January 26-30
Written January 25+
Dear Diary, Friends, and Families,
We found ourselves with a window between medical appointments and so
decided to scratch off one of our required travel goals: Death
Valley. It is relatively close: 150 miles as the crow flies, but
353 miles if the crow has to drive the car around the southern Sierra
Nevadas. It will even be a bit warmer than Fresno, only a bit
since we, too, live in a desert and it is winter, not summer.
The plan is to drive our new car down Monday and spend almost five full
days in the National Park. That may get extended if the weather
does not cooperate and give us at least one clear night to marvel at
stars. The current weather forecast shows rain or clouds for most
of our five days, but we will see.
I will lay out our goals and, as we pass the week, we can keep track of our planning success.
Monday.
GOAL "Leave early. Breakfast near Bakersfield. Cross over into
the desert via the southern Sierras, passing Lake Isabella. This
is a 5,200 foot mountain pass that we hope has no snow. From
there it will be Panamint Springs and Stovepipe Wells, before we settle
in at The Furnace Creek Ranch. This part of the route will see us
go from about 3,500 feet, back up to 5,300 feet and then down to sea
level, or a bit lower. All in all, this will be a real highway
test of us and our new Jeep. (We are undecided if we will do much
off-road testing. It's such a new, shiny, red car.)"
REALITY
Not too different from the goal. We packed up the nice, clean, new
car and headed down Highway 99. For almost 100 miles we passed
acres and acres of orchards, along with scores of agricultural business
lining The 99. Breakfast was at Apple Annie's in Tulare, a
tradition since we've been there twice. It doesn't take much for
us to establish a tradition.
After a turn east at Bakersfield, we drove up through the Kern River
Canyon. This was the first of our dramatic roadways, in this case
a narrow, twisty, road, threatened by overhanging rocks. This
road was identified as the "Lake Isabella" road, but that body of water
should be called a puddle. We saw our first Joshua trees
and other gnarley desert vegetation. From there, it was
Ridgecrest for a fuel stop. (I had gotten worried about the cost
of fuel inside Death Valley and decided to fill up outside.
Probably a waste of time!)
Narrow Kern Canyon and not-more-than-a-puddle Lake Isabella
![d150126_06_kern.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_06_kern.jpg) ![d150126_07_rocks.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_07_rocks.jpg) ![d150126_08_lake.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_08_lake.jpg)
It is amazing that anything holds on to life in these mountains.
![d150126_11_forest.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_11_forest.jpg) ![d150126_10_josua.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_10_josua.jpg) ![d150126_12_scrub.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_12_scrub.jpg)
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Next, we drove north, up the eastern face of the Sierras, before
heading east across the Panamint Range. Despite the clouds and
generally "flat" light, we couldn't help taking pictures.
Mountains on both sides and wide desert plains in between.
Some day I'd like to do this drive, in winter, with blue skies and
puffy clouds. Oh well, have to take the world as we find it.
![d150126_16_sierras.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_16_sierras.jpg) ![d150126_18_plains.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_18_plains.jpg) ![d150126_24_plane.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_24_plane.jpg) ![d150126_26_poles.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_26_poles.jpg)
![d150126_28_panamints.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_28_panamints.jpg) ![d150126_34_barren.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_34_barren.jpg) ![d150126_30_turn.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_30_turn.jpg) ![d150126_32_sign.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_32_sign.jpg) The cut through the Panamint Range showed very dramatic rocks, even in flat, cloudy light.
![d150126_37_rock.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_37_rock.jpg) ![d150126_36_rugged.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_36_rugged.jpg) ![d150126_38_twist.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_38_twist.jpg)
Down below us, in the Panamint Valley, we saw a cloud we took for fog,
but in fact it was thick dust. Driving through that definitely
took the shine off the car.
![d150126_40_dust.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_40_dust.jpg) ![d150126_42_thrudust.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_42_thrudust.jpg)
Death Valley
![d150126_48_deathvalley.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150126_48_deathvalley.jpg)
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We
checked in at The Ranch at Furnace Creek, a National Park Service
facility that became our home for the week. We stayed in a worn
but clean "mid-century" motel room, clean but worn. After we
settled in, a rare rain storm passed by and washed some of that dust
off the car. A good first day.
