Home Sweet Home

Day 20: Burns, OR to White Salmon, WA via John Day Fossil Beds
312 miles

Our last day on the road. Of course, we did not go straight home. We had two more stops to make. The first was at the Visitor Center at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. We'd been there before, but it's such a great Visitor Center, we couldn't help ourselves. Then we detoured to the Clarno Unit , which we missed on our last trip here. When you see these palisades, you know you're in the right place!

"The Clarno Unit is located 18 miles west of the town of Fossil. The Palisades are the most prominent landform. 44 million years ago a series of volcanic mudflows, swept up and perserved a diverse assortment of plants and animals that inhabited a near-tropical forest. Tiny four-toed horses, huge rhino-like brontotheres, crocodilians, and meat-eating creodonts that once roamed ancient jungles are now found in the rocks of the Clarno Unit, as well as an incredibly diverse range of plant life. Leaves, fruits, nuts, seeds, and petrified wood from 173 species of trees, vines, shrubs, and other plants have been found here thus far."

Here's my personal geologist pointing out some fossils for me to see.

 This little guy was just trying to blend in.

 The trail was quite nice, as we walked from the parking area over to the palisades.

 At the top of the trail was this great arch. Personal

Geologist for scale. Petrified logs stick out fo the rock walls.

 It looked like we were going to get stormed on, but mercifully, it held off until we were on our way.

 A few hours later, we pulled in to 1440 Brislawn Loop Rd. The daffodils greeted us.

As did our flowering plum tree. Ahhhhhh. Home at Last!

Grand Total: 5,274 miles, give or take a few!!

Liquid Sunshine

Day 19: Bridgeport, CA to Burns, OR

476 miles north on 395

Another long day of driving driving driving. And it started to rain. First rain of the entire trip. How lucky are we???? Many miles of open spaces, with little towns barely alive. We worried at one point if we'd have enough gas to make Lakeview. We did. Ended up at a motel in Burns with winds and weather swirling about. Thought for a minute I was back in Texas!

Sub-Total: 4,962 miles

Out of the Valley of Death

Day 18: Texas Springs Campground to Bridgeport, CA
254 miles

It's about time I finished up this travelogue. Too many things getting in the way since the last post!

We left off in Death Valley. I didn't want to leave you there, but it's in the 80s here in the Gorge, actually warmer here than there lately, so you're okay.

Driving out of the park takes several hours. We made a stop at the Sand Dunes, and spent a little time roaming while it was still cool, checking out all the animal tracks imprinted in the sand. Looks like there was a party here last night!

 The drive through Panamint Springs was lovely, and the narrow road through the pass had some construction stops so it wasn't a speedy transit. We got to the Father Crowley Memorial lookout and took a picture looking back from where we came.

We picked up good old Rt. 395 in the Owens Valley, and enjoyed views of salty lakes and Sierras along the west side of the highway.

We made a stop at the Manzanar National Historical Site. You know me and National Parks, Historic Sites, Monuments, Scenic Area...I have to stop and stamp my passport. Manzanar was one of camps where Japanese American citizens were held during WWII.
 

Not a particularly proud time for our country. The Visitor Center is fantastic, with a documentary film, interactive exhibits, photographs, personal stories, a model of the camp and some reconstructed barracks. If you are ever even close to this place, make it a stop on your itinerary.

We picked up some ice and gas in Bishop, but it was still early to stop. So on we went to the beautiful June Lake. We would loved to have camped here, but no campgrounds were open yet.

On we went to Lee Vining, near Mono Lake.

Side story: Way back in August 1985, when Lloyd and I (pregnant with Keara), Zack the cocker spaniel, and Groucho the cat drove from Houston to Danville, CA when Lloyd's job was transferred. We had a long day's drive from Grand Canyon area across Nevada. I remember getting to Lee Vining. It was late. There were no camping spots, and no hotel rooms. We went on to June Lake, where we found a welcome mat out at a pet friendly motel. A miracle I'll never forget.

This time, everything was pretty closed up. There was a private campground. Lloyd was so excited to find that for $5 he could have wi-fi. Then he told me, the showers aren't connected yet. No big. Then he told me neither were the toilets. HUH? Our little camper is NOT self-contained. The campground was very tidy, and I was not going to use the pet area or the Chevron Station down the street. So one we went to a motel that had a room, but before we plunked down our plastic, we were told there was NO DINING anywhere in town on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. In between seasons, you see. So on we went to Bridgeport, sadly unable to find a place so we could explore Mono Lake.

