Death Valley

These entries are still a work in progress, please check back for more pics and comments. Lots more to come...enjoy...I did.
















Awwe, aren't we cute? I'm a lucky girl. It twas a romantic sunset and the stars were amazing from out there..it was a memory for us both that lasted as long as the sand did in our shorts...wait..what's this..yep, just found some more..."smile". This was def. a favorite day for me in Death Valley.




These Pup Fish (?), I am told, are a freak of nature. They have adapted from Jurassic Park Days when the pond was full of fresh water to the "saltier than sea water" that you see them swimming in here today....kind of like our president. "smile"

Dan and I were taking the wagon train across the valley and he was thirsty so we thought that we would head down hill to find some water. I told him that we should go uphill to "Scotty's Castle" as Scotty has always been known to have great wine, but did he listen "No!". You know men, always after an adventure..Anyway, we ended up to a place some 200 feet below sea level (and golly garsh was it hot!). Dan put his lips to the vally floor, sucked up some kind of moisture (that I thought was gross and unsanitary) and then spit it out. When I asked him why he spit the water out after we hauled our 5 mule, 3 donkey pullen, goat toaten, wabbly wagon and tired sore rumps down here...all he had to say for himself was "Bad Water in this basin". Boy did that make my bonnet buzz! Then I had to wait another two hours in that heat while he decided to make a sign for others to see..you know, so that don't drink the water too. Oh, he's harder to take than shoeing a mule in a mud pond but the guy has a good heart and God help me, I love him.



Devil's Golf Course. From the titles of everything in Death Valley, I'd say the Devil spends a lot of time down there. In this photo, it was way past lunch, so rather than actually playing golf on the course (which must not be a good one, no caddy asked to tote my bags), I decided one of the rocks looked rather yummy instead....umm, yea, it wasn't.


This was the site where "Scotty" was beamed up. 'smile"


Must.... keep... porthole.....open...just...a...little..while...longer...(dork) yea, I know. What can I say, the canyons we visited were very cool!




What can I say, I'm always trying to impress the guys with my burly "Alaska, Artic, Wood choppin, Stove Oil Haulin, Girl" strength..jury is still out on weather or not Dan thinks I'm a keeper, but by moving this rock for him he was able to make it to the out houses at the head of the trail, just in time...that should be worth somethin, wouldn't ya think? "smile".









Dan was "twirling" and singing songs from the "Sound Of Music" at the top of the crater when he fell in. As you can see it took him a little effort to climb out. "smile" I felt it my responsibility to document the event for him.









Joshua Tree









Death Valley Wildlife

The Race Track. This lake bed is perfectly flat. What makes these stones slide?







Dan racing me on the race track (notice that I'm in front and even have enough time to take a picture "smile")














Scotty's Castle
A poor but personable guy named Scotty talked a rich feller into buying land and financing a mining opperation. The rich feller built this castle in Death Valley, only he didn't read his survey map right and built it in the wrong place. It is now located on National Park land and so the park runs it as a tourist attraction..moral of the story "always read your maps!"

The Adventure On The Road To No Where Begins!
We asked the National Park worker at Scotty's Castle, which was the fastest route to the highway 1). The shorter dirt road over the mountains, or 2) The paved longer road around the mountains. She said, the mountain road was open for high clearance 4 wheel drives only and that there was a lot of mud on the road. She also said that taking the road around the mountains would be fastest by far. I looked at Dan and said "Maybe we should just take the paved road". Dan said "I have lots of experience working/driving in National Parks, they have to say that so someone in an RV doesn't try it..besides I want an adventure." He said it with such spirit and excitement, it made me think "you know, this is the trip for adventures." I looked at our supplies; plenty of water (check), shelter (check), plenty of food (check), first aid kit (check), spare tire (check), cell phone (check), warm clothes and slepping bag (check)...feeling pretty good about the fact that we wouldn't die if we got into trouble, I looked at Dan and said "OK, An Adventure It Is!" And It Was!!


At one point we ran across a group of campers who hadn't seen any other human life in 7 days (this put the stamp of authenticity on our adventure). They were apart of a NOLS backpacking course. When they saw us they waved at us like we were "Super Stars", we proudly waved back as we drove by. A few minutes later we hit a dead end. A bit red in the face, we had to come back to ask the instructor to show us his map and give us directions.."smile"










Rental Car Agreements are really too vague..Honeslty, what do they mean when they say "you must stay on road at all times"..This looks like a road to me."smile". This little manuver gave us a slow leak, a fun late night tire changing bonding experience a few days later in Santa Cruz, and a $140 new tire bill.....memeories priceless.


Three and a half hours of back road mountain driving later, the mud puddle gods force us to turn around. This is the very moment that Dan realizes that he will be driving all night long in order for us to reach Santa Cruz in time for our morning surfing lesson.. All we could do is laugh, turn the car around, and head back down the mountain.