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Stunning scenery, white-knuckle drives and a little solitude and serenity are some of the things found on a Sierra vacation. Here are some suggestions on hidden mountain getaways, whether you prefer to bed down in an isolated campsite or prefer fresh linens every day.

Quaking Aspen: Sequoia solitude, hold the hassles

The Quaking Aspen campground sits just above 7,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada, the nearest small town 28 miles of mountain road away. Pines and cedars towered overhead, shading the campsites all day long. A stream bubbled along its edge. And it was blissfully unpopulated.

Florence Lake a high-country sea of tranquility

Florence Lake is one of several high-country reservoirs for Southern California Edison's massive hydroelectric power system in the western Sierra. The lake is almost entirely surrounded by the John Muir Wilderness, a 584,000-acre patch of land covered by mountains, forests and the kind of scenery worthy of the great conservationist's name.

Treasure hunters still scour the Sierra

Without breaking much of a sweat, my wife, two young sons and I visited a literary landmark, explored a historic Gold Rush town, tasted local wine, panned for gold and, of course, ventured into the belly of the Earth. One quick disappointment: Despite the name, Gold Country has no readily available gold lying around. I looked.

A bit of Aspen in the Sierra's humble Truckee

Truckee, the mountain burg once dominated by a hard-knuckle sawmill, is today a veritable vacation suburb of Silicon Valley, a place of huge second homes, golf courses and a dolled-up downtown. Contemporary Truckee is a base for ski bums and Gucci gals. Paul McCartney, the ex-Beatle, flits into town many a March.