As a big holiday weekend looms, I ordinarily don't urge folks to join the thundering herd on that grand stampede out of town. Instead, I tend to advise readers to shun the heartache of jammed highways and crammed campgrounds, and hunker down to seek outdoor bliss in the vicinity of their hometowns and neighborhoods. For this Fourth of July recreation advisory, I indeed will do some of that.
But truthfully, it can be OK to hustle your heinie out of Dodge -- as long as you leave soon enough, and travel far enough.
The far side
If you feel up to the drive, Mammoth Mountain gleams like a recreational mecca right now. It's your chance to score a final lick of the snow cone. Mammoth still holds a 3-5-foot-deep snow pack, and this is one of those years when the resort is motivated to stay open for skiing and snowboarding right through July 4.