North of Flagstaff, AZ

We visit Sunset Crater Volcano which erupted about 1,000 years ago.  The continuing lava flow caused an orange glow that reminded the indigenous people of a sunset and led to the volcano's name.  This joins the Wupatki National Monument which includes Wupatki, Wukoki, Citadel Nalakihu and Lomaki Pueblos.  These dwellings were built between 1100 and 1250 by the Sinagna (without water) people.  They were all Ancestral Pueblos.  We tour Wupatki and Wukoki and marvel at how these people were able to farm and live virtually "without water."

We return to old Rt. 66 and take an RV site at Black Barts in Flagstaff.

Sunset Crater Volcano

Wupatki National Monument

Petroglyph

Ball Court

Kingman, AZ

We head south to Kingman where we refuel and resupply then it's east on historical Rt 66.  We stop at the famous Road Kill Cafe for supper and then park in a vacant lot for the night.

What a garden!

Classy

Las Vegas, NV

Death Valley is the biggest (3.4 million acres), driest (less than 2" of rainfall a year), hottest (134 degrees in 1913), lowest (-282 feet) and loneliest (the only inhabitants are the Timbisha Shoshone) of our National Parks.

We leave the Valley through Grapevine Canyon and have breakfast in the Beatly Casino.  It's 9:00 in the morning and there are several people at the gaming machines.  I'm always amazed at the stress in their faces.

We cruise into Las Vegas for an oil change and then south into Arizona.  The new bridge over the Colorado river has concrete sides too tall to see the Hoover Dam.  We drop down to the river at Willow Beach and let the dogs run free.  We take a campsite along the Jumbo Wash Road.

Viva Las Vegas

Lake Meade

Death Valley National Park, CA

We travel through Wildrose Canyon to visit the Charcoal Kilns.  These were built in 1907 to turn the Pinyon Pine into charcoal to fuel the works of a silver mine many miles away.  Next we travel to the other side of the valley to visit Scotty's Castle.  This mansion was built in the 1930's by Albert Johnson, a wealthy Chicago businessman.  Walter Scott lured him to Death Valley under the pretense of a gold mine.  There was no gold mine but Johnson fell in love with the area and built a vacation home here.

We camp for the night at Mesquite Spring.

Chukar Partridge

Mitch at the entrance to one of the Charcoal Kilns

Sierra Nevada Mountains

Ubehebe Crater

Peg with her hand-knit sweater

Entrance to Scotty's Castle

Scotty's Castle

Death Valley Ranch (Scotty's Castle)

Death Valley National Park, CA

We have a gourmet breakfast at Furnace Creek Inn where rooms start at $360 a night.  We spend the morning at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center where we watch a group of Outward Bound students prepare for a backpacking trip.  We visit the Furnace Creek Ranch where we go through their Borax Museum.  We learn that Death Valley got it's name from a group of gold miners that tried to take a short cut to California in 1849.  Little did they know they were walking across a fortune in Borax.

We head west over Towne Pass (4,956 feet) and take a hike up to Darwin Falls, the only visible water in the park.  We use that parking lot for a campsite.

An oasis in the desert

Furnace Creek Inn

Large wheels are made of wood

Eagle Borax Works 

Remains of building at Eagle Borax Works

Sand Dunes

Darwin Falls

Death Valley National Park, CA

We have a soak once again and then head north to Shoshone where we visit their museum.  We enter Death Valley through Salsberry Pass (3,315 feet) and drop down to the Ashford Mill ruins.  We head north along Badwater Road and stop to view the water level marks on the side of the mountain that was the freshwater Manly Lake 12,000 years ago.  We stop in Badwater and walk out to the middle of the basin.  This is the lowest elevation in North America (-282 feet) and I have wanted to come here ever since I became a land surveyor.  This was probably the very first item on my bucket list.  I dig a hole and stand in it.  Now I'm the lowest person in North America.  We continue north and take a campsite at Texas Spring.

Ashford Mill ruins

Manley Lake which existed 12,000 years ago

This coyote was looking for a handout

Sea Level

-282 feet below sea level

Mitch is now the lowest person in North America