Bridgeport had places to stay. People come there to fish and to see the ghost town Bodie. We chose the Bridgeport Inn, which had a 50s era motel (where we could park the car with camper by the door) next to an 1870's gold rush era inn. And a resident ghost. And one place to eat across the street, as their cook was off that night. And that place to eat had many TVs showing baseball games. Including Red Sox/Yankees. And the Red Sox won. All was finally right with the world.

Total miles: 4,486

Hot Hot Hot

Day 17: Death Valley Exploring

around 130 miles

After a stop at the newly remodeled Visitor's Center, we drove south along Badwater Rd to hike at Golden Canyon before it got too hot! More Geology Heaven for Lloyd. 

It was a 2 mile round trip into the canyon along an interpretive trail that lead to spectacular views of Red Cathedral and Manly Beacon. By the time we were done, I'd finished the first of my recommended 4 bottles of water. One sure gets thirsty in the desert!

A few miles down the road we turned off onto a gravel road for Devil's Golf Course, where rugged jumbled blocks of salt surround the parking lot.

Badwater Basin is one of the world's hottest places, 282 feet below sea level. A sign marks sea level on the rock wall opposite the basin.


There's  a shallow salty pool near the parking lot. An early surveyor of the area saw that his mule wouldn't drink from the pool and noted "badwater" on his map. The name stuck. We could see little insect larvae in the brine.


As we headed back towards Furnace Creek, we pulled off on Artist's Drive, a 9 mile one way road through some of the most beautiful low, narrow canyons cut into alluvial fan deposits. The brightly colored hillsides at Artist's Palette were incredible. Red, pink, yellow, orange, and bown colors are from two minerals common in rust: hematite, which is a red iron oxide, and limonite, a yellow iron oxide. The green and violet colors are from altered minerals in the volcanic ash. Mother nature is amazing!

By  now we're thinking we need gas...and at well over $5 a gallon at Furnace Creek, we decided to leave Death Valley and head northeast to Beatty, NV, a little town we came through at the beginning of our trip. We got the gas, and some more ICE, and had a bite to eat at KC's Outpost Saloon and Eatery, a local establishment unabashedly proclaiming they had "The Best Food In Town". They roast turkeys for their sandwiches and make their own bread. Lloyd had a loaded BBQ sandwich, and I had the special, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, Best Foods mayo (she was specific)...basically Thanksgiving in a sandwich. It hit the spot. It was the waitress's first day. She was sweet.

All fueled up, inside and out, we headed back into the park via Rhyolite, a ghost town just outside of Beatty. Within a year after prospectors Shorty Harris and Ed Cross found gold in 1904, the town sprung up. It had a short life, with the 1906 SF Earthquake wiped out the financial district, mining funding took a hit. Then a financial panic in the east in 1907 pinched mining even more. By 1908, there were 8,000 people living there, and the mines began to fail. A few years later the exodus started and the mines did fail. The Post Office closed in 1919, and by 1920, there were only 14 people living there.

There still stands a fine Train Depot built in 1909,

the Kelly Bottle House (1906), which Tom Kelly built to raffle off,

 
and the Goldwell Open Air Museum with its outdoor sculptures.

Back in the park, we pulled over to take some photos of the sand dunes, and the valley towards Furnace Creek.

then stopped at Salt Creek Interpretive Trail to walk the half mile boardwalk for some pupfish viewing. The salty stream is full of the rare fish, which are very active in the spring (before the summer heat dries it up).

The Harmony Borax Works, famous for using 20 mule teams to move the borax from Death Valley to communities nearby, was an easy 1/4 mile walking trail.

I was waiting for some visitors to leave so I could get a photo without people in it, but they just wouldn't leave; a woman with long blonde hair who looked like a model, wearing a dress that was shorter than anything I ever wore in the days of miniskirts, a man who was dressed for a business casual affair, a little girl who looked bored by it all. From my perch I could hear what sounded like Russian. The woman kept posing, the man kept taking her picture. The man would point for the girl to get in the picture. She wasn't cooperating. The man and girl tried to leave but the woman kept finding new spots to pose, and wanted more pictures. Then they finally drove off in their convertible. To the fancy hotel, I'm guessing. They sure weren't camping at Texas Springs Campground! It was very amusing.

Death Valley Days

 

Day 16: Tusayan AZ to Furnace Creek, CA

410 Miles

Going from the cold to the desert. No need to unpack the heavy down comforter here! It was 30 degrees when we got up in Tusayan, and 90 degrees when we arrived in Death Valley at 5 pm. Decided on the Texas Spring Campground, in the hills above the Visitor Center. 

Got set up, enjoyed the sunset, and cooked up a delicious Green Thai Chicken and Veggie Curry (thanks Trader Joe) while Lloyd caught up with Bill and Celynn back in White Salmon. 

