecture and a lush, wild-life-filled pond of the The Mt Whitney Fish Hatchery.

For nearly a a hundred, the hatchery provided fresh trout to the Eastern Sierra. But after environmental setbacks in the early 21st century, the hatchery shifted its focus to education and preservation of the areas natural resources.

Now it provides the perfect place for families or couples to relax in the shade, even on the warmest Sierra summer day. Take a tour, feed the fish, check out the exhibits. Or simply relax under a shade tree and soak in the architecture and natural beauty, framed by the snow-capped mountains in the distance. 

In the summer, guests sometimes struggle to find a nicer home, like ours, that also provides a pool. Because of the climate and short summer season, pools are not very common at private, smaller, upscale complexes or homes.

But the good news is that if you want more than the hot tubs provided with our rentals, there are plenty of places  in and around Mammoth Lakes to dip your toes in water -- and even put your booty in the sand.

The fishing wasn't great, but the views were fine.

I know, I know. You've finally exited the 395 and the last thing you want to do before you start your vacation is to stop the car and have to collect the kids, the dogs, and the 

So, Big Pine is a small town with some Big Problems. I've shared that in an article on our companion blog, Glam on the Lam. You can (and if you plan to spend much time in Big Pine you should) read that here. 

But there's some good, easily accessible, high-yield fishing if you know where to go.

So, I can't say this hike is necessarily easy. In fact, it isn't. But at least it is short-- and it is totally, completely worthwhile. In fact, it may be the best pain to pleasure ratio in all the hikes we've done.

​Families who are Mammoth regulars know how that the Adventure Center is a mecca of fun activities for kids with its rock wall, bungee tramp and pint-sized zipline.

Not only that, but its the portal to the Gondola Scenic tours, and vast hiking areas of the San Joaquin river areas, Devil's Postpile and Red's Meadow. Starting this summer, there are lots of new reasons to haul the littles up to the Center for easy-to-access activities. ​