Lake Isabella is at the southern terminus of The Sierra Nevada Mountain range in California.
The drive to the lake from Southern California takes you through the Mojave Desert where the distinctive Joshua Trees grow enmass at higher elevations.
This was our wonderful rental cabin near the lake.
Lake Isabella is in the high desert at the confluence of the north and south forks of the beautiful Kern River.
The lake sits at the southern entrance to Sequoia National Forest allowing access to both the eastern and western Sierra.
Lake Isabella is especially peaceful and empty in late fall. Cheers to you from scenic Lake Isabella~
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Beautiful shots!!
Merci beaucoup mon ami <3
Beautiful photos of serene landscapes!
Thank you my friend & cheers to you!
It looks lovely! When I was a girl we camped there with family and friends. I remember going to a carnival on the lake. I remember a Ferris wheel and laughing a lot. 😀
Empty, yes. Contemplative. A spirit place. I came here instead of church, not knowing I would find elevation. Peace, Cindy (though I can see that you have found it)
Your lovely comment makes my heart smile. Nature is absolutely my church and my solace. Thank you for knowing Albert and be well my friend <3
Awwww, your happy memories make me smile. I spent much time in the area as a child too and share your happy memories ,3
Idyllic location
And just a hop and a skip up the road live the giant sequoia trees.
Lovely cabin and gorgeous shots Cindy! 😍
Thank you Stephanae & be well my friend <3
And you as well Cindy!💗
♡♡
Peaceful … how was the birding?
It was not optimal as we were there in early November. I think it is better in the spring.
I was thinking there might be winter migrants like at Salton.
I would think so too, however it gets colder here in winter and Salton stays warm all winter.
Ah, makes sense.
♡
What a greeeeeeeat place for a cabin!
We fell in love with this cabin. The owner thought of everything to make your stay perfect.
A cabin in USA, or a cottage in Ireland. My dreams. Even better if someone is making things perfect!!!
You are I are in accord. A cottage in Ireland sounds heavenly <3
Sigh…..
Love and admiration to you. You trust your own voice.
<3
Hi. Over the years I’ve spent a fair amount of time in California, but not this region. It’s very beautiful. Take care.
Neil
Just up the road a bit is the entrance to Sequoia National Forest which is less crowded than Sequoia National Park and truly gorgeous with lots of giant sequoia groves.
Looks like an idyllic spot. Enjoy your time there.
Thanks much Darlene & cheers to you <3
It looks just beautiful. I was wondering if it has any of the problems that the Salton Sea has, with the alkali deposits from farming, so I Googled it and found that the lake has dam(s?) on it and that there are concerns with the possibility of them failing and flooding downstream. It’s beautiful to look at, but I wonder if I’d want to camp near it.
Yes, there are problems. Poor California. She is so beautiful but she needs to be better cared for. See:
https://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/kern-county-health-department-discuss-deadly-blue-green-algae-found-in-lake-isabella
Too bad. So no swimming in this beautiful lake.
Sad isn’t it. I would be cautious of the Kern River too because of Giardia.
All sorts of things we don’t think of at first.
True unfortunately.
Beautiful scenery, Cindy!
Thank you Lavinia & cheers my friend <3
Looks lovely! I bet there’s good fishing there 🙂
Lots of trout, bass and crappie.
How stunning. The cabin looks perfect to enjoy the view.. sunrises…sunsets… wind.
The Joshua Trees are fabulous. Wasn’t someone destroying some? I seem to remember something in the news awhile back.
Yes, I think it was Miley Cyrus. She climbed up into a Joshua Tree in Joshua Tree National Park for a photo shoot which can kill the tree. Incredibly callous thing to do.
Sigh! She should be a role model!!!
and rich and famous….
Cindy, wow! That lake and the surrounding areas look amazingly beautiful! Have a great time in such a paradise of nature! You have lovely photographs and great information. All the best from Spain!
Thank you Francisco. We are thinking of traveling here in 2021 and exploring by car: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/extremadura-spain-tour/index.html
We <3 Spain!
