Death Valley National Park
Tuesday - 12 April 2005 - Death Valley National Park:
My parents went south and we went west. The past week DT and I have
been golfing in St. George and enjoyed a Jimmy Buffett concert in Las Vegas, so
I have not updated. What happens at Jimmy, stays at Jimmy.
This morning we drove out of Las Vegas on the Blue Diamond Highway
to Pahrump. Pahrump is filled with trailer parks, RV parks and brothels. I don't
know if these things are in any way related, but find it interesting just the
same. Usually we would turn-off here and head into Death Valley. Remember when
we decided to spend New Years Eve in Death Valley a few months ago and couldn't
even get IN to the park, due to flooding? Well, the roads are still not open!
There is so much damage to Highway 190, it remains closed - but they should have
it open any day now. We had to drive up Highway 95 to Beatty and then go west on
374 into Death Valley. This was a new route for us, so it wasn't much of a
hardship - it just added many miles to our day. We had a beautiful drive all
day. The desert is so green due to all the rain and there are so many wild
flowers in bloom. Rangers say there are flowers blooming in Death Valley
that have not bloomed in one hundred years! Expect too many flower
photos this week!
The drive from Beatty to Furnace Creek in
Death
Valley National Park is a plunge from 4000 feet to -255 feet in 14 miles!
And the road is just horrible - in terrible cracked condition and about as
narrow as a bike path! Of course, My Driver handled the trail with skill and for
once I was too mesmerized with the flowers to actually pay attention to the
driving conditions. We are camped for several days in
Furnace Creek Campground in Death Valley National Park. With nothing but
desert around, Furnace Creek is a true oasis - a spring feeds an island of
moisture here: green trees, creeks, date orchards and even a lush, green golf
course in the middle of desolation! There are no facilities here, so we have to
survive on our own with only our 2000 watt inverter, generator, 90 gallon water
tank, four-door propane refrigerator (and ice maker)... oh and don't forget
satellite internet and 600 television stations to sustain us. There is NO
cellular service, so to me it is like living in the dark ages! And, it was 94
degrees when we checked-in!
Roughing it, 215 feet below sea level
We will stay in tonight, grill something outdoors and enjoy
another wonderful thing about Death Valley National Park - there are no lights
for miles around and you can see every star in the sky!
RV Park:
Furnace Creek Campground
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