Tuesday
GOAL "Some sort of sunrise pictures, maybe just in Furnace Creek. Then
breakfast, casually, as is our travel custom. From here, we will
head north, toward Scotty's Castle, but first we will stop at Ubehebe
Crater, a big hole blasted by a volcanic steam eruption a few hundred
years ago. We have reservations for a 3pm tour of the Castle, but we
will see if another time is convenient as well. The Park Ranger
schedule looked pretty open. From here, we hope to hit somewhere
photo worthy for sunset around 5pm. Then dinner back at Furnace
Creek."
REALITY
Again,
pretty much according to plan. I took a picture early of the Inn at
Furnace Creek, the high-end hotel in the Valley, but clouds prevented
any sunrise color. Later, we would
end our afternoon with a drink in the lobby, looking down to where I
had been looking up. We passed on dinner, due to cost mostly,
only to
discover the Ranch has essentially the same prices. For example,
good steaks or prime rib were over $60 - per person! By the way,
rooms at The Inn run from the mid-$300s and up. Clearly for the
1%.
Our main goal of the day was Scotty's Castle, 56 miles north of our
hotel. We had plenty of time, so we took a leisurely drive, with
stops for sketching and photos.
![d150127_04_sketch.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_04_sketch.jpg) ![d150127_05_done.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_05_done.jpg)
We passed a temporary lake and saw signs of past floods, when Death Valley was a 600-foot deep lake.
![d150127_06_water.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_06_water.jpg) ![d150127_07_fan.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_07_fan.jpg) ![d150127_09_gravel.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_09_gravel.jpg)
This was the original well that pioneers had marked with a stovepipe, hence "Stovepipe Wells".
![d150127_10_stovepipe.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_10_stovepipe.jpg)
At the far end of our drive was Ubehebe Crater, a hole created by a
volcanic steam explosion about 300 years ago. The
wind was blowing so strongly I could hardly stand up, despite the calm on
the desert floor. This is an example of the phenomenon that makes
the Valley so hot: cooling breezes don't make it down to the
valley floor.
![d150127_20_cratersign.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_20_cratersign.jpg)
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Scotty's Castle is deservedly the most
popular tourist attraction in Death Valley. Check here for the complete
story of Walter "Scotty" Scott and his benefactor Albert Johnson.
It's worth a read.
Guide, in 1939 period costume
![d150127_30_scottys.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_30_scottys.jpg) ![d150127_31_guide.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_31_guide.jpg)
Courtyard flowers, desert-style
![d150127_32_garden1.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_32_garden1.jpg) ![d150127_34_garden2.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_34_garden2.jpg) ![d150127_33_garden3.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_33_garden3.jpg)
Details and the original Packard still in the car port.
![d150127_36_door.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_36_door.jpg) ![d150127_35_detail.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_35_detail.jpg) ![d150127_37_packard.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_37_packard.jpg)
Inside, as it was in the 30's, with all original furnishings, down to Scotty's clothes still hanging in the closet.
![d150127_38_lr.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_38_lr.jpg) ![d150127_39_scottyrm.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_39_scottyrm.jpg) ![d150127_40_music.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_40_music.jpg)
Scotty would tell daily dinner table stories from his throne. His "job" for the Johnsons was essentially a court jester.
![d150127_42_dining.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_42_dining.jpg) ![d150127_43_throne.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_43_throne.jpg) ![d150127_44_kitchen.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_44_kitchen.jpg)
Upstairs were rooms that served as guest rooms, initially for the
Johnsons and their famous guests and later for paying travelers.
![d150127_45_guestrm.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_45_guestrm.jpg) Outside,
we found a project we could take on, maybe. On our way out,
this guard coyote was making sure we didn't linger.
![d150127_48_project.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_48_project.jpg)
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The drive south was as nice as the drive up. Our history lesson
for the day came at the Harmony Borax Works, ruins of the original
borax mineral processing equipment and an example of the famous
twenty-mule team wagons that were used for the 165 mile trek to the
railroad.
