Tag Archives: Deserts

Hello (again) Death Valley!

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After our earlier visit to DEVA we thought we might come again because it seemed as if there were signs that we’d find some nice flowers in March or April. Then we started reading reports of the rain the park had had and seen photos that implied perhaps even a February trip might be a good idea. Because of that we made reservations for both late February and March, and waited for more news.

Well, even more rain meant now might be a good idea, so early this morning we headed on our way.

The drive was uneventful — especially for me since I didn’t do the driving. Here are just a few shots (the train bit was in Tehachapi).

While in the Panamint Valley, just prior to heading up the mountain, we saw a car veer off the road on to the playa. That’s a huge, ugly, rotten, illegal thing to do. Dan held on to the horn for a good long time and whoever was driving must have gotten the message. But driving on the playa just ruins it for everyone else. What a dumb thing to do!

As we neared DEVA we saw a lot of the yellow … desert gold was definitely plentiful! There were places that were just blanketed. We also saw evidence of Phacelia … the purple does stand out! Eventually we pulled over and did a bit of investigating. I took a few iPhone shots just for the record. (Tomorrow I’ll get more serious about some macro photography.)


I learned about the name Stovepipe Wells…

Dan drove to a few different spots, just to get ideas of where we might shoot in the next few days. We also visited Salt Creek, where we saw more pupfish than we’d ever seen before! Stay tuned for the video … maybe It’ll appear soon, or maybe we’ll have to wait until I get back home.

More driving and I did pull out the Canon with the macro lens. I hope some of the shots turn out nicely — won’t know until I get home, though.

Eventually we headed to our motel. Places in DEVA were outrageously expensive so we found a Motel 6 in Beatty, Nevada for less that 1/3 of what we’d pay in the valley. It’s a drive, but so be it!

We checked in — the kind woman at the desk moved us to the first floor and we were relieved since the elevator was broken and we have a lot to haul into the room. She had her Fox News running — we are in a different part of the world now. Go figure.

For dinner we went to Smokin’ J’s BBQ. I had a turkey sandwich, Dan had turkey slices with fries (and more), and we ordered a salad to share.

Too. Much. Food.

Who knew? But in any case, it was just fine and it was one of the very few places open. Beatty isn’t exactly a hoppin’ happenin’ sort of place. (Population 880)

Then back to our hotel we went. We have to get up far too early in the morning so I am quickly writing this before a bit of reading and then sleep.

Stay tuned for more adventures. Today was just a “gotta get there” day, after all.

Death Valley, December 21

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My watch and phone alarms went off at 5:30 AM. I woke (actually I was sort of awake already) but noticed Dan’s alarms didn’t go off. Hmm. I figured I must have misunderstood the time he said we needed to get up. I decided to check his phone to see what time he’d set: turned out he hadn’t set it at all. Double hmm. So I woke him and, yes indeed, he wanted us to rise at 5:30 AM. Oops!

Thankfully we are pretty quick to get up, and we weren’t planning on even a hotel coffee before leaving so we dressed, loaded up the car, and headed to Badwater and Manly Lake. It was pretty dark outside …

I’d never seen the lake with enough water to qualify as a lake, but the November 18 storm they had here meant it would be a good time to check it out.

Don’t get me wrong … no one would be boating this lake. No swimming either, but we did see a few people walk into the water to have pictures taken.

The light was pretty. A very pastel sunrise appeared. I actually took a few Fuji camera shots, and a lot of iPhone photos so I could find decent ones for this blog.

We stopped one other time for another view looking back from where we had come. I noted that while it looks rather dead right now (no flowers), there were lots of little green things growing.

We also drove the short road to Devil’s Golf Course. No one was golfing. (No, you can’t really golf there.) I should have snapped a boring photo just to say we’d been there. Too late now.

Finally we made our way to Zabriskie Point and Dan got the car parked. We didn’t head up to the point, though: it was breakfast time. First up was coffee, and then it was granola and banana slices in milk. Food is so yummy when eaten outside in a National Park, I think.

After breakfast we went up the walk to the top of Zabriskie. It’s an extremely popular spot for tourists and Dan doesn’t usually go there any more, but I wanted to get some shots to post here so he was accommodating. He’s nice that way. And of course he took photos too.



Funny/weird side bit: I saw a man walking up on his own. When I got to the top I heard him telling awful stories to a family there that he somehow nabbed … talking about people who’ve fallen to their death at various locations. Mentioning how far they’d fallen. Talking about other horrors, like someone accidentally driving their car over an edge. Eek! Not quite the thing vacationers are probably wanting to hear. When he finished his spiel he turned around and walked back down. Hm. Odd to witness all that.

Okay … but back to our adventures!

After Zabriskie we went to drive to Echo canyon. We’d been there before and I had fond memories of eating lunch at the end of the canyon, where we had reached an old mine. (I also was remembering being bothered horribly by yellow jackets.) So up we went. And hey, we spotted yellow flowers. That was fun.

