Methuselah: Oldest Living Thing, Manzanar: A US Concentration Camp, and Whitmore Hot Springs, CA

The oldest living tree known is a Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) named "Methuselah," located in the White Mountains of California. Methuselah is estimated to be around 4,850 years old. This ancient tree is not marked to protect it from vandalism, but its exact location is kept secret by the U.S. Forest Service.

Manzanar was one of ten American concentration camps where over 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II. Located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada in California’s Owens Valley, Manzanar is now a National Historic Site managed by the National Park Service. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 in February 1942, which authorized the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans from the West Coast. Manzanar was one of the first camps to be established, opening in March 1942.

Whitmore Hot Springs is a natural hot spring located in Mono County, California, near the town of Mammoth Lakes. The hot springs are part of a geothermally active area in the Eastern Sierra region, known for its scenic beauty and recreational opportunities. The hot springs offer stunning views of the surrounding Eastern Sierra mountains, providing a relaxing backdrop for visitors.