All day, as we drove, we needed to stop and soak in the scenes.
Pictures can convey some of the wonder, but you really need to visit
yourself.
![d150127_70_daypath.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150127_70_daypath.jpg) A successful day, for sure. Now, tomorrow?
Wednesday
Now we are into our less-planned days.
Tuesday night we tried to see the famous desert stars, but they were
over-powered by the half-moon. It was amazing how much light the
moon made, but we decided we would try an early morning Wednesday
wake-up to see stars after the moon set. Nice plan, but a haze
had set in over the valley, so we could not get the full
impression. Now we have a reason to come back!
Not wanting to waste the early wake-up, we then headed to Dante's View
for sunrise pictures. The drive up to 5,000+ feet was interesting,
but our new diesel-powered SUV had no problems. On top, the sun
was just beginning to lighten the eastern sky. The
haze that had interfered with stars made for a nice red sunrise.
![d150128_02_car.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_02_car.jpg) ![d150128_04_valley.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_04_valley.jpg)
Funeral Mountains to the East
![d150128_08_RisePan.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_08_RisePan.jpg)
![d150128_18_ValleyPan.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_18_ValleyPan.jpg)
![d150128_06_grapevine.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_06_grapevine.jpg)
Death Valley and Panamint Range to the West
![d150128_10_sign.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_10_sign.jpg) ![d150128_12_valley.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_12_valley.jpg) ![d150128_14_telescope.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_14_telescope.jpg)
![d150128_16_ValleyPan.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_16_ValleyPan.jpg)
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From
high on Dante's View, we descended back down -- to breakfast!
Meals at the Ranch remain tasty, but expensive. After the meal,
we headed out to Badwater salt flats. The drive in
the morning light was exceptional, or, the new normal as we have become
accustomed to the wonderfully colorful hills.
At Badwater, I wandered out on the flats, looking out at the forbidding
desert, but also looking back at the mountain that rose 5,000+ feet
above us, back to Dante's view.
![d150128_22_boardwalk.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_22_boardwalk.jpg) ![d150128_22_pool.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_22_pool.jpg) ![d150128_23_flats.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_23_flats.jpg) ![d150128_25_tolowspot.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_25_tolowspot.jpg)
Can you spot the "Seal Level" sign?
![d150128_26_wall.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_26_wall.jpg) ![d150128_25_sign.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_25_sign.jpg) ![d150128_28_uptodevils.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_28_uptodevils.jpg) |
Our next stop was "Devil's Golf Course", a salt field even more rugged
than Badwater. I'm not sure who came up with "Golf course" for a
name, but there are plenty of cute names in this valley, many made by
the early tourism developers, I bet.
Artists Drive is an eight mile loop, parallel to the main Badwater
road, running through some of the most colorful rock scenery of the
valley. Our house artist loved the place, but then again, she is
falling in love with the whole valley.
Back at The Ranch, we visited the small Borax Museum. It was a
pretty limited display, but did provide some history of borax mining in
the valley. The back yard had an assortment of rusty equipment,
mildly interesting, but kind of like the "shards" we used to joke about
in small, local, European museums.
![d150130_08_museum.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_08_museum.jpg) ![d150128_50_museum.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_50_museum.jpg)
![d150128_52_mulesign.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_52_mulesign.jpg) ![d150128_54_mules.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_54_mules.jpg) ![d150128_56_yard.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_56_yard.jpg) ![d150128_57_wagon.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_57_wagon.jpg) ![d150130_09_train.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_09_train.jpg)
"Dinah", a steam-driven replacement for the 20-mule teams, with seven-foot drive wheels.
![d150130_06_dinah.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_06_dinah.jpg)
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![d150128_59.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150128_59.jpg) After
our 13-hour day of touring, we settled around the fire pit and enjoyed
a glass of wine before dinner. We thought about friends in other
climates, feeling smug about our balmy evening. I am
certain that in the 120 degree summers, the feeling might be
reversed. (One staff member did say that summertimes are very
busy at the hotels, primarily with Europeans who want to see Death
Valley at it's hottest. I can't imagine being outside in such
heat!)
Now, what about tomorrow?