My pinot gris needed ice. The cooler needed ice. One side benefit of the cold nights in Grand Canyon: the 20 lb bag of ice we put in the cooler as we left Texas did not need replenishing until we left for Death Valley.

No electricity, but I had my headlamp. Our lantern mantel broke so it was useless. Nice and dark, the stars were awesome up there, but clouds started coming in...we went to bed and the wind picked up. And up. And up. People went scurrying into their tents and campers. Some left altogether. It was pretty wild. At one point I got up to go to the bathrooms. I could almost hear Auntie Em calling “Dorothy! Dorothy!” Untended campfires were sending sparks flying all through the campground. Crazy! I made it back safely, and fell asleep eventually. It was beautiful the next morning.

subtotal: 4,102 miles

Day 15: Grandest!

Today we decided to explore further along the South Rim to Hermit's Rest.


Hiking the whole thing wasn't realistic, so we drove to the D lot, walked to the shuttle transfer station near Bright Angel. Got off at the first stop, Maricopa Point, then followed the trail around to The Abyss, where we mutually agreed we'd best hop shuttles to hit the last couple of view points. The 3.6 miles we did was enough, especially after all our foot time the day before. 

It was beautiful, and so much fun to be right on the edge of the trail. Some of the drop offs were dizzying!

We were on our own a lot, especially where there was a mile between spots. People seem to be ok with .25 mile to .5 mile but more than that, they take the shuttle. 

Grand prize for lack of manners goes to the hiker who had to defecate on the very edge of the trail, did not bother to try and cover it, except with toilet paper. Ugh. No, I did NOT take a photo.

This downward view is where a uranium mine was. If you know me, you are aware I do not particularly like heights. I think I had a rail for this one....or I just held the camera out and hoped for the best!

To celebrate our Grand Days, we had late lunch/early dinner at the Bright Angel Lodge restaurant. Lloyd had a burger, I had a turkey burger that was the best I've ever had. What was in that Cilantro sauce??? MMMMM. Shared a brownie pie and walked back to the D Lot happy. Several elk decided to stroll along with us, right down the street. Our last night in Grand Canyon.

I will put more pictures in an online album soon.

Day 14: GRANDER!

Got in to the park early, snagged a spot in lot A, then hit the visitor center, and walked 0.7 miles to the Yavapai Geology Museum. Hiked the 1.9 mile Trail of Time along the Rim- Incredible!

Following the paved Rim Trail between the Yavapai Geology Museum and the Verkamp's Visitor Center on the South Rim, is an interpretive walking timeline that focuses on Grand Canyon vistas and rocks. It sure helps you to think about the magnitude of geologic time and the stories of the rock layers and landscapes. Brass markers every meter, representing one million years of time, keep you moving along. There are viewing tubes and displays of rocks related to the period, to help you connect the rocks visible in the Grand Canyon to their place along the geologic timeline.  It was a very leisurely couple of miles!

We got to the Verkamps Visitor Center in time for another Ranger talk about the history of the Village area...then another Ranger talk about condors down near Bright Angel Lodge. Inside the lodge was a wonderful fireplace, built to show the different rock layers of the canyon.

We filled up our water bottles and headed to the Bright Angel Trailhead. This trail goes all the way to the bottom of the canyon. Since it was 4:45, we just did about a mile or so down, then the long climb back up as the sun got lower and lower in the sky. The rain managed to stay on the North Rim, away from us all day.

Lloyd accommodated my request for him to pose in a window.

It was a long day on our feet, but tonight we were not going to eat bad food. We got back to the campground, hit the grocery store for some Italian sausages, and made a nice spaghetti dinner with salad, and wine of course. And some online time for Lloyd, who is rocking my spare hat (he lost his).

Nights were cold (low 30s) and we were so glad we bought that little heater! It helped take the edge off in the evening, and made it easier to get that coffee going in the morning.

Day 13: GRAND!

Prewitt, NM to Yusayan, AZ

300 miles

We made it to Grand Canyon! Though busy in the park for Easter Weekend, we found a spot at a quiet RV Park in Yusayan, just outside the south entrance gate. Not exactly scenic, but there were hot showers, food options, groceries and wi fi. Here's a creative traveler in the campground.

 Lloyd's Senior Pass was used daily. Such a deal: turn 62, pay $10, you get in to National Parks free. Camp half price, which came in handy later in the trip. Nice.

After setting up, and having some refreshments (shown above), we headed to the Park and visited the Yavapai Geology Museum, caught a Ranger talk, and walked around a bit. LOTS of international visitors. Many Germans and Japanese. It was a beautiful afternoon. 

Decided not to cook tonight, but went to a local steak house. Big mistake. Remind me to write that one up on Tripadvisor and Yelp.

Subtotal: 3,692 miles