Day 6 - Leaving Las Vegas and Arriving Death Valley

Mileage Upon Leaving Vegas

Yesterday and today’s Bug Count: Approximately 40

Today I trekked over from Vegas to Death Valley National Park. First of all, Samantha and I had a disagreement on how to get there. I had a route, I had plotted using AAA, taking me north from Vegas to Death Valley and she had one heading south. I said let’s go to my first stop 40 miles down the road to Indian Springs and she what you think. We did and she then liked my route on to the park. Once we got there, I was on my own to find the Visitor’s Center, which I did. Like I mentioned previously, Samantha gets a little confused in the parks for some reason. Oh, I forgot to mention the other day on my way to Vegas I passed a guy on a bicycle pulling a little trailer and I think it was a cross attached to it. On the trailer cover was the web address “bike4god.com”. I meant to check it out put haven’t as yet.

I was a little apprehensive of my time in Death Valley as the temperature forecast for today and tomorrow are the warmest days this week with highs in the 90s today and 100s tomorrow and I was sort of dreading setting up camp and having problems like I did at the Canyon but with 90 degree heat.

Driving into the park was quite surprising. I envisioned an arid, desolate landscape, etc., which it was, but I was unprepared for the mosaic of colors in the mountain ranges surrounding the park with their various hues of brown, red, tan, white, black and green. Reminded me of those sand art pieces where they layer different colors of sand into a pattern. Those had nothing on these mountains. They were amazing.

Checked in at the VC at Furnace Creek Ranch and asked about two campgrounds I was considering: Furnace Creek and Stove Pipe Wells. The Park Ranger said FC had trees and SPW didn’t. So I picked Furnace Creek which was a mile down the road from the Visitor Center and found a space with a shady area to set up the tent. Temperature was still in the 70s.  The tent went up with no issues like at the Grand Canyon and only had to set it up once.

Once I was all set up it was around 12:30 so I went back to the Furnace Creek Ranch and had lunch at the ‘Forty Niner” café. I had their Bacon and Bleu hamburger which was pretty good. However, for Marvin’s and Ron’s benefit, just to let you know, Two Rows is better.

After lunch I went back to camp to see what to see this afternoon. When I got back after lunch I had to search for my clip-on sunglasses. I have lost them at each park so far. At the Gran Canyon I left them is the safety briefing area but they had them at the counter when I got back from my flight. Today I couldn’t find them on my way to lunch so when I got back I search through the car and the tent and could not find them to any avail. I decided to go on out to see Scotty’s Castle which is about 50 miles north. On my way out of the campground I remembered taking them off at the automated pay station so I could read the display and the polarization was making the screen all black. I had taken them off and put them on top of the station, and guess where I found them….right where I left them. So I am 2 for 2. Went on to Scotty’s Castle and got there about 30 minutes before the last tour started at 4pm. Ron that was a good suggestion of yours. It was definitely worth the trip and an interesting tour and the Park Ranger leading the tour did a good job of conveying the flavor of the individual’s involved in the building and living in the mansion. Definitely worth the trip

After Scotty’s Castel I went a few miles further north to Ubehebe Crater, which was created when a violent release of underground steam created a volcanic like explosion. I then headed back to the campsite. Before I left for Scotty’s Castle I told Samantha where the campsite was and she navigated me back there with no issues.

I met the couple at the campsite next to mine. Jim and Mary are from France, though Mary is originally from Michigan. The come to the states every couple of years for about 3 month’s vacation and have been to Death Valley many times, even in August, brave souls. The years they don’t come to the states they go to Morocco. They are leaving tomorrow headed toward Taos to meet her brother later this week.

For supper, since I had such a sumptuous meal at lunch, I dined on beef jerky, trail mix bar and Girl Scout cookies.

Tomorrow I plan to go toward Stove Pipe Wells and see some sites over there in the morning and back to the Furnace Creek area in the afternoon, hoping to catch the sunset a Zabriske point.

I think I will start putting the pictures at the end for the most part.

See you down the road!