JBabs, Seeing you are from Ohio, I am assuming you might like to see some sights while you are in the area. If you have 3 days before the hike, and you have backpacking gear and a car, then here are some options.

First, if you are flying into Las Vegas, you can drive through Death Valley -- definitely a good thing to do if you can.

Then: Spend nights camping out by the car: Horseshoe Meadows is 45 minutes out of Lone Pine, and is at 10,000' elevation. Sleeping there your first night would give you a fantastic jump start on acclimatization. There are plenty of one-night camp sites available. If not, just park and throw out a bed by the car. If you want an easy hike, as Bruce (above) recommended hiking there. Here's a link: Trail Peak: Warmup / acclimatization hike

If you don't do the other options, camping two nights at HM is good for acclimatization. You need to pick up your camp during the day, though, since it is technically a one-night only campground.

Another good thing to do is drive north from Lone Pine to Big Pine, then east up to the Bristlecone Pine groves in the White Mountains. You could do that after a night at HM. The Bristlecones are the oldest trees in the world, and are quite a sight to see. It is a completely different landscape from the Sierra, and there is a great Sierra overlook on the way up. There is a campground at 8,000' elevation (Grand View), but I would opt to sleep higher. If you are game for 20 miles of dirt road, you can drive to the White Mountain trail head and camp at 11,800'. It's the highest road you can get in Calif. The first Schulman Grove is all paved road, and at 10,000. Thread with more links: Driving to White Mountain Peak for Whitney training hike You could even hike White Mountain if you feel like it. It's the easiest CA fourteener, since it is a rocky dirt road to the summit. There is NO water (or gas) in the White mountains. Fill your tank before leaving Hwy 395, and take 2-3 gallons of water.

If these whet your appetite, let us know, maybe others can give you more ideas.

As for Diamox: if you spend 3 nights at 8 - 12k before hiking to the summit, you likely will not have any trouble. If you do take it, get the 125 mg tablets, only take half a tablet twice a day starting 2 days before you hike (that's only 4 pills total.)