Our first stop was in Lone Pine, home of the Alabama Hills, a Hollywood Western and science fiction favorite filming location because of its unique and varied landscape, and Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48. There is also the nifty Film History Museum in the town.
We did a day trip to Death Valley, which has the lowest elevation in North America, less than 90 miles from Mt. Whitney! We visited the somber National Landmark Manzanar, one of the WWII Japanese internment camps that imprisoned West Coast residents, mostly American citizens, of Japanese descent. We also did some hiking, mostly in the Alabama hills looking for arches and movie spots, and some scenic driving. Finally, we sampled the BBQ meals in a small place named the "best restaurant in the US in 2015 by Yelp". Yummy!