A desert escapade!!

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The mammouth drive to Vegas

Most people fly to Vegas because just like it says on the tin, Vegas, is right in the middle of the Nevada desert!! And that it was!! the drive there was amazing!

We drove inland from Monterey bay, though the Impressive Sierra Nevada mountain range. We're talking mile upon mile of long straight roads passing through little redneck towns with old classic diners, motels, etc.. Then graduall inclines up into the dry and dusty mountains with huge birds of prey everywhere!! Only an hour into the drive and the landscape/temperature/people/food/accomodation are completely different!!

We were heading over the mountains towards 'Death Valley', we could not wait....

Death Valley

Death Valley National Park is fairly small in comparison to the Arizona deserts, but nevertheless is still hundreds of miles in length. Lots of salt flats, sand dunes!! and big plaines and valleys of which ALL are below sea level!! The temperature was very very hot..and it's only spring time here!... hardly surprising being one of hottest places on earth.

We stoped to walk to some sand dunes (which seemed to be a few hundred metres away!!)..an hour later we were there!! I felt like Lawrence of Arabia clambering up these massive dunes - which is hard work!! A good laugh though!

The landscape was very strange, almost like being on Mars..sounds silly..but when you're used to driving on sensible roads with lights, crossings, vehicles, etc... then, 2 hrs later you're on a dirt track in the middle of no-where in a moon-like sulphuric landscape whilst looking at little fish in a tiny stream in mating season...things were a little stranger than usuall!!

After our 'sand dune' and 'fish' stop, we drove to Vegas!! ...i say drove.....our tyre blew out in Death Valley, so off came the tyre, on went the 'donut' tyre!! This means you can drive at 40mph - we had a LONG drive ahead, with nothing in the way of us and Vegas!!

Tally ho!!

Nick & Ally baba

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Photos

Desert road
The drive to Death Valley!!

Death Valley
Me n the Squirtmister

The Sand dunes!!
..a five minute walk from the car??

The 'donut' wheel!!
This was the piece of junk 'spare' wheel that meant we could only drive at 40mph!! Boo!

Comments

[Cheryl]

G'day from Oz
Love to be back here again!