Trip Overview:
We are heading back out on the road to get one last taste of winter, see some amazing sights, and spend some time relaxing in one of our favorite cities, Las Vegas! We have a variety of things planned that are new to us mixed in with a few things we have been wanting to do again. Here is our general plan:
- May 2-4, 2025 – Mammoth Lakes, CA (Westin Monache)
- May 4-6, 2025 – Death Valley, CA (Inn at Death Valley)
- May 6-11, 2025 – Las Vegas, NV (Fontainebleu and Cosmopolitan)
Day 1 – On the Road to Mammoth Lakes, CA
May 2, 2025
Highway 88
We hit the road around 8am on Friday, May 2, 2025, around 8am in the morning. We took highway 88 over the Sierras, which is a beautiful drive any time of the year. I always prefer the more casual drive on Highway 88 instead of Highway 80 or 50. From where we live, it takes a little longer to get to Reno, but the more relaxed pace and lack of truck traffic combined with the beautiful scenery makes is definitely worth it to me. This time we would be heading south on 395 instead of north to Reno so it made perfect sense.
There was still a little snow on the ground at higher elevations and Silver Lake and Caples Lake were starting to thaw for the spring. We recorded the drive on our dash cam and posted it to YouTube. Part 1-Highway 88 to Minden, NV and Part 2-Minden, NV to Mammoth.
Breakfast in Minden, NV
We went very slightly out of the way to grab breakfast in Minden, NV at the Carson Valley Inn. We have stopped at the coffee shop (Katie’s Country Kitchen) several times passing through this area and have always had a good experience. The Carson Valley Inn is a small casino with a hotel and a couple of restaurants. For our late breakfast, I ordered a breakfast burrito ($10.99), and Mrs. Seas had the BLT ($11.99). It was just what we needed to hold us over until dinner. We each played a very quick $20 in the casino with no luck at all and got back on highway 395 heading south towards Mammoth.
Mono Lake Visitor Center
Along the way to Mammoth, we stopped at the Mono Lake Visitor Center for a quick look around. The visitor center was closed but we walked around and read the information about the lake and took in the views. There were only a few other people here at the same time and the views were great. It was definitely worth a quick stop.
June Lake Loop
We also made a last-minute decision and decided to exit 395 and drive around the June Lake Loop. We posted the dash cam footage on YouTube and while the drive was pretty, you really don’t get many nice views of the lake on the loop, it seems like it’s mostly access for the campgrounds along the lake. The scenery is still great though with so many trees and mountain views and the loop also takes you through the small town of June Lake. With our quick detour complete, we hopped back on 395 South and headed towards Mammoth.
Westin Monache
We arrived at the Westin Monache around 2:45pm and were able to check in to the room. We had a 1-bedroom suite with a kitchenette, balcony, and a fireplace, which was very nice. The room (#506) was a little worn and the bed wasn’t the most comfortable, but the hotel’s location was great, the views were beautiful, the staff were all super friendly, and the living area with a fireplace was a nice place to hang out.
This time of year, the ski season is slowing down but there is still enough snow on the ground that many of the hiking/biking trails are not yet open. For example, Devil’s Postpile National Monument and Rainbow Falls don’t usually open until after the 4th of July when the roads are clear. However, weekend hotel rates are still fairly high in Mammoth just about any time of year. Our room at the Westin Monache was $408.80 per night ($324 + $25 resort fee + $59.80 taxes(wow!)). All in all, for the large comfortable room in a great location over Friday and Saturday nights, it wasn’t a terrible value.
We parked underground in the hotel’s garage and at least there wasn’t an additional fee for that. The Mammoth Village and many restaurants and shops are within easy walking distance from the Westin Monache. Although, due to Mammoth’s elevation of over 8,000 feet, “easy walking distance” is definitely relative for those of us that come from sea level. We could sure feel the elevation walking around but it wasn’t that bad and it’s something we remember when thinking about our time in Mammoth.
Mammoth Village
After getting settled in our room, we decided to take a walk down to Mammoth Village and see what was there. The gondola wasn’t running and there weren’t too many people around, but the shops and restaurants were open. We walked through a few shops and checked out the restaurants before heading into a Tiki Bar of all places for a pre-dinner drink. Lakanuki must be the highest elevation Tiki Bar and we were happy to stumble upon it during happy hour. We enjoyed the ambiance inside before heading out and walking a little down the hill to the Mammoth Brewing Company for dinner.
The food and beers at the Mammoth Brewing Company were great. The views of the mountains holding on to the last of the winter snow was a nice bonus and there was a forecast for a potentially dusting overnight. We weren’t super hungry, so for dinner I had the short rib tacos ($14) and Mrs. Seas went with a small salad ($7) and we shared a side of onion rings ($10). We enjoyed the food, but the Golden Trout Kolsch was the highlight for me. We sat on the first floor near the bar, and it was fairly crowded as nobody was sitting outside due to the chilly weather. We had a really nice time at Mammoth Brewing, so much so that we ended up here the following night as well.
After we ate, we walked back to the hotel and called it a night. With no firm plans for the next day and a forecast for a little snow overnight with off and on rain throughout the day, we decided to sleep as much as we could and then see where the day would take us.