Sounds wonderful! Enjoy! Take good care and always a pleasure to read your posts en enjoy your photographs!
Peaceful views!
We need peace <3
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Cindy. You are a blogging friend I give thanks for!
You may not know how much I reciprocate the feeling. But, I think you might. Because you and I are both seekers and finders of the same thing. Love to you my friend.
♥️♥️🍻🍰🍁🌺🙋🏼♂️%%%
♥️♥️
I love Nature’s color palette in this series of photographs!
Mother Nature is the earth’s most amazing artist <3
Indeed she is! That’s one reason I have such a connection to place.
Happy Thanksgiving Liz ♡
The same to you and yours, Cindy!
Grateful I met you here Liz.
Same here!
♡
Wow for some amazing beautiful photos, Cindy 😀
It looks so wonderful and peaceful.
Grazie Irene. The cabin was delightful find as we like to visit this area again and again.
Cindy, something tells me I’d really be able to finish my novel if I could rent a darling little cabin like that. Or maybe not. The gorgeous scenery you’ve photographed just begs to be enjoyed and admired!
Oh, I think you would be both calmed and inspired. I wish I could beam you there now ♡
You and me both — I’d even “sacrifice” my turkey dinner for some R&R!!
♡♡
“Cabin by the Lake” is a marvelous symbol for peace and tranquility. And Septembers are perfect for they have a nostalgic feeling. I love John Muir’s thought: In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
God Bless Muir who hiked all over this area and God Bless you too Rebecca. You know what I feel ♡
Beautiful photos. It sounds like you had a great stay. 🙂
Awww, thanks. I have to have several weeks of ‘cabin time’ each year. It keeps me sane.
It looks so peaceful there Cindy, what a lovely time of year.
Leslie
Thank you Leslie. Early November is a perfect time to visit.
Nice captures of these place especially the lake pictures. For some reason, the water in the lake is hypnotic effect.
Yes lakes, rivers and oceans are soporifics, they relax us ♡
So beautiful Cindy! I visited 2013, and I really liked the area. Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos.
Thank you more for your kind appreciation.
Such a beautiful place, Cindy. Enjoy your time there.
Thanks much & cheers to you ♡
What a delightful place for wonder and reflection!
Thank you Dor & Happy Thanksgiving my friend ♡
Spectacular photos: the lake almost looks like a mirror! It sounds like you’re quite familiar with the area, what would you recommend in terms of home base while exploring the area? Lake Isabelle? Sequoia National Park? Or the National Forest?
Oh boy, that’s a toughy. Here would be some ideal scenarios, Sequoia National Park in early winter or very late fall, before it gets snowed in, after the dust, heat and crowds are gone. Seeing the giant sequoias dusted in snow and alone is magical. I would have a picnic at Lake Isabelle and hike around it in the fall. The national forest is fun to explore in the fall, when the crowds are gone and the weather is cooler.
Thank you! I like your ideal scenarios, especially the aspects of avoiding the bipeds’ high season 🙂 We were in Sequoia National Park last year (in the summer, along with the crowds…) and the Air Quality Alerts due to the fires had us out of there pretty quickly. After all, what’s the point of being in a National Park when you’re supposed to stay indoors? Clearly we need to revisit, thanks again for the advice of how to do it!
Let me know what you think when you go. National Parks are extraordinary experiences in the off and shoulder seasons because you get to be with the park, not with crowds of people.
That’s fabulous advice! We still didn’t have our HR status (Happily Retired 😉) last year, and it was not fun getting elbowed on the hike around Lake Louise… I think we’ll leverage the shoulder seasons exclusively from now on!
This is the one of the biggest benefits from being retired in my estimation. You can travel to all these amazing places when other people don’t. Happy travels.
Breathtaking. I’d like to be a stowaway on your journeys.
I love traveling with you and we don’t have to tell anyone ♡
😀 *hugs*
♡
So beautiful and the cabin looks wonderful.
This was one of the nicest cabins we have stayed in. The owner woman anticipated everything a guest would want for comfort and relaxation ♡
That cabin and lake views look wonderful. So relaxing and beautiful.
