Death Valley

Boston to Vegas to Death Valley; Sunday, November 12, 2017

This trip started yesterday, Saturday, 11/11/2017. We had a leisurely morning – had breakfast and walked the two dogs as usual, then left around 11:30am for Framingham to take the Logan Express. My sister and bro in law came to take care of the dogs for us, which was much appreciated and we were able to leave with peace of mind.

Logan Express left on the hour on the weekend. We missed the 12pm bus so had to wait for almost an hour for the 1pm one. Our flight was at 3:57pm so we got to the airport with 2+ hours to spare. Had lunch at Legal Seafoods in terminal B and the flight was on schedule. We got to Newark shortly after 5pm. Our connecting flight was at 8pm so we had plenty of time to relax.

I must say I was very impressed with the new terminal C at Newark! It was brand new and was the hub for United which must have spent loads of $ to build it! There were iPads at every gate and there was a new “food court” as well as a rather elaborate self-ordering restaurant where all items had labels that you can scan and self pay. I bought a banana and an orange. Cool!

Flight from Newark to Vegas was 5 hours and some minutes. It was delayed for less than half an hour due to some mechanical issue. We got to Vegas around 11pm local time (home time 2am). By the time we settled in the hotel “Gold Coast”, it was past mid-night local time. I don’t think we would stay at this hotel ever again – smoky casino and very dim-lit small room. Saving grace was it was clean and we were staying only 1 night! For a motel level room, it cost us more than $160. Ugh!

I was tired but not sleepy and could not fall asleep until after 2:30am. Then around 6:30 this morning, I was up. One good thing about this hotel was that it had the restaurant Ping Pong Pang which is our favorite dimsum place! And that’s what we did today. We met Lucy and Chris at 10am, had a great dimsum lunch! Then Lucy took us to a Korean market on the way to Death Valley – we got some fruits, water, and instant noodles. Then we followed Chris’ car towards the Death Valley.

As we drove out of Vegas, the surroundings became more and more sparsely populated and we started to get a taste of desert. Many places reminded me of the mountains we saw in Namibia, the same kind of color and formation. We got to the Fernace Creek visitor center before 3:30. After getting some information and maps there, and watching an introductory film, we continued on towards our hotel, the Stovepipe Wells Village. Oh, before we reached the visitor center, we passed the Zabriskie Point and walked to the view point. It was really quite stunning!! I was afraid that I might be disappointed after being to Namibia, but now I no longer have such concerns. This is a very unique place! Definitely worth a visit!

Before coming to this Stovepipe Wells Village hotel, I had no notion what it was really like, despite the fact that I saw its website. It was in such a desolate place, so rustic, so unique. The hotel registration area was right in the country store. The people at the desk were very friendly. There was not a building with all the rooms. All the rooms were in separate rows of 1-story buildings, just like motels except it was in such a big desolate place! We drove to our room, #222 in the row called “roadrunner”. Lucy and Chris were our next door neighbor. We dropped our stuff, and came out to enjoy the beautiful desolate place in the sunset glory. Then we walked to the general store across the road, bought some beer and wine, the came back to the hotel where they already had a bonfire going. We sat by the fire, drinking and chatting, eating the snack Lucy brought. Shortly after 6pm, we went to the restaurant behind the hotel for dinner. Bob and I had the saltiest chili we’ve ever had, and a salad. It was ok.

Oh another sad thing about this hotel was that internet was only available in the “lobby”. So I would have to go there tomorrow to send back a few photos taken with iPhone at Zabriskie Point.

Tomorrow we will leave at 5:15am, to Dante’s View for the sunrise shots, and Zabrinksy Point also before coming back for breakfast. Then we would go to the Badwater Basin. Then the Mesquite Flat Sand dunes which was quite close to the hotel. BTW even though we had the dunes view rooms, one can’t really see the dunes too well. And the dunes really cannot compare with those in Namibia!

First Full Day at Death Valley; Monday, November 13, 2017

I was up at 4:30am and the four of us left the hotel at 5:15 sharp, in total darkness, driving towards Dante’s point. The drive was about an hour and by the time we got there, the sun started to rise. The views there were beautiful. Perhaps not as stunning as what we saw in Namibia, but nice enough that we were not disappointed. Dante’s view was not that far from the Zabriskie point which was on our way back to the hotel, so we stopped there again to take another look, in sunrise. It was quite different from yesterday afternoon, as the light came from the opposite direction. Very nice! We got different pictures.