Thursday
On
our third Death Valley day we headed out with just one goal: the
charcoal kilns in Wildrose Canyon. Along the way, we would stop
at whatever seemed interesting, including collecting photographs of
plants and rocks, the details of the grand views we had fallen in love
with. (We will only bore you with plant pictures if you click
HERE, since there are far too many for just casual interest.)
Our drive took us north out of Furnace Creek, up past the nearby -100
foot and sea-level signs, across the valley at Stovepipe Wells, and
back south down Emigrant Canyon Road. The drive would have been
much shorter going straight across the Valley, but that is simply not
possible. At least we could avoid worrying about the "Savage
Summer Sun" that local signs warned us about, it was a balmy 72F.
Our
first unscheduled stop was at Devil's Corn Field, on the east-to-west
part of our route. Truthfully, we were underwhelmed. As
near as we could tell, this was just a field of desert plants, a bit
bigger than ones we had been seeing for miles. Nonetheless, we
took a picture or two, just in case these turn out to be very special
plant species. (I doubt it.)
Not far away were the Mesquite Flat sand dunes. These really were impressive -- I think. In fact the
60-feet high dunes were a half-mile walk from the parking lot, and we
were not going to attempt the stroll. We got far enough to see
gnarley dead mesquite trees and to touch the powdery sand. Good
enough in my book to get the Sand Dunes Boy Scout patch.
We drove through Stovepipe Wells,
not even pausing for pictures. Not necessary. It's just a
collection of pretty uninspiring buildings (store, motel, bar, Park
Service office, gas station) and a completely uninspiring camp
grounds. However, just outside Stovepipe is the turn off to
Mosaic Canyon. The two-and-a-half mile dirt road was a bit bumpy, and
the canyon itself requires a hike, but it was worth it.
![d150129_50_mosaicsign.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_50_mosaicsign.jpg) ![d150129_51_pathin.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_51_pathin.jpg) ![d150129_52_john.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_52_john.jpg) ![d150129_53_slippery.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_53_slippery.jpg) ![d150129_54_upperpart.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_54_upperpart.jpg)
Some
rocks were marble-like, smoothed by eons of water and debris rushing
down the canyon. Others were agglomerations of stones set in
concrete like ancient sediment. This later rock type ("schist")
is only a few thousands of years old but the older stone had been here
for eons. An entire geology course could be taught on the first
mile of Mosaic Canyon!
![d150129_55_mrble.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_55_mrble.jpg) ![d150129_56_mosaic.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_56_mosaic.jpg) ![d150129_57_layers.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_57_layers.jpg) ![d150129_58_tilt.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_58_tilt.jpg)
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Shortly past Mosaic, we turned south
on a beautiful and empty paved two-lane road. The road rose up
through Emigrant Pass (5,318 feet) and then continued up to over 6,500
feet at our goal. For the entire south-bound trip, we saw perhaps
a dozen vehicles, counting both directions. We were definitely
feeling like we had wandered off the beaten path. That impression was
reinforced by the last two-miles on rough gravel. Our new car may
develop more rattles than we would like!
![d150129_60_pathin.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_60_pathin.jpg) ![d150129_61_marker.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_61_marker.jpg) ![d150129_62_roadin.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_62_roadin.jpg) ![d150129_63_lastmiles.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_63_lastmiles.jpg) ![d150129_64_kilnssign.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_64_kilnssign.jpg)
The
Wildrose Kilns were used from 1877 to about 1879 to produce charcoal
for the Modock Consolidated Mining Company for lead-silver mines 30
miles west. After 135 years, the hills in the area have regrown only a
fraction of the slow-growing pine trees that fed the kilns.
![d150129_65_kilns.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_65_kilns.jpg) ![d150129_66_kiln.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_66_kiln.jpg) ![d150129_69_plantstoo.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_69_plantstoo.jpg) ![d150129_67_inside.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150129_67_inside.jpg)
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From the Wildrose Canyon, we drove
straight back to Furnace Creek, stopping only for some quick shopping at
Stovepipe. We noted that from Wildrose to Stovepipe, we descended
6,000 feet and the temperature rose from a chilly 40F to a very
pleasant 74F. We could imagine summer, when this would be a change from
90F to 120F - or more!
