It was a getaway I was looking forward to. At my core, I’m a mountain girl and beach bum at heart, the Gemini factor. When a mountain or a beach visit is in my future, my heart is eager and I count the days. It wasn’t any different as we looked forward to a couple days in the lovely resort town of Mammoth Lakes, California. During this brief visit, we had the pleasure of  visiting  the Westin Monache Resort, located in the Village at Mammoth.  Mammoth is one of he fastest growing mountain resort towns in North America.  Indeed, the Westin Monache Resort  kept it’s promise to elevate our senses, restore our body and expand our mind.  In fact, it did much more than that.  The crisp mountain air, tall pine and sequoia trees and majestic lakes and waterfalls  provided  perfect backdrops to render our weary souls unwound and relaxed.

The Westin Monache Resort in Mammoth

Mammoth Lakes is  a little bit more than 4 hours drive from San Francisco, about a couple of hours past and through the Yosemite Valley.  I hadn’t been to Yosemite since I was 16 years old and I had forgotten how breathtaking the views were. We forged through the drive  on our way to Mammoth and saved the visit to the valley for our return trip.  That, in itself, was difficult. We had about 5 pits stops necessitated by the incredible opportunities to photograph the awesomeness of nature.  Granite mountains, still holding on to patches of winter’s white fluff.

The Westin has 230 guest suites and three luxury suits with a breathtaking view of the Eastern Sierras.  The guest suite was impeccable and featured a nook which I adored.  It was also something I hadn’t seen in any other hotel. The nook had a view of the pool and was big enough for another person to sleep.  It was where I succumbed to a nap upon our arrival.

A nook at the end of the room, with a view of the pool

Please click on image to enlarge

 As was with the Westin Verasa, which we had previously visited, the guest rooms here also featured a kitchenette.  The 2-bedroom suite which we had the opportunity to view had a full kitchen, stocked with all the cooking essentials. The amenities were true to Westin form:  divine Heavenly Bed, flat screen, high definition LCD TV’s and gas fireplaces.  This particular facility features 2,000 square feet of meeting / function space.

The heated pool at the Westin Monache Resort

We did spend a couple of hours relaxing by the pool.  How could you not with such an inviting pool!   Picture this surrounded by trees and a view of the still-some-snow covered mountains.

Next door is the Village at Mammoth where we walked to for lunch after we settled.  It reminded me of the Village at Beaver Creek where I spent many wonderful and memory-filled summers with my family.  Other nearby attractions include lots of fishing, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, scenic gondola rides at nearby Mammoth Mountain, golf, and ~ of course, skiing and snowboarding in the winter time.  Devil’s Post Pile was also a fun scenic spot to visit.  Mother Nature at her finest and most interesting!   Yosemite Valley is about 2 hours away (separate post).

on the gondola in Mammoth Mountain, all 11,053 feet high!

Devil's Post Pile

Please click on image to enlarge

The Westin Monache is the only  full service hotel in Mammoth Mountain.  The staff is personal, helpful  and friendly.  They called us by our first names from the get go till we checked out.  It was summer time when we visited.  I imagine this to be a vastly different and even more bustling place in the height of the winter months.  There were quite a few tourists visiting from Europe, including a big family from Belgium.    It’s beautiful up here.

I may be a late bloomer and am only now discovering this beautiful town and resort ~ but I plan on coming back when it is dressed in white.

Please enjoy more photos from our Westin visit.