Death Valley Road Trip

Doug and I's trip to find some warmth and sun paid off.  We left here Sunday afternoon after church to drive to Hurricane, where we spent the night with Mark and Denisie and AJ. (only Mark was out of town)  The weather hadn't started cooperating yet, cause we drove through some snow over the various passes, and didn't really get away from the snow till we dropped off the black ridge.  The next morning we woke to SUN!  Whohoo! and warmer weather in the 40's.  After leaving Denise and AJ we dropped by the Hurricane museum and found out more about the Hurricane Canal by accident, which made us decide to go walk a portion of it.  This is what we were doing in these pictures

The history of this canal is connected to our family.  Hurricane would never have been a town without the water this canal brought to the "hurricane bench" and we had several of our ancestors who helped build this phenomenal achievement.  I have a dvd we purchased at the museum for all of us to view.  Gives you a better appreciation of what it took to survive back when--and we are the recipients of our ancestor's labors.  Anyway, we stopped and picked up a few groceries to make a lunch and headed to Vegas after our morning excursion.  Drove to Carmen's house where we would spend the night.  The sun was bright and the weather was now in the 50's--loved it.  Amazing how when you have had something missing in your life, how much you appreciate it.  I got in a trip to Savers with Carmen and then we went to dinner together to the Olive Garden.  The next morning we were up and headed toward Death Valley.  This picture at Salisbury Pass 3000' elev. as we were starting to drop down into the Valley was taken on Tuesday, February 12.  I was just loving the desert--still on the cool side, but sunny and blue skies.  Like I was telling Doug--The desert just speaks to my soul and I feel special things.  The remoteness of the landscape and stark conditions make it where you can really be by yourself.  Maybe that is why Jesus would retire to the desert--to be Alone.  I guess that is what I love about it.  Not that I want to escape the human race that much--but I do appreciate getting away from the world at times, and the desert is a great escape for that.  Plus I guess I appreciate the honesty of the landscape--what you see is what you get--nothing hidden. 

We stopped for lunch at an abandoned mine works on the valley floor--probably at sea level here.

Then a fun encounter with some on the Dole Coyotes who were totally working the system.  Waiting by the side of the road for unsuspecting tourists to notice them and stop to take a picture or two--only to find out that what the coyotes really wanted was food, even to chasing the cars down and expecting a hand-out.  There really was no wildlife at all on the valley floor--it is so desolate--except these critters--including a couple of ravens in the same business.  They must come down from the hills to their day job.

The mountains around death valley and their huge alluvial fans were really amazing.  Tried to capture them in these pictures.
The lowest point in the US--Badwater.  That little sign on the mtn says sea level--we are 282' below it.

The temperature was finally climing into the 60's toward the middle of the day here.  We got to Furnace Creek Ranch and checked in mid afternoon and then went and did a little more sightseeing at a few more close sites.  Later that night we went star gazing--a ranger program that was offered.  They turned off all the lights and even with a waxing crescent moon, could see the milky way.  So very wonderful to see it again.  Night skies with all the stars are truly wonderful and inspiring to look at.  Wish I could package that up and roll it out whenever I wanted to look at stars. 

This was Sebrinsky Point--the colors in these hills do not come through very well.  They were something to see--and so beautiful.  There was enough variety in all the mountains around Death Valley to keep you inspired--rugged with varying colors and hues.
The next day we stayed around the resort.  Our first activity was to play golf, something we haven't done in about 10 years.  Very rusty--but we attempted it anyway.  Furnace Creek is an oasis so to speak. Natural springs that provide enough water to supply the resort and grounds. It was a beautiful place to play a game of golf and by the time we ended our game at 1:00 pm it was 72 degrees. I say that people play golf so they can drive the golf carts--that's the funnest part.  I think Doug and I will do more golf playing when the weather warms up here.

The lowest game of golf we have ever played.  Then I had to try the swimmig pool--warm naturally--fed by the warm springs.  Then I just enjoyed feeling the sun as we sat around the pool.  Doug of course does not do swimming, so he just read a book, then went and toured the mining museum they had--The 20 Mule Team Borax Mines that Death Valley is famous for.  The grounds were nice.  I picked up dates to bring back from under the date palms that were everywhere.  The next morning we made several more sight seeing stops on our way out of Death Valley, with the final one at Scotty's Castle.  Won't bore you with any more details on that.  Way impressive, but mostly it is a fascinating story about 3 peoples lives--Walter Scott and Albert and Betsy Johnson.

We left Death Valley behind us--the last day it was getting into the 80's--and headed to Tonapah, Nevada.  Drove through a lot of empty country, only going through one old mining town--Goldfield--probably one of the worst towns I have ever seen.  So delapidated and run down--plain ugly.  It had its hayday as it had the biggest gold strike in Nevada.  Tonapah, like most of the mine towns in Nevada sits at about 6000' elev.  So kind of getting back to colder weather again (dang).  Had dinner and called it a day.  The next day we stopped at the mining museum before heading out across central Nevada-- Basin and range mile after mile. Stopped in Rachel, Nevada just outside the Nevada Test Site and Area 51 for lunch and to get a couple of pictures.  They have capitalized on the UFO thing to market themselves, and this cafe has now become a destination for tourists --in the middle of nowhere.  Fun.

We were heading to Caliente, Nevada to spend the night.  Had to stop and get a picture of a Joshua Tree.  This one was impressive.  Neat trees.  Went out to Cathedral Gorge State Park and hiked that.  We really have to go back with kids and grandkids to this place.  Would be a fun place to camp and play in.

We did some more stargazing again Friday night--a last night to do that before returning to civilization.  Then Saturday mornng got up and headed to home, via Lund, Utah ( a side trip that didn't pan out as the roads got muddy) then Cedar City and finally home.  The best part about going on a trip is all the wonderful things you see.  The worse part is all the processed food you have to eat when you eat out--otherwise I would love to head on another trip.  It's an amazing world we live in, and Doug and I got to enjoy this together.