Less than a month after returning from Mammoth, we were headed back. This time we needed to make a stop at June Lake. Just as the previous year, the Missus’s coworkers were camping out at June Lake and wanted me to cook for them. So now, with JJ in tow I prepped and we packed up everything and heaed on out to June Lake. We again stayed at the June Lake Villager, we like the rooms, which have kitchens and they have dog friendly accommodations.
And upon arriving, we headed straight down the street to Gull Lake.
And of course the Beware of Cats they Will Attack Dogs Sign. Which seemed like a good photo-op for JJ.
And of course………that cat was present!
We got JJ dressed in his life jacket……
You see, we had a plan…..at this time JJ was afraid of water…even little puddles! We needed to cure him of this fear. So, I decided that JJ had to learn how to swim, the way I did “back home”……
And he was a champ! In fact, I have a video somewhere of folks hanging around on the dock…they asked us if this was his first time swimming and we said “affirmative”. Well guess what? They were all cheering him on!
The rest of the day was quite busy with additional prepping, then cooking and such. So, we didn’t do much else until the next morning when the Missus….well, you know….”needed” to go on a hike.
We did the Fern Lake Trail which Alltrails grades as “Hard”.
There was a 1,550 foot elevation gain and was pretty steep; but JJ did well….better than me to be honest.
Here he is telling me to hurry up!
Nice secluded lake at the end.
Where JJ got to show off a bit more…..
Lunch was leftovers and we relaxed. When dinner time arrived, well, it was going to be interesting. You see, other than the local pizza place, there was really nothing open for dinner that was dog friendly. Heck, even June Lake Brewing, which was basically outdoors did not allow pooches. In fact, we’d seen dogs leashed up on poles on South Crawford Ave while their owners were having brews and eating al fresco several yards away. Sorry, that wasn’t for JJ!
So what we ended up doing was that the Missus hung out with JJ who was pretty pooped, while I walked across the street to Tiger Bar and ordered the special of the day Baby Back Rib Plate. We had thought the rib tips were pretty good on a previous visit, so we went with that.
I had a seat at the bar while waiting and had a Pilsner and admired the decor!
When our dinner was ready, I strolled on back to the room and we had the remainder of our leftovers and the baby back ribs.
The portion size was quite generous; though the fries got soggy quickly.
The ribs were decent, not very much smokiness as you can tell by the lack of a smoke ring. The meat was very moist, though I should have asked to have the commercial grade BBQ sauce separate.
Tiger Bar & Cafe
2620 CA-158
June Lake, CA 93529
We love June Lake, but the lack of dog friendly dining kinda dampens things.
The next morning the Missus wanted to do the Gardisky Lake Trail again on the way to Mammoth.
I needed a bit of breakfast, so we walked over to Pino Pies. This used to be the Lift which was our stop for coffee in June Lake, but now the place specializes in Meat Pies….and coffee.
Being one of the few places that opens early in the morning in June Lake, it was fairly bustling. The Missus watched JJ while I went in to order.
And of course I had to try one of their New Zealand Hand Pies.
Even though it might seem odd for breakfast; I decided on the Lamb Pie ($13). The Missus got Her latte and I had an Americano.
The Lamb Pie was pretty good.
The best part was the crust, which was quite fairly flaky and buttery. It had been nicely heated for us. The filling seemed more “beefy” than “sheepy”, but the lamb was very tender and the filling quite rich.
I’m fairly certain we’ll be back….if we can find a pup friendly place for dinner in the area…or perhaps, we’ll just have to pack our own food.
Pino Pies
2587 Hwy 158
June Lake, CA 93529
And the hike to Gardisky Lake was as lovely as before.
Though I still wasn’t “fast enough” for JJ!
And by now; JJ had no fear of “dem big puddles”!
Next stop….lunch in Mammoth!