Back to the hotel after 8:30. Bob went to the breakfast buffet by himself, while the three of us had what we brought over yesterday, mainly the leftovers from yesterday’s dimsum which was much more tasty, to us, than the breakfast buffet. But Bob was very kind and brought me back a few pieces of crispy bacons which went well with my cake.

We took off again after 10am. Our plan was to see the Racetrack Valley. It was a relatively long drive and would involve unpaved gravel road. But we had a hard time finding the right road to turn. Then we stopped at a place called Panamint Springs and went into a restaurant to ask. It was a kind local guy we met outside the restaurant (with a big akita dog in a large cage in his truck) that gave us the most useful information! To go to the Racetrack to see those moving rocks, the drive would take 2+ hours from the time we get off the paved road, and we must have a high clearance vehicle, as the road was entirely “washboard” and we would not be able to drive fast. After the drive, there would be another 20+ minutes’ walk. We gave us our original plan very quickly. There was a place called Darwin falls that the guy recommended and it was nearby, so that’s where we went. After a short stretch of rough gravel road, we parked our car and started our hike. Not a very difficult hike because it did not have of an incline. But it was loose gravel and rocks. We walked for about a mile, but did not see the waterfall. Not wanting to venture into climbing the rocks, we turned around. Oh well, I was not that enthused about seeing the waterfall any way. It was a pleasant hike for exercise.

Back at the hotel again for a short nap for Bob at 1:30pm, and we took off again around 2 and headed towards the Ubuhebe crater. Got there and took some photos, then turned back to catch the Mesquits Flat sand dunes which were close to the hotel. We got there around 4pm, just in time to catch the sunset light.

The sand dunes were nowhere to be compared with Namibia! And they were trampled by visitors all over. Lucy and I walked the distance, through the soft sand, to closer to the dunes just before the sunset. Took some photos but nothing to write home about. Once the sun fell behind the mountains, the dunes lost their definition so there was no photography value any more. But we earned our dinner by walking in the sand!

Back at the hotel again. After a short break, we went to the camp fire, sat and chatted, drinking wine/beer, before dinner at 6. We had dinner at the same restaurant (no other choice really). Back to the room around 8.

Lucy and Chris will head back to Vegas tomorrow afternoon. We plan to go see the Mesquits Flats dunes again in the morning (from the advice of another visitor who had been here 20+ times) using a new route that’s not known by many people. Then we will go rent a high-clearance jeep at the Furnace Creek visitor center, to go to the Racetrack Valley again. We will see what else we’ll get to see.

Day 2; Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Up at 5:15am today – slept through the night like a log and woken up by the alarm. We left the hotel at 6am heading towards the “secret path” to the Mesquite Flat sanddunes. The sky was overcast so the sunrise was not particularly good. But the sun did paint the sky with some nice red colors for a short while and I did not get the chance to capture it.

The four of us treaded to the sand dunes and we took some pictures, nothing really too impressive. Around 8 am, we drove towards Furnace Creek, where we rented a jeep Rubicon (red!), had breakfast, then Chris took the wheel and drove us towards the Playa Racetrack. It was a long drive – an hour or more before we got to the end of the paved road and started on the rough one that required the jeep type of car. Then another 1.5 hours on the “African Massage” path before we got to the Racetrack. It was worth the expensive rental jeep and the rough driving/ride though! I had read about these moving rocks before. Now that we saw them with our own eyes, we were quite impressed! Also, along the rough drive, we saw very cute cacti and lots of Joshua trees, my first time seeing these trees! Unfortunately I did not get to take a photo.

We got to the playa around noon. After visiting these rocks, we turned around and headed back. It was quite bumpy – I think I must be shorter by an inch by now. We go back to the hotel around 2. Chris and Lucy picked up their car and left for home. We drove the jeep to Furnace Creek, returned it, picked up our own rental (which we parked at the visitor center), then drove towards the Artist Pallet which was close to the visitor center.

