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Day 2 of the road trip and we're still talking to each other! We did about 450 miles yesterday from Sacramento to Death Valley and about 150 today to Las Vegas.
Friday, MaY 29, 2009
The drive over 50 to South Lake Tahoe and then over the Monitor Pass through Markleeville was gorgeous with the high alpine meadows, craggy peaks...and being pretty much the only car on the road at times. Ah, the joys of off season retirement travel! With Steve's back we're being careful about stopping every couple of hours to stretch, eat, relax and so the day passed very quickly. Heading south on 395 Steve felt the yearning to pull off and fish...but the river was running so fiercely you would have been swept away in moments. He shared memories of his fishing trip with Neal Ferris years ago touring down 395, looking for the perfect fish. First view of Mono Lake and learning the sad history of its thoughtless destruction and knowing that it is slowly coming back to life. The Lee Vining grade is everything everyone told us it would be - it must be something in the winter. We made a brief stop at a
rest area south of Lee Vining for our first picnic lunch - thanks, Claire, for the recommendation about traveling with a cooler. Steve commented that everyone in the rest area was a senior citizen - still feels strange at times to be in this company. On through Bishop to Lone Pine through the Owens Valley - Steve just finished reading Cadillac Desert so it was all very real to him. Then going up, up, up over the Panamint Range and then finally down into Death Valley. What a drive - the rock formations get eerier as you go higher...and as you keep a close eye on the temperature gauge of the car. Our Subarbu is the perfect road trip car - and it even turned 6,000 miles on this leg of the journey. It was in the 60"s on 395, rose into the 70"s crossing the Panamint and then soared to 103 in Death Valley - and that with an overcast sky keeping the temperature down.
Right before the turnoff for Death Valley we stopped at Manzanar, which is now a national park commemorating that dark stain on our nation during WW II when we "interned" Japanese American citizens.
It is a baleful place, one that makes you think about how our nation can make wrong decisions at times of national crisis. I was so proud to see former Congressman Robert Matsui in the photos of Reagan signing the reparations legislation - he truly took the leadership role in making this happen.
Death Valley - lonesome, awesome, hard, gnarly, tough, ugly beauty - throw any adjective you want at it and you'll probably find some place in it that fits. We stayed at the Furnace Creek Ranch in one of those great 1940's cabins - I have a real thing for them. On our first wedding anniversary 35 years ago Steve and I stayed at a similar place in South Lake Tahoe called Farfy's Fundominiums and so everytime we get to relive that experiece we think of Farfy's fondly. So hot in the evening - we sat out by the pool until twilight, soaking in the glorious sunset.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Up early to walk - the only time of the day you can really get any exercise in. A second thank you to Claire - great to have our light breakfast in our room, right
out of the cooler. Then off to explore Death Valley. A short hike up Salt Creek Trail - the only ones on the trail - this is torturous landscape and you wonder how any life survives in it but there is one native fish, the pupfish. Then the historic borax mine, with the original 20 mule team borax wagon - I doubt anyone under 50 remembers the 20 mule team borax slogan. The Artists Loop road with its multicolored rock formations towering over you...and sometimes squeezing you in on the narrow one way road. Up to Zabriskie Point with its view of the valley floor and then a goodbye to the valley at Dante's View, 5,000 feet above the valley floor with stupendous views.
One of the most interesting things was the international diversity of the visitors here - you barely heard an American accent. I've often said that if I had friends visiting from around the world I would want to show them parts of our country that are unique, such as many areas in the Southwest. Apparently this is not a unique thought!
On to Vegas! We're staying at the Imperial Palace, a slightly rundown hotel
right across from Caesar's Palace - full of college kids and day trippers. They even have a Beirut tournament on the weekends here - Lauren, you'd love this place. But, hey, it's cheap! Off to the Carnegie Deli for dinner at the Mirage and then to see Bette Midler at Caesar's later. Ah, the piece de resistance awaits later....our two person bathtub and mirrored bed - hey, what do you expect in Vegas?!!!!
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LZG
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TMI
Mom, have I taught you nothing about TMI "two person bathtub and mirrored bed" geeez! Kidding-this is a great blog, and I am glad to hear that you are having a great time. Sign me up for the weekend beruit tournament!