Hike Info : Description : Menu : Animals
Today is the day which we have been planning on for the past couple of months. Our neighbor Don has been to a lot of places, but not Death Valley. So we are planning on showing Don the highlights of the Valley. Can you really have highlights in the lowest place in North America?
I will be driving today. Our first stop is the Costco in Bakersfield. We also make use of its facilities as well. So far we are making good time. When we leave Costco it is 10:30. Onward to Death Valley. We plan to go through Olancha so we can visit the Father Crowley’s Overlook. But that is not what we actually do. Hunger strikes and we feel the need to eat. When we hit 395, instead of going up 395, we go across to Ridgecrest.
There looks like some interesting and with some possibly good restaurants in Ridgecrest. Casa Corona catches her eye. We have one in Fresno, but they are not connected, we find out later from our waiter. But getting someplace is half the adventure. It takes us a while to find it, even though it is on the main drag, but it is well worth the wandering.
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| Don and Telescope Peak |
It is good food and we all feel it was worth the price and travel to find this place. I have the #17 equivalent-a cheese enchilada and Chile Relleno; Sherri has three tacos and Don POLLO EN SALSA VERDE.
We waddle out of the restaurant and are on our way. Our route is 178 which leads us to Trona. This looks like the last reasonably priced gas for aways, so we top off the tank. This is a way we have not been before and there are reasons to come back again. First, there are a lot of interesting sights around here. Next, we pass by a road leading to Trona Pinnacles. We can see them in the distance, but it is a bit off of our way. As a note: Later on we find out from a fellow Texas Springs camper that there is a nice campground here for those who come prepared. But the area can be cool and windy. Lastly, there are ghost towns back here and as I understand it, where the law finally caught up with Charles Manson.
There is even excitement along the road. I spot two burros along the side of the road. I did not see them in time, or I would have taken a hint from last summer and slowed way down. Both to see them and make sure they did not end up on my front bumper.
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| Takes awhile for a call |
As we enter the Park, we stop at the sign and do the tourist thing and take a picture with it. We see Telescope Peak and enjoy the coloration of the mountains. We are all impressed. The road by WildRose is washed out and we have a minor diversion. We hit 190 just east of Panamint. Then continue on eastward.
After going over Towne Pass, we go on a long downhill. When we get to the Emigrant Canyon rest stop, we do. There is the smell of brakes, so we let them cool and are on the way again. I use the gears for the rest of the downhill to Stovepipe Wells. There is not anything stopping us, even though we go a bit slower through Furnace Creek. Shortly afterwards,we turned up a hill, up to sea level to the Texas Springs Campground. Our favorite campsite is taken and so are many others. We grab an open one, A20. It is pretty rocky and sparse with no cover. The ground is hard and stakes will not go into the ground.But for right now, it is the best we can do. We start pitching our tents around 4:30
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| Orion's Belt |
Did not get to the points we thought we would do:
Breakfast |
Lunch |
Dinner |
Snacks |
Home |
Dinner along the way. Where depends on time |
Leftover from lunch??? or PB& Nutella |
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