The many mountains we drove by today were quite beautiful, some were actually extremely gorgeous! The Artist Pallet, however, really was nothing too impressive. But we saw it and I took a couple of photos. Then we wanted to drive to the Natural Bridge, but the road was very bumpy, almost like the road to the Racetrack, so we turned around and headed back to the hotel. That was around 4:10. Sunset was round 4:25. It painted the sky behind the dark mountains very pretty! After less than one hour’s drive, we were back at the hotel.

Dinner at the same restaurant by the hotel, same tolerable food. Tomorrow we will revisit the Mesquites Flat sand dunes in the early morning, then to the Badwater basin and the areas around it. I would love to go to the Eureka sand dunes, but that would require a high clearance jeep we were told, so we probably would not have the chance to see them this time ….

Day 3; Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Up at 5:15 again and wanted to capture some sunrise photos at the Mesquites Flat sand dunes. Out of the door at 6, before the sunrise, but quite disappointed. There was not that gorgeous glow before sunrise and the sunrise was muted by clouds. Really nothing to shoot at the sand dunes, so we drove on to the Furnace Creek restaurant called Date Grove to have breakfast, thinking that would be our meal before dinner. Then we waited till the visitor center opened at 8 and inquired about the Eureka sand dunes. Would like to go there, but the round trip would take us 6 hours, and we were unsure if our 4x4 Kia SUV can handle the road. So we gave that up. There was really not much else to see and take photos. We decided to head towards the Badwater Flats which was about 18 miles from the visitor center. The ranger at the center told us how to get there and told us how we could get to the “feature” easier than from the parking lot.

We did that – drove beyond the parking lot and pulled over at the side of the road, then a short walk to the flat. I assume the white stuff on the ground was borax – the crusty layer of white, like salt. I took some pictures but maybe we did not walk far enough to get the more regular shaped circles. Somehow I did not feel walking further into the flats.

After the Badwater plain, we drove through the Artist Drive again and took a few photos at the Artist Pallet – the morning hazy sun did not do much for those spots. After that, we drove onto the 40-mile “west side road” which was half a circle on the opposite side of the badwater plain. It was a dirt road, not as sharp and bumpy as the one to Racetrack, but bumpy enough that Bob did only 25 miles an hour. By the time we drove to the jointing point of the main paved road, it was almost noon. Not anything too exciting, but since we did not have anywhere else to go, it was a nice ride.

What’s next? We went to the Indian place that served “Indian tacos” (which Lucy heard was good) and had a taco each. It was different – the taco was actually a piece of fried dough. Nothing to write home about.

After that lunch, we drove onto Scotty Road again, hoping to explore some canyons. Tried to drive to the Titus Canyon, but after 3 miles of dirt road, we gave up. That canyon drive would take us a couple of hours because we would have to turn around on the same road to go back to the hotel. So we came back to the hotel around 3pm. On hind sight, I probably should have booked one less night and leave today. Oh well …. Next time we come to Vegas, we might want to come again – rent a jeep for one day and go see the Eureka sand dunes. Somehow after Namibia, that would not be on my must-do list.

We stepped out again before 3:30 – wanted to try the back side of the Mesquite Flats sand dunes again in sunset and see if I could get any better shots. Again drove to Devil’s Cornfield, walked about a mile each way, but did not get any worthy shots. Oh well!

Tomorrow we will get up and go and will not attempt any sunrise shots, unless some miracle happens. Hope to be back in Vegas for some Ping Pong Pang dimsum then do our laundry.

Day 4 - Back to Vegas; Thursday, November 16, 2017

It was the first time during our 4 night stay at Death Valley that we did not get out of the door before sunrise – we got up around sunrise and left the hotel around 7am. Bob took the northern route out of the park, through Beatty town and we got to the Gold Coast a few minutes before 10am, just when Ping Pang Pong was about to open.

A decent and delicious dimsum brunch tasted so good after 4 days of Death Valley food! I had my two orders of chicken feet again! We came to Aria before noon time. We were able to spend an extra $50/day to upgrade to the sky suite room. We had to wait a while in the sky suite lounge for the room to be ready. And we checked into our room, 37018, shortly after 1pm. We’re now back to civilization, so to speak, and to the exaggerated luxury of Las Vegas!

