1 week- 4 states- final destination Death Valley

[32vsnake]

First off... this is going to be a long multiple part thread. Not to worry as there will be far more pictures than ramblings...

I've been thinking about a desert trip for a little while and now seamed like the right time to head out and explore.

So we left home on a slightly over cast day and headed for Port Angeles WA.

Truck all packed up and ready to go... it sank down about 3 inches

Filling out paper work for US customs

Official trip photographer and co-pilot

Hard to believe but she took over 2000 photos.. some were oh so random... this is just the beginning of the randomness

Like I mentioned slightly overcast

Leaving our home port behind

Welcome to Port Angeles

We didn't actually take any pics of PA city... but it was a very cool little city that has a certain oldie time type feel about it.

Since the ferry dropped us of around 5pm we hit the road pretty hard and ended up in Castle Rock WA for the first night. We pulled into a KOA campground at 8:07 ... unfortunately the campground office shut it's doors at 8:00.

We caught a lucky break and the staff that was cashing out let us check in for the night... no pics since we setup camp in a torrential down poor...Next up Day 2

 

[32vsnake]

Day 2...Actually not a lot of interesting pics on day 2, at least through the rest of Washington and Oregon.

We made it into Honey lake California.. and spent the night at a little campground just off the main road.

Some Random day 2 shots

Second night on the road... stayed at Honey Lake California. it was getting late and we needed to get of the road, setup camp, have some dinner and hit the sleeping bags

 

[32vsnake]

Day 3

Woke up and hit the road by 6:30 am

Somewhere in Cali

just outside of reno we came across this place... if you have children they will require you to stop... and spend large amounts of coin on bags o candy

Back in cali again

We have arrived! Sort of

Welcome to the site of the moon landing

 

[32vsnake]

Destination Tucki mine

Signs, signs everywhere... we hung a left towards albuquerque

A little polishing and it will buff right out

 

[32vsnake]

Tucki mine

 

[32vsnake]

End of day 3... we camped up the road from the mine on a small clearing... now way were we camping near the mine... to much scooby doo in the DVD player on the way down and I never should have watched the hills have eyes! before leaving

To be continued

 

[32vsnake]

Day 4

Headed out of tucki mine

on the way up we ran into this little obstacle; which doesn't really look like much in the photos... but it did take some thinking to get through... we made it up so down should be ok... and it was

Entering the dunes

Stopped in at the ranger station in stove pipe wells, drove out towards Scotty's castle and Beatty Nevada

And just like that we were leaving death valley

 

[32vsnake]

Went into Beatty and grabbed some fuel and lunch... oddest little town. A lot of derelict buildings combined with a newer hotel and this weird place called eddies world... Beatty was a little creepy... yet really cool

Next stop was Ryholite, unfortunately a large portion of the buildings in Ryholite where fenced off, which kind of killed the whole ghost town ambiance.. still pretty cool

This one was labeled as the Brothel...2 rooms no ceiling

Art deco gone really wrong?

 

[32vsnake]

Next up Titus Canyon

 

[Vicreo A Legarreta]

nice pictures and in a renger :wings:

 

[32vsnake]

nice pictures and in a renger :wings:

Thanks... I know my vehicle and equipment are EXPO Portal moving violations ... but what's a guy to do?

 

[32vsnake]

The suburbs of leadfield

 

[32vsnake]

This sign was a little disheartening... you really need to tell people not to graffiti the rock? Have some respect for the original "taggers"

Quick trip to Scotty's next

 

[32vsnake]

Onto Scotty's ... which was cool, but I'm not sure I got the whole must see aspect of it

 

[32vsnake]

Day 4 had been pretty long. From Scotty's we had a decision to make... keep traveling out to ubehebe crater and beyond or head back into Furnace creek/ stove pipe wells for the night.

Driving miles, heat and the desire to hit a swimming pool dictated a hotel night. We headed to Furnace creek... $220 plus tax a night in the middle of nowhere.. supply and demand at it's finest..ouch
Might as well try Stove Pipe wells... $150 a night taxes in for a room with no TV.. sure thing. The pool was awesome. The restaurant... let's just say that in a town with 1 restaurant... they had the best food in town