Wild Flowers And Cowboy Movie Land

The sun was shining brightly this morning, and the temperatures were much more to our liking. It seems the weather has all gone through. After setting out at about 8am, we drove up a road that was recommended to see the Death Valley wild flowers. The Park Ranger had told us where to go, but said the flowers had decreased quite a bit since the high winds of this past few days. But we did find places where the whole desert floor was covered by these yellow flowers.

 

The are like little yellow daisies.

 

There were small purple flowers too, although not in nearly the numbers.

 

Continuing on towards the west, we began the climb out of Death Valley. This has to be the worst road for Miss Travelaire to negotiate. She was bushed by the time she got out of the Valley. Starting from below sea level she had to climb to 5000 feet, then decend to 1500 feet, and then climb to 5000 feet again, all mostly 9% grades. Descending a 9% grade in second gear, Miss Travelaire still gains speed and has to apply her brakes now and again. At one point along this journey, there is a viewing area overlooking a deep qorge.

 

This gorge bends in an arc. Several years ago, we came into Death Valley along this road, and we stopped on the side of the road because I had to go to the bathroom. So while I was in the tiny bathroom at the back of Miss Travelaire, all of a sudden there was this tremendous roar; I though a freight train was plowing though the motorhome! It was actually a jet aircraft flying low over the motorhome; I suspect using Miss Travelaire for target practice.

 

Then as we stopped at this view point we saw two military fighters flying down this gorge, below our level, following the curve of the gorge with wings almost vertical. It was a spectacular sight! We didn't get the same display this time, however.

 

We finally were clear of Death Valley, and approaching US395, the view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is spectacular.

 

These are the mountains as viewed from the Visitor Center on 395 south of Lone Pine.

 

Here's the little town of Lone Pine (which has the Sierra Nevadas as a background on one side). That hardware store across the street is just like the old hardware stores we used to have in the old days!

 

Then we headed two or three miles up into the Alabama Hills outside of Lone Pine. This is where almost all the old cowboy movies were filmed (you remember the movies with cowboys riding by big rock formations and the snow capped mountains in the background. We parked Miss Travelaire on the side of "Movie Road" and walked up a side road to look for a spot to settle for the night. Those mountains in the picture are the ones we just came through from Death Valley.

 

The Sierra Nevadas were behind us in that last picture.

 

We did find a really nice spot up that road, one of the prettiest places we have ever camped (N36 36 00.3, W118 07 22.4).

 

Time for our afternoon snacks!

 

And of course we had to try climbing up all those rocks!

 

And play a little banjo music.

 

The only drawback to this spot was this sinister looking rock that kept staring at us! Those are the Sierra Nevada mountains in the background. The other drawback is the altitude (about 4600 feet), so the temperatures are a little lower that we'd like.