Toward the North

In the morning we decided against staying another day in Death Valley, and instead we would start off toward Yosemite - our next destination.  We thought we could make the whole journey in one swoop.  

Getting out of the Valley proved tough.

We needed gas ($6.00/gallon!) and the roads were rough.

Michael put enough gas in the tank to get Billy out of the valley, where we hoped we'd find some cheaper diesel.

We did, and we also learned the California was finally getting some much needed rain.  The wind and dust storm we experienced dropped water on the other parts of the state.

Next to us at the gas station.

Lots of water.

Still hours from our campground near Yosemite, we all tuckered out.

The drive was just too long.

We wanted to rest. 

We wanted to be still.

We wanted to eat.

So we stopped at a truck stop in the middle of a little town and did those very things.

In the morning, we got some donuts.

Death Valley Day 2

Good Morning, Death Valley!

We got up early (for us) and decided to cram in everything we could at this particular end of the park.  We thought we might explore the other end the next day (we didn't, we left!).

We talked through things we'd like to see based on the newspaper for this particular park (in case you aren't super familiar with the National Park Service - every park has a newspaper and a park map) and narrowed it down to three more places.  Then we jumped into Sally and trucked on down the road.

Our first stop was the Natural Bridge.  There was a mile hike to get there.

We parked and started up the hill. 

I turned around to capture this:

So.  Beautiful.

Jonah ran ahead on the trail (which was well marked and oft used).

Can you find Jonah sitting on the rock?

Looking around at the canyon, I hoped there wouldn't be a flash flood anytime soon.  No high ground, and it was obvious that this was a place where water flowed.

He's so dapper.

The Natural Bridge didn't feel a whole mile away.  We got there quickly, and everyone was in good spirits.  Maeryn was a little nervous about going right up to the arch, so I stayed back with her while Michael and Jonah went forward.

When they came back, I took my turn, and Jonah came with me to look again.

Maeryn looked from afar... and got silly.

Then we hiked out and drove on to The Devil's Golf Course.

The name is foreboding, and if I were a golfer, it might be my honest worst nightmare, but since I only play mini-golf, it was just neat.

(This was also the day I learned to use HDR on my camera phone - is it obvious?)

I didn't go far out like Michael and the kids.  I stayed back to take pictures and just look. 

The "golf course" is made of salt formations.  Very hard - you can stand on top of the pictured folds.

Third on the list: The Artist's Palette.

The Artist = God.

There was a pull off on the Artist's Palette loop, and we thought it was the Palette.

It wasn't.  Just another overlook.

So we drove on.

And saw it.

From a distance...

And then closer...

The valley's colors laid out: the Palette of God.

We drove back to the campsite for some food, then Michael and Jonah left again to check out some dune formations while Maeryn and I watched movies and ate more snacks.  When they got home, there was a dust storm.

The bus shook.

We had to close the windows.

Michael ran outside to help our temporary neighbors wield their tarps and awnings.  Some tore.  Paper wizzled and wazzled in tiny tornadoes. 

Back and forth, back and forth - we rattled.

The storm went on for almost two hours.

Then stopped in serenity and calm. 

We had dinner.  And we slept.

Blown Tire in the Desert

Awhile back we had a little tire problem with Sally. Okay... it was a pretty big tire problem, but we were lucky to only owe $85 on the repair and to notice the problem when we were sitting right across from a tire repair place in the middle of town.

This time, things were a bit different.

I smelled burning.

We were in the middle of the desert, on our way to Las Vegas, NV.

There was a little "town" where Michael pulled over.  It consisted of a gas station, a few convenience stores, and what was likely a strip club, but the jury is still out.

After a walk-around, Michael saw that we'd lost the tread on one of Billy's tires - hence the burning smell.

Thank God for Good Sam.  We were about to get our money's worth.

Michael was on the phone for about twenty minutes explaining where exactly we were on the highway and getting estimates and hearing back from companies willing to come out and supported by Good Sam. Then we waited an hour.

While we waited we noticed a van pulling into the gas station.  Seemed normal... until a bag, a jacket, and a pair of shoes came flying out the door, followed by a rotund, young Latino man.  His door slammed and the van peeled out of the parking lot.  He looked around, confused and distraught, then started walking toward the convenience store.

We noticed later he was sitting and sweating on the curb - sort of waiting for someone.

Then... he was at our door.

He knocked politely, "Excuse me, could you spare fifty cents or a dollar for a drink?  I'm roasting out here."

We didn't mind and gave him the change.  He complimented our rig, asked what happened and what we were doing, and we figured out that his girlfriend had ditched him at the side of the road during an argument.  He had no idea where he was, he had no cell phone, and no money.

He got his drink then we lent him a phone so he could call someone to come and get him:

"Stephanie, please!  I'm in the middle of nowhere out here!  I don't have a cell phone or any money!  Please come and get me!"

You could hear the not-so-sorry girlfriend on the other end debating about picking him up.  I didn't know what they were fighting about, but I hoped he would find a ride out of here.

Eventually, she came, begrudgingly, and so did the repairman for the bus.

We got a brand new tire, and $425 later, we were on the road again.