Day 2 - Las Vegas to Death Valley

Monday, October 20, 2014

Our first full day in the Southwest is here!

We'll start off with this cool painting in the lobby of the hotel

Moon over Marine by Sush Machida

Morning means a more sedate Fremont Street, but even so the casinos are in full swing with die-hard gamblers trying their luck. I know this not because we went gambling, but because we had to make our way through a maze of blinking, ding-ding-dinging slots machines before getting to the all-you-can-eat Paradise buffet. It's nothing special, but for $7.99 incl. drinks it's a pretty good deal.

After warning my parents that we probably won't have lunch later, we delve into the food. First up for me is a made-to-order omelet with bacon, ham & olives. Wow, it’s so good I end up having another omelet later, but not before having pancakes, a biscuit, sausage, bacon strips, and a few other breakfast staples. It’s a miracle I don’t waddle on my way out the door.

Look, their outfits match the dice!

We drop off the keys and wait quite a while for the valet to bring the car around, then tinker with the GPS again, before finally giving up and using Google Maps as an actual map.

In need of essentials we stop by Walmart – an experience every tourist should experience at least once (although sadly we did not spot any “People of Walmart” while there). Still, the sheer size of the store and its affordable prices are enough to make it a hit with my parents.

We hit traffic as soon as we exit the shopping complex, but after a short detour we are back en route to Death Valley and I tell my parents this would be a good time to test the new pillows we just bought and take a nap, but they are so exited they are practically plastered against the windows. Rte 190 is a somewhat nondescript road on the way to Death Valley – the fastest, not the most scenic – yet already they are snapping pictures left and right.

No one has slept a wink when we arrive at the Death Valley welcome sign. My grandmother got her picture taking here many decades ago so I thought it would it be cool to recreate that and I set about setting up the tripod only to find my parents have clambered part way up the mountain investigating the soil and looking at the rocks. When I finally convince them not to move for a minute they are shocked to hear “the sound of silence,” one of my favorite things about Death Valley.

I manage to get everyone wrangled together for a quick picture.

Our first stop is one of the few places Sandy and I haven’t had a chance to visit yet on our earlier trips to Death Valley: Dante’s View – and overlook over the valley below from 5000+ ft above sea level.

We had worried about the drive up the mountain, but we needn't have: there are guardrails and save for the few sharp turns near the top it's an easy drive.

We go for a short walk along the mountain ridge.

The view over the valley is amazing 

Quick picture stop of a wash near Twenty Mule Canyon. 

My favorite area, Zabriskie Point, is in need of restoration and closed starting October 1^st, but when we get closer I note a surprising amount of cars in the parking lot ... 

Woohoo! The restoration has been pushed back to December 1^st!

Chain link fences block access to the rock ledge surrounding the viewing platform, but they are low enough to allow for picture taking. I am so excited! 

Looks like they are enjoying themselves. 

We have just missed the last movie of the day when we reach the visitors center, but at least we get to see some of the exhibits and pick up a park map. Better yet, there’s a coyote scrounging around for food in the space behind the visitors center.

She looks at me cautiously as I approach then goes back to eating whatever she’s snacking on in the grass. 




Looks like it's snarling in the first of the three pictures above, doesn't it? It was actually a lucky shot of it chewing on something. 

The last two were too cute to shrink down

My little buddy and I

We opt to drive past our hotel for the night so we can catch the sunset at the Mesquite Sand Dunes. It’s a race against time, but we reach the dunes with just enough time for some pictures.

The sand near the parking lot has been disturbed by thousands of footprint, but after slogging across a few dunes the wind's shaping of the dunes becomes more and more pronounced. Ideally, I would have trekked even deeper into the dunes, but there just wasn't enough daylight left.

The dried mud flats are fascinating as always

Can't resist climbing this little tree

The sunset is beautiful and we stop the car several times on the way back to take pictures.

Our cabins at the Furnace Creek Inn turn out to be in a duplex so that’s really cool. They are small, but cozy and very clean.

After picking up some beverages from the noisy Saloon my parents join us for dinner at the Forty Niner Cafe where we enjoy meatloaf (my mother), fish and chips (my dad), linguine (Sandy) and a Caesar salad (me). It’s simple food, but well prepared – although I would have liked my salad even better if the grilled chicken had been warm.

Back in the room Sandy & I change into our bathing suits for a quick swim at the spring-fed warm water pool, while my parents relax in the rocking chair in front of the cabin.

The warm pool feels fantastic on my sore post-race muscles. It’s nice to get out and enjoy the cool night's air, then quickly dive back into the warm water. My favorite thing though is to just float on my back and watch the brilliant starry sky overhead. 

We forgot to bring our towels and the breeze sends goose bumps racing across my arms but the humidity is so low that my arms are almost dry when we get back to our cabin a couple of minutes later.

♥

Breakfast: Paradise buffet at the Fremont Hotel
Lunch: fruit and granola bars
Dinner: 49'er Café
Hotel: Furnace Creek Ranch cabins