OUR TRIP STARTED WITH AN 8 HOUR DRIVE TO VALENCIA, WHICH TURNED INTO A 10 HOUR DRIVE WHEN THE GRAPEVINE CLOSED DOWN BECAUSE OF SNOW. WE HAD TO DETOUR THROUGH LANCASTER, OUR HOMETOWN.....IT WAS VERY STRANGE TO BE DRIVING ON THAT FREEWAY AGAIN.
MY FRIEND, NOEL LET US SLEEP IN THEIR RV WHICH WAS SO NICE SINCE WE GOT IN AT 1 AM AND DIDNT HAVE TO PAY FOR A HOTEL. IN THE MORNING THE GIRLS HAD A GREAT TIME PLAYING TOGETHER WHILE THE ADULTS HUNG OUT AND HAD AND AWESOME BREAKFAST. THANKS NOEL!!
FRIENDS SINCE BIRTH!
FRIENDS SINCE AGE 15
THEN WE WENT TO GO SEE A GOOD CHILDHOOD FRIEND OF MINE WHO LIVES ONLY 8 MILES FROM NOEL. WE HADNT SEEN EACH OTHER IN OVER 12 YEARS AND OUR KIDS HAD NEVER MET, BUT WE HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL TIME CATCHING UP AND THE KIDS DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE WHEN IT WAS TIME. I AM SO SAD I DIDNT BRING MY CAMERA IN, I HAVE NO PICTURES OF US!! IT WAS SO GREAT TO VISIT, THOUGH, THANKS DEB!!
WE WERE HEADED TO SHANE'S GRANDMA'S HOUSE (NANNY) IN TORRANCE BUT FIRST WE HAD TO STOP AT REI. SOMEONE, NO ONE IS NAMING NAMES HERE.......FORGOT TO PACK THE POLES TO THE TENT, SO WE HAD TO BUY A NEW TENT!!!
LUCKILY, I HAD BOOTS TO RETURN SO OUR NET COST WAS ONLY $35, BUT STILL, WE HAVE OVER 6 TENTS AT HOME....OH WELL!!
THE GIRLS WERE SO EXCITED TO FINALLY SEE NANNY. THEY TALK TO HER ON THE PHONE BUT WE HADNT SEEN HER SINCE JILL WAS 2, SO IT WAS GREAT. THE GIRLS WERE SO HAPPY, SNUGGLING ON THE COUCH WITH NANNY. SO SWEET.
WE SPENT SOME TIME AT THE BEACH OUR FIRST NIGHT AND THEN THE GIRLS WANTED TO GO BACK IN THE MORNING BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO GET WET....CRAZY KIDS...THEY GOT WET
THIS WAVE WAS CRAZY. IT CAME AND GOT SHANE AND I ALL WET ALSO. YIKES!!
THEN, BECAUSE WE WERE IN TORRANCE AND THAT JUST NEVER HAPPENS, WE CALLED UP THE JEBOS.....IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THEM ALL AGAIN. JASON AND KIM WERENT IN TOWN, BUT WE HAD A GREAT TIME VISITING WITH THE REST OF THE GANG, THANKS JEBOS!!!
THE NEXT DAY WE ACTUALLY MADE IT TO THE PINNACLES IN THE CAR. IT WAS SO INSANELY WINDY, ALMOST LIKE WE HAD WHEN WE WERE IN GOBLIN VALLEY IN 2011. JILL WAS AFRAID OF THE WIND. SHE SEEMS TO ALWAYS FORM A NEW FEAR AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR TRIPS.
MONDAY WE FINALLY MADE IT INTO DEATH VALLEY. WE STAYED AT WILDROSE CAMPGROUND, ELEVATION ABOUT 4500 FT. THIS IS NEAR TELESCOPE PEAK, THE HIGHEST POINT IN DEATH VALLEY, SO THE TEMPERATURES WERE PRETTY LOW. THIS WAS ALSO WHERE I REALIZED I HAD NOT BROUGHT A JACKET. LUCKILY SHANE BROUGHT 2, SO I WASNT COLD.