All in all, we were happy with our goal and the side trips we
discovered along the way. That may be our overall impression of
the entire trip so far; happy with the main goals and
pleasantly surprised almost everywhere we have looked.
Friday
Another slow breakfast and delayed start. Actually, since this is
our normal pace, I don't suppose "delayed" is correct. The day
looked to be gray and even rainy, but we have gotten used to this
desert-unusual weather.
![d150130_02_entrance.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_02_entrance.jpg) I
started the daily photos with a few shots of the The Furnace Creek
Ranch, our home this week. The facilities include three
restaurants and a general store (mostly tourist trinkets), as well as
the Borax Museum (see above), a couple of camping areas, a post office
and the rooms. Our part of the Ranch was a section of 1950s-style
motel rooms, simple and worn, but clean and comfortable.
![d150130_59_trip.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_59_trip.jpg) Our
big excursion for the day was a drive east to Beatty Nevada, with a
stop at the Rhyolite ghost town. This took us out of Death Valley and
across the Grapvine Range, another jumble of rugged and colorful
mountains. We realize by now, that all these rock and mountain
pictures are making our readers glaze over. After all, what's the
difference between one hill and another? However, for us, each
seemed to be at least a bit different and this trip into another state
was no different. So, browse quickly if you want, we will still
over-record our travels because our own memories will fade all too soon.
Rhyolite is our ghost town for this trip. In the Death Valley
area, there are dozens of ruins of old mining towns and villages, but
Rhyolite is probably the easiest to reach (no off-roading
required). The town was founded in about 1904 and grew to 5,000
to 10,000 residents, the largest town in the area, before being
abandoned less than 15 years later. At its peak, it was said to
have two churches and 50 saloons, along with two schools, an opera
house, and a train station. The town grew around the Montgomery
Shoshone Mine, one of the most profitable mines in Nevada, for a few
years at least. Toward the end, it was purchased by Charles
Schwab, the man not the company, but was never a star in his financial
empire.
Today, there are only a scattering of ruins, home to rattlesnakes and ghosts.
-- Rhyolite ghost
town. Turn of the century. Founded in 1904 by two
prospectors. Montgomery Shoshone mine, eventually purchased by
Charles Schwab - the man, not the company! 5 to 10,000 people. 2
churches & 50 saloons, a stock exchange, and an opera house.
And a train station. Now a dozen ruins and a small museum and art
gallery.
![d150130_20_rhyolite.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_20_rhyolite.jpg) ![d150130_21_sign.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_21_sign.jpg)
The train station is the most intact building. Old banks and stores are just a few stone walls.
![d150130_22_trstation.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_22_trstation.jpg) ![d150130_24_empty.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_24_empty.jpg) ![d150130_25_store.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_25_store.jpg) ![d150130_26_bank.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_26_bank.jpg)
Ruins of a few of the old house remain, reminders of the conditions the thousands of residents endured.
![d150130_23_house.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_23_house.jpg) ![d150130_29_houses.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_29_houses.jpg)
The Tome Kelly "Bottle House", was rebuilt in the 1920s as a movie prop.
![d150130_32_house.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_32_house.jpg) ![d150130_33_detail.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_33_detail.jpg) ![d150130_34_stilllife.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_34_stilllife.jpg)
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Just outside Rhyolite, was the Goldwell Open Air Museum.
The art included ghost-like figures, done in the mid-1980s by a Belgian
artists, Albert Szukalski. The docent, a retired Beatty high
school teacher, told us the stories of this and the other art work
in the collection. A worthwhile stop.
From Rhyolite, we drove the four-miles into Beatty, a
not-yet-ghost-town of about 2,000 hardy souls. Local industry
seems limited to tourism, unsuccessful prospecting, nuclear waste, and
support for mitigation efforts at the nearby nuclear bomb test
site. Many of the houses were mobile homes, as if the residents
wanted to be able to disappear overnight.
