Skiing is literally the only sport I’ve ever been good at (which obviously doesn’t mean I haven’t badly injured myself doing it once or twice). When Mammoth Lakes reached out a while back about checking out the ski resort on Mammoth Mountain and the village, I jumped at the chance (a huge thank you to Mammoth Lakes Tourism Board). Sadly, this season has had SO MUCH snow that my trip was postponed a couple of times.
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Getting to Mammoth Lakes: Flying with Advanced Airlines or Driving from Las Vegas
Mammoth Lakes is super easy to access with Advanced Airlines. They fly out of Hawthorne on chartered planes and fly directly into the Mammoth/Yosemite Airport. Since I visited later in the season, I drove up from Vegas (the roads were relatively clear, and flights ended for the season), which meant I got to bring Ahsoka!
Part of the drive was a bit scary because of the washed-out roads due to recent flooding. The drive was almost all on the freeway and high-traffic areas, with only a few sections that completely dropped out of cell service.
Staying at The Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth
Mammoth Lakes hooked us up with a gorgeous suite at The Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth, which is right by The Village at Mammoth. During the season, you’re also just steps away from the Village Gondola, which takes you straight up to Canyon Lodge.
We arrived in the late afternoon, and I was so excited to still see snow on the ground but not have to drive in icy conditions. With the wind, it was still pretty chilly, and I love cold weather, so I was super happy.
Dining in Mammoth Lakes: Shelter Distilling & Village Eats
We opted to order most of our meals to-go since our suite had a fantastic kitchen and dining area, and our first dinner was set at Shelter Distilling. Mammoth Lakes provided us with a variety of gift cards for all of our meals, and even though I’m a huge planner, I really enjoyed not having to figure out where to eat each night and getting to try all these great options! Shelter Distilling had some fun starters, so we ordered a few of those and a small pizza and had a ton of leftovers. The Shrimp Tempura and Poblano Artichoke Dip were outstanding!
After dinner and a sunset on the patio, I got some work done and settled in with some Travel by Design episodes on demand from Marriott Bonvoy (I’d written about the program a while back).
Breakfast at Vida Coffee & Skiing Mammoth Mountain
The next day, we had breakfast in the Village at Vida Coffee. I don’t usually drink hot coffee, but the Lavender Latte was fantastic, and they warmed all the sandwiches and pastries too. From here, I caught the Red Line bus to the Main Lodge at Mammoth Mountain to start my day skiing.
I have to say, skiing in warmer weather is amazing. I’ve mostly skied in Alberta when it’s extremely cold, and late-season skiing is a totally different experience. While there were limited lifts because of the late timing, there were still a number of trails open, and the Main Lodge had plenty of people. I was skiing alone, but it didn’t feel unsafe because there were lots of people on the mountain (but no lines for the lifts).
Since I’m still being careful with my leg after blowing out my knee skiing at the beginning of the season, I opted for the chill green runs (I didn’t feel like ending the season in a wheelchair). I only skied for about an hour, but managed a lot of runs in a short time. I love the high-tech lift pass system! It made boarding the lifts so much easier.
Dinner at Mammoth Brewing Co.
I made it back to my room for an early dinner, which we ordered from Mammoth Brewing Co. The venue is super cool—if you love trying local beers, this is the place for you! There are so many to try, and they’re brewed onsite. The restaurant menu was also really cool; we ordered Fish & Chips and Chicken & Griddlecakes. I was a little surprised at the fun variety of foods we tried on the trip, and everything was fantastic.
Exploring Mono Lake & Local Cafés
The next morning, we headed out towards Mono Lake but stopped at Stellar Brew & Natural Cafe for breakfast first. This spot was really cool with cases of local items, including some produce, drinks and some hot bakery items too. We grabbed some easy stuff to eat on the road and headed off to some of the local viewpoints first. We also grabbed a bagel sandwich at Old New York Deli & Bakery Co. in The Village.
I had wanted to visit Mono Lake for years because of all the cool photos I’d seen online. Sadly, water levels have dropped a lot, and the Tufas don’t look nearly as extraterrestrial as before. We stopped at three points along the way before heading back to the highway.
Stopping at The World Famous Clown Motel in Tonopah
We stopped in Tonopah on our way up and back, and both times, I made a visit to The World-Famous Clown Motel. I’ve never stayed overnight, but I actually kind of love clowns (even creepy ones) and I’ve stopped every time I’ve driven through. My last visit was in 2019, and from the looks of it, the property got a facelift recently, with new signage and a brightly colored new facade.
The office is now also a museum, and apparently, the rooms and the office are haunted by spirits from the neighboring cemetery. I do have to say, my previous visit was definitely creepier, with a clown costume casually hanging from the office door and a giant shovel chilling on the wall. If you like clowns or you’re just morbidly curious, I definitely recommend stopping by!
