California Road Trip 2019 - Manzanar National Historic Site

Sunday, September 29, 2019
Lone Pine, CA
Day Trip: Manzanar National Historic Site

One of the nice things about traveling without reservations is that if we decide we are enjoying our current location (or need to stay put due to adverse weather conditions further down the road), we can extend our stay. We were fortunate to be able to do just that since the temps at June Lake were still too cold (and with a possibility of snow). We looked forward to more downtime in Lone Pine, and we also wanted to visit Manzanar, so we reserved our site for two more nights.

Manzanar National Historic Site is a short (14 mile) drive up Hwy. 395 from our RV park in Lone Pine. We spent about three hours touring the Visitor Center and museum, driving the 3-mile self-guided tour around the camp, viewing the 20 minute film about about the camp, and exploring the various buildings (barracks, mess hall, etc.). The cemetery and monument were the most moving and I was glad it wasn't too busy with tourists so we could walk quietly, contemplating our country's past and present evils.

One Camp, Ten Thousand Lives; One Camp, Ten Thousand Stories

In 1942, the United States government ordered more than 110,000 men, women, and children to leave their homes and detained them in remote, military-style camps. Manzanar War Relocation Center was one of ten camps where Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were incarcerated during World War II. (National Park Service)

 Sentry Post

Manzanar was arranged into 36 blocks. In most blocks, up to 300 people crowded into 14 barracks. Initially, each barracks had four rooms with eight people per room. Everyone ate in a mess hall, washed clothes in a public laundry room, and shared latrines and showers with little privacy. The ironing room and recreation hall offered spaces for classes, shops, and churches. Over time, people personalized their barracks and most blocks evolved into distinct communities. (National Park Foundation)

Catholic stonemason Ryozo Kado built this obelisk in 1943 with help from residents of Block 9 and the Young Buddhist Association. On the east face, Buddhist Reverend Shinjo Nagatomi inscribed kanji characters that mean "soul consoling tower." People attended religious services here during the war. Today the monument is a focal point of the annual pilgrimage, serving as a symbol of solace and hope. (National Park Foundation)

I highly recommend a visit to this national historic site. It was a very moving experience and I'm glad we took the time to see it.