YYou could go for the history, or for a

brush with Hollywood glamour or for the sheer love of movie making.

But I say the trip to Lone Pine for its 22nd annual film festival (Oct. 7 to 9) is worth the drive just for the incredible Alabama Hills.

It’s only two hours from Bakersfield, but the high desert town in the shadow of Mount Whitney feels like a world away.

Especially, when you take Whitney Portal Road east out of Lone Pine. A short distance from town you’ll see a right hand turn into the Alabama Hills.

I highly recommend taking at least a few hours (if not, a trailer or tent for a few days of camping!) to meander through the weird and fascinating rock formations.

People see different things in the rocks — toes, dinosaurs, potatoes or giant sand

worms (think “Tremors”). I always see noses, but that’s just me.

Hollywood has seen far more in those rocks over the past 90 or so years filming countless movies among the twisted forma-tions from westerns to sci-fi.

If you go up during the film festival, the Museum of Lone Pine Film History has a ton of great tours that will show you where different movies were filmed and give a lot of the back story that doesn’t make it onto the silver screen.

All the Hollywood greats have made it up to Lone Pine and the eastern Sierras at one time or another, and the museum is the best place to get your bearings and figure out what you want to see.

Tours range from information on the geology to specific stars, such as John Wayne. They start at 8:30 a.m. Friday and

Lone Pine

Hollywood’s backdrop to Western films and beautiful scenery

TRIP PLANNER

Story and photos by Lois Henry

The snow-covered eastern Sierras jut up behind the rounded rocks of the Alabama Hills outside of Lone Pine.

22nd annual Lone Pine Film Festival

When: Oct. 7 to 9Where: Lone Pine

Information: For all the events, tours, times, directions and prices visit:

lonepinefilmfestival.org or call 760-875-9103.

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run all through the weekend. And don’t worry, the museum has buses, so if you’re not up for a strenuous hike in the thin air, you’re good.

The festival will also have screenings of key films during the western’s heyday, a live stunt performance, rodeo, parade and even a lecture by an Emmy winning sound man.

Like I said, it is a short drive, but hotel rooms fill up fast, so you’ll want to make reservations now (lots of places to camp too). Don’t forget nearby towns of Indepen-dence, Bishop or even Ridgecrest.

Make sure to give yourself time for ample wandering through those strange and hypnotic Alabama Hills, and maybe a quick trip up to Whitney Portals where the views go on for miles.

Oh, and it’s up on that road that you’ll find a marker that explains why this pile of rocks in the rugged California desert is called the Alabama Hills. I could tell you, but I don’t want to spoil it. No cheating and looking it up on the Internet either!

Someone gave a face to one of the rocks on the road to Alabama Hills.

The Lone Pine Film History Museum holds a fundraiser dinner each year in June in the Alabama Hills to support its October film festival.

The Eastern Sierras make a dramatic backdrop to the Film History Museum.

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