The
Goldwell guide had recommended a stop at Beatty's "famous" candy store,
the largest in all of Nevada! Well, it was big, but we managed to
pass by all the sweets. Instead, we picked up some beef jerky,
sort of candy of the desert? After that, it was lunch soup and
sandwiches at KC's Outpost. This little cafe served a good meal
in a friendly atmosphere. We recommend it!
On the way out, we stopped by the humble Beatty Historical
Museum. The little docent showed us her favorite displays.
I liked the old picture of Rhyolite because it showed that town in its
prime even larger and more permanent than Beatty. The small
display of Geiger counters and a radioactive-hazards suit was looked
over by pictures of some local bomb blasts. I suppose every town
needs a theme.
![d150130_50_visitors.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150130_50_visitors.jpg) Back
home in Furnace Creek, we stopped by the National Park Service's visitor
center where we sat through a good film introducing Death Valley and
wandered through the hands-on displays that were so much more modern
than those in Beatty, but somehow less memorable. (My favorite
display was a science-project arrangement that illustrated how mountain
ridges in the area were built from the continental spreading that
occurs around Death Valley.)
Saturday
After almost a week at The Ranch, we headed home. While we were
packing up, many of the motel guests were getting ready to start a marathon run. I expect the cool weather suited them well. (There is another race, the Badwater Ultramarathon,
run from here in July, but it sounds completely insane: 135 miles, from
Death Valley to Mount Whitney, over 13,000 feet in elevation change.)
Our
drive out was far more comfortable. We left at about 8:00, before
breakfast even, and planned a stop in Shoshone about an hour
away. The drive was more of the deserted highways we have come to
enjoy, with rugged mountains ringing our way on all sides. We
will miss this.
It was not hard choosing a breakfast place in Shoshone: there was only
one place open, The Crowbar Cafe and Bar. We ate in the bar, all
by ourselves. I could not help but believe this was a very direct
descendant from the pioneer bars of the old Wild West. But the
food was good and the service friendly. (As a measure of how
remote Shoshone is, there was no cell phone service in town. )
We toured the Shoshone History Museum after breakfast, set in the old
gas station next to the Cafe. Pretty humble place, but it fit
well with the town.
![d150131_04_cafe.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150131_04_cafe.jpg) ![d150131_06_bar.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150131_06_bar.jpg)
Two real dinosaur jawbones were the main attraction. Like I said, humble.
![d150131_10_museum.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150131_10_museum.jpg) ![d150131_12_gas.jpg](picts/thumbnails/d150131_12_gas.jpg)
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In the Cafe, we picked up a brochure for the China Ranch
date farm, a few miles away near Tecopa. This seemed like a
possibility, so we set off. The first several miles were normal,
two-lane paved roads, including a portion of the Old Spanish Trail
Highway. That trail has been crossing this valley for hundreds of
years. As we approached China Ranch, the road changed to gravel,
one-lane, and twisty. We were beginning to have doubts about how
worthwhile a date farm visit would be.
Fortunately, we hung in there, and discovered a real oasis, hidden in a
spring-fed valley (gulch, really). China Ranch got its name from
a late-19th century Death Valley mine worker named Ah Foo who helped
develop the water resources of the ranch. The ranch went through
a series of owners, each trying something different to make a go of it,
but most failed. Currently, the ranch is owned by the Brown and
Sorrell families, old-line settlers of the area. The ranch is a
tourist shop and hiking base, but mostly a working date farm.
After buying a bag of dates and a box of freshly-made date cookies, we
headed back up the twisty dirt road and were soon on normal
highways. Within minutes, we were on Interstate 15, the busy
connector between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles Valley. We soon
missed the empty Death Valley roads we had enjoyed all week.
The
rest of the trip was completely uneventful. One stop for fuel,
out-the-window shots of the Tehachapi windmills, the largest wind farm
in America, and hours of freeway driving though the Mojave Desert and
up the San Joaquin Valley to Fresno.
We got home tired, but feeling successful. Our new car had passed
it's "shake down" trip with flying colors. It is comfortable,
capable of smooth or rough roads, and averaged around 27
miles-per-gallon, not bad for such a heavy machine. I think we
will need to do more travel soon, or at least as soon as medical
schedules allow.
Stay tuned.
John and Marianne |