After checking into the room and settled in, we gathered the dusty dirty clothes and drove to the laundrymat which was actually in Chinatown. We waited there for more than an hour. Then we came back to the hotel, rested, and I downloaded some photos while Bob went down to scout out the casino’s blackjack tables. Then around 6pm, we drove out to search for a Thai restaurant for dinner.

Yelp sure delivered! I yelped and identified the Thai restaurant called Krung Thai for our dinner. It was quite good! We’re both quite pleased! So much better than most of the Thai restaurants in Boston! Sigh ….

After dinner, we came back to the hotel and parked car in the garage, then took a walk on the strip, to Bellagio then back. I continued to work on my photos, and Bob went out to “work”.

The trip to Death Valley was quite enjoyable! But as far as photography goes, I don’t feel the sense of accomplishment …. Wonder what those photography workshops to Death Valley would do or where they would go…. Um….

Tomorrow we will meet the Nees at 9am, at a Chinese restaurant for the traditional Chinese breakfast. Then tomorrow night we would meet again at Joe’s crab restaurant before going to Celine Dion’s concert together.

Day 5 - Vegas; Friday, November 17, 2017

Today’s big event was the Celine Dion show at night! I had been wanting to see this show for a long time but did not want to splurge $300 per ticket. This time Bob booked for us, only about $150 per ticket. I appreciate that! The Nees also bought tickets but our seats were not together. We enjoyed the same show however! I would have loved to have seats that were closer to the stage but we booked too late. The show was enjoyable and I REALLY admire her and LOVE her voice! But it was after all a Las Vegas show and I wish it were more like a concert….

Any way, today we got up after 7 and met the Nees for breakfast at a Taiwanesee breakfast place called Yi Mei Champion Taiwan Deli in Chinatown. It was good – I wish we had such a place in Boston!

After the brunch, Bob and I went to MGM – I wanted to look for T-shirts that had lions on them and Bob went to check out the blackjack tables. We then came back to the hotel shortly after noon time. Bob went to “work” and I relaxed in the room, played with my photos, until around 3. Then Bob came back and we strolled to Ceasor’s Palace. I wandered around the forum shops and Bob went to “work” again. Then we all met at Joe’s Crab place at 5:30, with the Nees, and had our stone crab claws dinner! Then the show.

Back at the hotel around 10. Tomorrow the Nees will take us to the Red Rock Canyon and pick us up at 8am.

Revisit Lion Habitat Ranch; Saturday, November 18, 2017

High light today was our visit to the Lion Habitat Ranch. The last time I was there was when we paid $200 for me to hold the lion pup. Now the pups all grown to be big lions and the place has changed quite a LOT – to the better! There were so many big lions!! Plus a giraffe and some ostriches, and birds. Pretty amazing! I WISH I were able to touch the lions!!!! The males one were SO HANDSOME and majestic!! Just beautiful! They were the Babary (?) lions and were supposed be extinct now. The males had long mane, the bottom of the male was black. Just gorgeous!! The distance between us and the lions were small, but there were two layers of wire fence in between …. Sign….. Hard to get any decent photos.

This morning the Nees picked us up at 8 and took us to the Red Rock Canyon. We did a short hike for a couple of hours, drove around the loop. It was a very nice place! Then we drove to the nearby town called Summerlin where they own a rental town house. This was such a fast developing place and really a good place to retire! We talked about it a lot …

We came back to the hotel shortly before noon, then we met again at noon at Milo’s for lunch. Then Lucy and I and Bob neaded to the lion ranch which would stop letting people in at 2:30. After the lion ranch, we drove to the airport car rental place, returned our SUV and rented a small car for Bob for the rest of the time he’s here. Then we dropped Lucy back, quickly came back to the hotel to use the bathroom, then out again to pick up the Nees for our dinner at the Mongolian hotpot place, which was really quite good! It was the best hotpot place I had in the recent years!

I am really thinking we should move here!!! ….

My flight tomorrow is 7am – it will be a long day flying home. Need to be up at 4. Poor bob will take me to the airport. Vacation over – a good one!