We did not one, not two, but three zero days in Lake Isabella—giving the recent Sierra snowfall some time to melt, as well as waiting on my very necessary new shoes to arrive. Three glorious days of hanging out with other hikers, eating and sleeping and ordering gear and more eating and also some floating on inflatable pool toys.

(I ordered a bunch of shoe options to try—Zappos overnight shipping with free returns is THE BEST.)

We stayed at the Lake Isabella Motel, which I 100% recommend to hikers. The rooms are “basic” and a little bit funky, but the owners are incredibly sweet. The night we arrived, we were hustled directly down to the garden patio, where hikers were being treated to a huge, home-cooked (and free) dinner. Homemade pizzas, a giant salad, huge slices of watermelon (with the rinds cut off), and cake for dessert. This continued to happen the next three nights we were there. Go to the Lake Isabella Motel.

Also, they have the best neon sign in the world. Red letters in the daytime that glow teal at night.

Days 48-50: Zero miles, three days in a row!  😀