Thank you. Water views in nature have views to soothe even the wildest of beasts ♡
What a beautiful place! Thanks for sharing with us.
Thank you more for your kind appreciation & cheers to you ♡
Blessings!
♡
Just gorgeous
Grazie mille~
That looks like a gorgeous area! I imagine it’s fairly hot though?
In the summer it is hot, but in early November it is delightful.
Oh well, I could handle a little heat to be in a place like that!
♡
ahhhh that looks soooo inviting… you lucky elf you!!!!
Smiling…..Mother Nature is my BFF <3
So beautiful.
Alison
Thank you Alison ♡
Wow! Great.
Thank you & hope this week is kind to you.
Thanks petal.
Monday was mournful, Cindy. Hehe!
You make fun of everything. Good for you. Human life is absurd. But some things aren’t funny, like you, if you are suffering.
Thanks, gal.
I shall do me bestest to keep the funnies coming, why not I say, it can’t make m calamities any worse. Hehehe!
Mind you, Tuesday was bad one.
Thanks flower. ♥
Sending you healthy hopes <3
I thank you, my Angel ♥
<3 <3
Wow, was für eine grandiose Landschaft…
Du bist sehr nachdenklich. Danke Ernst und hab eine schöne Woche.
Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
Pictures of lovely Lake Isabella in California by Cindy Knoke.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday Patricia & thank you for being such a lovely friend.
Another beautiful post to your site Cindy, always an adventure visiting.
Kind regards and thank you for sharing your wonderful talents and travels.
Thank you more for such a kind and thoughtful comment and be well my friend.
das gefällt mir sehr, liebe Cindy, ich wünsche dir viel Glück und Freude für die Woche, Klaus
Du bist sehr nachdenklich. Ich wünsche dir eine schöne Woche, mein Freund.
Beautiful shots
Lovely to hear from you & thank you ♡
Looks so wonderful and serene Cindy! Great pics!
Looks so wonderful and serene Cindy! Great pics!
Thank you Gary & Happy Thanksgiving my friend ♡
Same to you Cindy! Hope you have a great holiday!
Love to you Gary.
The landscape of this place have something in common with the Dead Sea area in Israel (at least on pictures). It has special feeling and beauty.
I have never been to the Dead Sea, but would love to visit. Deserts have a unique and special beauty.
I never plan to visit Israel but friend of mine many times convinced to do so. Finally I gave up and never regret. It is beautiful and unique country. Unfortunately, I did not write enough posts about my impressions of Israel.
You remind me of me. It is so easy to watch and not record, and then regret. I am lucky to know you Alexander.
Thank you, Cindy. I am lucky as well.
♡
And cheers to you! Your images are lovely. I remember this area from visiting it with my family when I was quite small. It makes an impression, doesn’t it?
It certainly does, and I too have been coming here since I was quite small.
Lake Isabella looks very beautiful and peaceful. Enjoy your stay Cindy!
Thanks much Brad and hope you have a peaceful holiday week <3
Thanks!
Be well my friend.
Oh my goodness. This lake is gorgeous and the surrounding area magnificent. Enjoy your stay, Cindy – and Happy Thanksgiving this week. I am thankful for you, your shared visions and experiences. They make my life richer.
I am thankful for you my friend. Be well Sheila & Happy Thanksgiving ♡
That’s a nice cabin by the lake. Has everything you need on the porch too. 🙂
Yes, one of the best outfitted cabins we’ve stayed in. The owner thought of everything from the guests perspective.
It’s certainly better than a squeaky springs under a lumpy mattress with no sheets or blankets. I stayed in those kind of rat holes years ago. Fortunately, we did have a kitty-kitty favor us with a visit. 🙂
How gorgeous! We’ve been to the Kern River before but I can’t remember which part of it.
It is a beautiful river, especially in the mountains.
Beautiful, and quiet.
Sort of like I imagine you, because people who tend to think a lot, don’t talk a lot.
🙂
Cindy, thank you for these lovely photographs.
As always Charles, thank you much more for looking at them and be well my friend.