Winter 08-09 Trip Entry 3

Tuesday Nov. 25, 2008
Left Terrible's and stopped in Pahrump to fill up with gas, dropped off 2 packages at the local shipping company and I stopped at Doghouse VW Repair to pickup a few more parts.
Drove 121 miles to Death Valley National Park, Mesquite Spring campground on the North end of the Park, 5 miles from Scottys Castle.

Pano of our camp site at Mesquite Campground

Wednesday Nov. 26, 2008
Started raining in the middle of the night and continued until noon. Stayed cloudy and cool all day so we didn't do anything other than walk Gordon around the campground. Not many folks here.
If you have not stayed at Mesquite Spring campground it is a very nice quite campground in the North end of Death Valley. It has a Dump station, Restroom with flush toilets & drinking water but no electricity not even lights in the restrooms so it is very dark at night. The Campground is 2 miles off the the Scottys Castle Rd.

Thursday Nov. 27, 2008 Thanksgiving
Dinner was planned for around 6pm so we drove up to Scotty's Castle and I planned on having a hot dog & fries for lunch but when we got there we found out they had closed the snack bar & grill and now only hhave coolers with sandwiches, burritos and a few other thing that you can heat in the microwave. We got some chips can of Coke for our lunch big let down from what I had planned on. We walked around the Castle grounds and I talked to Amy one of the Rangers. Wendy and her Mom bought a few things in the gift store.

Pano of Scottys Castle

For dinner Wendy cooked a Turkey breast in out oven and made red cabbage salad and her Mom cooked Baked potatoes, a Green bean casserole and a Cherry pie at their RV. At dinner time I went over to Bud & Dixie's RV to help carry what she had fixed.
I will never live this down on the way into our RV carrying the Green bear casserole I lost my balance & fell back on my ass & dumped half of the green beans on the ground but I did not break the casserole dish. Dinner was very tasty and we had a good Thanksgiving.

Friday Nov. 28, 2008
Today had clear skies and was warming up nicely so we decided to go do some GeoCaching. The first one was out the road past the Castle just over the CA/NV border. It was off the paved road about a half mile on a desert dirt path. Parked the VW and hicked up to the top of the butte and found the Cache after a little looking. Gordon enjoys being able to be off leash and he just sat there watching us look for the Cache. When we got back to the VW we played chase the ball with him.

Pano from top of Butte where the GeoCache was hidden.

Me holding the GeoCache container.

Gordon watching us hunt for GeoCache.

On our way back we stopped at the Death Valley entrance sign & took a picture. Two more Caches were at the Castle we stopped there & got them and then got an ice cream bar from the Gift shop. As we left I stopped and took a pic of Barney the VW in front of the Castle and at the entrance gate. Most folks don't know there is an apartment under the driveway of the Gate entrance.

Pano of our 72 Beetle Barney in front of Scottys Castle

Barney at the Castle Gate Entrance

Saturday Nov. 29, 2008
Another nice day so we headed off to Ubehebe crater to get another GeoCache. This one is at the bottom on the crater so we are in for a good work out. Going down is not very hard and you slide forward a little with each step. Coming up is another thing you get a very good work out. The parking area was packed & there were a lot of people a over the area when we got there but when we got back from the bottom most of the people had left.

Wendy coming down the trail to the bottom of Ubehebe Crater.

Us at the botton of Ubehebe Crater.

Pano of Ubehebe Crater taken half way down the trail to the bottom.

Pano of Ubehebe Crater Taken from the top edge.

Tomorrow we will move down to the Campground at Stovepipe Wells.

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