We also stopped to shoot Eye of the Needle.

When we reached the Inyo mine we unpacked for lunch. The weather was pretty nice: no need for a jacket, but not hot enough to be out of the sun.

Then back down the road we went. Dan had a very brief rest while I went out and shot some other yellow flowers.

These gravel roads are really something to drive … and I’m grateful that Dan does them as I’m uncomfortable navigating them.

I took another photo of Eye of the Needle. Just because.

People camp along some of the roads here. These days they have to get a permit for many of them, and have to camp in designated spots. (Dan used to just pull over and sleep wherever he wanted, and he can still do take some places. Me? I camp in a room. With a bed. And a bathroom. And electricity.)

From Echo we drove to Stovepipe Wells to tank up, and then, a very short hop away, we drove up to Mosaic Canyon. I think I know why they call it that.

We walked a bit up the canyon, finally getting to a spot that is a lot of smooth granite.

I had been up that before, but today I decided I wasn’t up for slipping, which I’m prone to do on that stuff. So that was the end for of the trail for us and back to the car we went.

The sun was quickly moving and while Dan initially thought he might go to “his rock” (a spot he likes that has good views) he decided instead to go to the “power pole road” spot. Dan had to move quickly to get his camera gear out. I only took out the the iPhone so I could post here. I find shooting sunsets and landscape things to be very challenging and I wasn’t in the mood for that challenge.

Dan is an extremely patient photographer, unlike yours truly. He is so good at waiting for the right light. But of course one never knows if the right light will show up or not! There were some incredibly interesting clouds, and they were light from the top … but, alas, it wasn’t to be tonight. When all went gray he packed up.

Next up … food! Since we were so close to Stovepipe Wells we opted for dinner there tonight. It wasn’t exactly an epicurean’s delight, but it filled our stomachs and it was nice and convenient.

Then it was back to our hotel. We arrived back somewhat early, but that gave us time to relax, I could finish up this blog entry, and early to bed is probably wise since I’m assuming it’s an early to rise morning.

Here We Are!

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Greetings from Death Valley! We are search at The Ranch at Death Valley or maybe it’s the Inn at Death Valley, or if we were to get very hopeful, the Oasis at Death Valley, but I’m pretty sure that last one is the expensive place. But when I made the reservation it was for the ranch, and when I look at the provided notepad it says the inn, and Dan said something else said the oasis. Go figure. I guess they just like to keep us guessing!

We woke quite early (for me, anyway) had our coffees, and after brushing our teeth (and my making the bed) we headed out. Our car had been loaded last night, so it went rather quickly.

The drive was just fine because my personal driver did it all. Yes, Dan did every bit of the driving. I guess I need to offer to drive on occasion. But today was not such an occasion. Go figure.

Going over Pacheco Pass was lovely. Fog. Nice light. And a shot through the car window (I could touch these up, but not tonight: I’m lazy that way).

The drive continued. I attempted to shoot through the window some more … capturing a Joshua tree was near impossible which was a disappointment as I always enjoy seeing those on our way to Death Valley. This one image will have to suffice — through a window and a fast moving vehicle!

We arrived at Searles Valley … such an odd place. And then the very bizarre city of Trona. I try to imagine what it is like to live in such a place … but nope, can’t imagine it at all! Dry. Dusty. And quite … um … unusual.

We reached a nice spot with a view, and I asked to pull over. I took a few shots, and then Dan saw a group and offered to take their photo. Turns out they were from Holland and he spent a bit of time recommending spots to visit in Death Valley. He’s handy that way!

We arrived at the visitor’s center where Dan got our permit and yakked with a ranger there about what roads were open now. (There are more opened than we thought, which was nice.)

Since we were early we then took a little loop before going to the Ranch.

After checking in we unloaded the car. Dan had purchased a little wagon sort of thing that worked quite nicely for unloading everything.

Our room is just fine. Nothing special, but rather roomy — with TWO queen size beds — and clean. It’ll do!


Then we walked to see what our dinner options were. First spot was the “tavern” which was serving what seemed mostly like lunch food, second was an grill that had dogs and burgers, then there was a buffet ($29 per person and I don’t believe that included drinks), and finally the saloon.

We ended up at the “Last Kind Words Saloon” even while knowing it wasn’t the least costly, but it looked nice and it was the final spot we looked at so why not? We had to wait a while to be seated so Dan had his alcohol free beer and I had a glass of merlot as we waited.

Eventually we were called in. I had chicken tacos (listed as a starter but PLENTY of food) and Dan had a burger. Nothing here is inexpensive, but it’s Death Valley and that’s to be expected. Thankfully we’ve brought food for our breakfasts and lunches, so we only have to pay for dinners. Whew!

Tomorrow we will head out on some sort of adventure. When it comes to places look this I leave it in Dan’s capable hands: he knows this area so well, and I’m happy to go along for the ride.