Manzanar

 

Manzanar

Via Panamint Springs and Alabama Hills:

Past 6:30 am I woke up the guys. We packed our bedding and belongings from the pod back into the car and were the first ones to leave the place while rest of the guests were still sleeping in their tents, their cars parked outside. 

Heading north on the dirt road we saw a herd of burros( wild donkeys) on the plains,  couple of them crossing the road in front of us. We carried on to the store at Panamint Springs where we had relaxed the previous day. Freshened up in the restroom there and got some tea. Had it with the scone I had picked in Tehachapi the day before. 

Took the drive from there on highway 190 going west towards Lone Pine. What a beautiful drive this is !! It passes through Rainbow canyon one of the most beautiful range of colored mountains I’ve seen. This site is known for the difficult exercises conducted by highly trained military pilots to fly the sophisticated jets. We enjoyed the short stops on the turnouts and kept going ahead. It was 9 am when we were in Lone Pine. Our son wanted to see Alabama Hills that we recently visited. Took him there. Hiked up to Mobius Arch this time. It was simply beautiful. Mount Whitney stood majestic in the backdrop of the stone formations of the hills. 

From there we headed north on highway 395 about 10 miles to this historic landmark site at Manzanar. During world war 2 the Allies were fighting against the Japanese. Pearl Harbor was attacked and sentiments about the war and enemy were raging. About 120,000 Japanese American citizens were rounded up from everywhere and relocated to multiple detention facilities across the nation. Manzanar was one of them. The site holds very poignant exhibits of this dreadful chapter of history both inside its visitor center and the barracks surrounding it. We walked around pondering over the exhibits and realizing what the Japanese community endured in those 3-4 years from 1942-45. It brought memories of the Nazi concentration camps we saw in Germany, though this was filled with much less horror in comparison.

With a quick stop for lunch in Lone Pine we headed back and were home by Monday evening. 

Saree for the day was a repeat Karvati kinar tussar from Vidarbha with a beautiful tomato red border and striped pallu. 

Check for more photos in comments. The main photo taken overlooking Rainbow Canyon near Panamint Springs. 

This post concludes the accounts of the recent 2 day trip.