Sadly Leaving, on to Winnemucca and home

Before we left Furnace Creek for the trip home, we stopped by the little Borax museum we had missed earlier. They have a nice display of some very large-wheeled equipment used for hauling logs from the mountain forests, to crushing ore or loading borax. There's interesting history here - whether mining or stories of really adventurous tourists. As we left, it was getting a little cloudy but the temperature was 80 degrees.

We headed north, back to Beatty, where we turned left and headed up to Tonapah, where we had lunch at the Tonapah Station Casino. Picnic was out since by then, at 6000 feet, it was in the low 40s and spritzing snow. (These old Nevada mining towns are a sad sight)  Then northward on Rt 376 to Austin, then Rt 305 to Winnemucca, where we stopped at a Days Inn. Very good dinner at the Winner's Casino Jack's restaurant. We even won $4.93 at a slot machine. We love driving these north-south Nevada roads. Mile upon mile of straight, no traffic, snow capped mountain ranges on both sides....just beautiful! (This posting is probably going to have to wait until tomorrow - while I can connect to the Days Inn wi-fi, it is so painfully slow as to be unusable. A complaint to the front desk brought no results, as expected!) Sorry, Bryan, we haven't found anyone around here who remembers you!

The next day, which would be Thursday, we think, we tackled the final 250 miles home, heading up US95 through Jordan Valley and into Boise. The weather was unsettled, some snow in the higher elevations overnight, and temps in the 40s. After a quick drop of stuff at home, and hello to Max, we went over to Janet and Shawn's for a welcome home cooked meal!

Coyote

Mountain View and More Hikes

 Went for a run this morning, got kicked off the golf course, saw two coyotes and one roadrunner! Then started our extra day with the 20 Mule Team Canyon Drive, more spectacular colored rock formations! Then up the hill to Dante's View, at about 5500 feet above the valley floor offered spectacular views all up and down the valley. A great short hike featured some wildflowers, too.

We returned to our hotel room for our lunch then off to the swimming pool. It was 90 degrees by this time.Then we went north, about halfway to Scottie's Castle, and drove a bumpy gravel road for 3 miles to the trailhead for Titus Canyon. (The Golf is not enjoying some of this trip! Note: the Titus Canyon road goes all the way through - about 23 miles, but one needs to have a more rugged vehicle). Great hike up the canyon with very different rock formations. Stopped at Stovepipe Wells on the way back for some souvenir shopping, happening across this all original '49 Olds at the gas pumps. High temp this afternoon was 97!

Back to the motel for yet another dip in the beautiful pool, then across the way to the Furnace Creek Inn for a wonderful peaceful dinner. We had already eaten dinners at the three restaurants here at the Ranch, and wanted to try something different. The Inn is a much more upscale place, originally built by Fred Harvey and the guy who owned the Borax Mine and catered to a wave of adventurous travelers back in the 30s. The Furnace Creek Ranch was originally built as a camp for the people working in the mines.

So now we leave for home. We've seen almost every square inch of this wonderful park. We figured out the last time we were here to really explore was 2003. When we gathered in LV for Janet's wedding back in 2005, we think we just passed through here on the way home.

Great hikes

Not so much driving today - stayed close the The Ranch. Started out at Badwater, the lowest spot in the Western Hemisphere at -282 feet. Its interesting how hundreds of thousands of tourists, walking out onto the salt flats, have created a very wide path. Then we did a nice hike up to the "natural bridge" - its not Arches NP,but its OK.  Then a one-way paved route along "Artists Drive" with a stop at "Artists Palette" for some spectacular colored rock formations.  Then another nice hike up the Golden Canyon, which, if one goes far enough, would connect to the trail leading down from Zabriskie Point (saved for another time!) The two trails are the most spectacular ones I've found. We found some shade for our picnic lunch under a date palm in the grove by the campground (shade is very hard to find around here!) Then  up the road just a bit to the exhibit about the Borax mine which operated from 1883-1889. (You know, 20 mule team Borax!) Back to the pool in time for a much needed swim in the 85 degree water. Before dinner, we took a one hour "sunset wagon ride" around the complex. It was fun to talk to the cowboy, but not worth the money. Ended our day with another pretty good meal at the Saloon. We were taken good care of by a young waitress from Romania. (Note: there is no place to get inexpensive meals here!)  Note the color of the sky in the photos!

We've been having so much fun, enjoying this brilliant sunshine and temps in the low 90s, the WE'VE DECIDED TO STAY ANOTHER DAY! We'll be home Thursday (maybe).

China Ranch Dates

First thing this morning I headed out to meet a ranger who was leading a photography walk from Zabriskie Point, the most photographed place in the park. He took us to his "secret spot" - the goal is to take a different picture, not the same one everybody else has! Following the talk, an excellent hike down the remains of a road down the canyons to a borax mine, long ago abandoned. Unbelievably picturesque!

Then we headed south, in search of a date plantation a Ranger had suggested, through little burgs (barely breathing) of Death Valley Junction and Shoshone (outrageous gas prices!), arriving at Tecopa Hot Springs. After going down several miles of narrow canyon dirt roads, we finally arrived at the China Date Ranch. (Named for a Chinaman who had built a supply depot for gypsum miners back in the day, before he mysteriously disappeared). It is now a fully operational date grove, producing thousands of pounds each year of many different varieties. They have a gift shop which features Date Shakes - awesome!  One of Linda's goals on this trip was to find pots for our patio. On our way back through Tecopa Hot Springs we noticed these homes, trailers, etc in the sand surrounded by pots. Turns out they were for sale, so we got two (at a good discount!)

We arrived back at Furnace Creek (after an encounter with a coyote)  in time for a nice swim in their beautiful pool, then off to Stovepipe Wells for dinner at the Saloon, to be followed by a walk among the sand dunes. We were a bit late to see the shadows cast by the setting sun.

Death Valley - Its all good!

On the way from Beatty to DVNP you pass by Ryolite, what's left of a mining town....interesting ruins, including the "famous" bottle house. Over a distance of about 30 miles, you drop down about 4000 feet to sea level, or even below!  Arrived at Furnace Creek Ranch - it was early but we found that our room was ready. Then we headed north, checked out Stovepipe Wells, the other motel complex in the park. Then on up to Ubehebe Crater, which was awesome....reminded us of the big cinder cone at Craters of the Moon. So, three hikes today, Ubehebe Crater, Salt Creek and Mosaic Canyon. Weather is absolutely perfect - bright sun, high 80s.  Dinner tonight at the Furnace Creek Saloon - beer and pizza (not bad pizza, considering). Everything is incredibly expensive here - $5.05 for diesel, thankfully didn't need any! Lots of foreign tourists around. Tomorrow in search of dates.