THE FIRST PLACE WE EXPLORED IN DEATH VALLEY WAS MOSAIC CANYON. THE GIRLS ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE SLOT CANYONS WE WENT TO IN UTAH, SO WE WANTED TO TAKE THEM TO SOME MORE. THIS CANYON WAS REALLY FUN. THIS WALL HAD A HANDRAIL SO THE GIRLS (AND I) OF COURSE WANTED TO TAKE THAT ROUTE.
NEXT WE WENT TO THE MESQUITE SAND DUNES. THE GIRLS COULD PLAY HERE FOR HOURS. IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL.
THE NEXT MORNING WE WOKE UP AND IT WAS 28 DEGREES. OUR GIRLS ARE TOUGH THOUGH!! THEY SLEPT GREAT AND WERENT EVEN COLD. WE DID EAT BREAKFAST IN THE CAR. 28 DEGREES WITH WIND AND NO SUN IS PRETTY COLD TO EAT OUT ON A PICNIC TABLE. SHANE DOES ALL THE COOKING SO HE HAS TO BE OUT IN THE FREEZING COLD, BUT WHEN HIS MOKAPOT IS FULL, HE IS A HAPPY CAMPER, LITERALLY!
THIS DAY WE SPENT DOING MANY THINGS!! THE FIRST PLACE WE WENT TO WAS THE WILDROSE CHARCOAL KILNS. THERE ARE 10 OF THEM THAT WERE BUILT DURING THE GOLD MINING DAYS. THEY WERE AMAZING. INSIDE THEY STILL SMELL LIKE SMOKE.
WE HAVE STARTED NATURE JOURNALS WHERE ALL OF US FIND A SPOT ON A HIKE WHERE WE WANT TO SIT AND DRAW. THE GIRLS JUST LOVE DOING THIS. HERE IS WHAT WE SAW
THEN WE WENT TO DARWIN FALLS. IT IS SO AMAZING TO ME THAT THERE ARE YEAR ROUND WATERFALLS IN DEATH VALLEY. THIS IS JUST THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF 9 WATERFALLS, BUT THERE IS SOME UNSAFE CLIMBING/SCRAMBLING AFTER THIS FIRST FALLS SO WE STOPPED HERE. AGAIN, I INCLUDED THE GIRLS PICTURES.
THE NEXT DAY (FEB 13TH) WE WERE HEADED TO FURNACE CREEK AND THE LOWEST POINT IN THE UNITED STATES. ON THE WAY WE STOPPED TO HIKE ALONG SALT CREEK. THERE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PUPFISH IN THE CREEK, BUT WE WERE NOT LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND ANY.
NEXT WE HEADED TO THE SALT FLATS, BELOW IS DEVILS GOLF COURSE:
JILL GETS THE CAMERA:
ON THE SAME DAY, WE HIKED TO NATURAL BRIDGE. SHANE AND I REALIZED ON THIS TRIP THAT THE GIRLS ARE FINALLY ABLE TO HIKE A NORMAL 2 MILE HIKE WITHOUT ANY STOPPING/RESTING/SNACKING UNTIL WE REACH OUR DESTINATION. THAT IS PROBABLY WHY WE WERE ABLE TO DO 3 HIKES IN THIS ONE DAY.
WHEN WE GOT TO NATURAL BRIDGE WE WERE GOING TO TURN AROUND AND HEAD BACK TO THE CAR, BUT THE GIRLS WANTED TO KEEP GOING EVEN THOUGH WE TOLD THEM THAT IT ENDED UP AHEAD AT A DRY WATERFALL. WHEN WE MADE IT TO THE END, THE GIRLS WANTED TO KEEP GOING BY SCRAMBLING UP THE WATERFALL, SO WE DID!!
WE FINALLY REACHED THE END AND EVEN THOUGH THE GIRLS WANTED TO KEEP GOING (DO YOU HAVE A ROPE, THEY ASK...)
THEN ON THIS BUSY DAY, WE DROVE TO THE BADLANDS TO SEE THE LOWEST POINT. IT WAS GETTING DARK SO WE COULDNT DO MUCH, BUT THE GIRLS LOVED ACTING *BAD* FOR THE PICTURE.
AND FINALLY ON THIS NIGHT, WE WENT TO A RANGER TALK ABOUT STAR STORIES. IT WAS HELD AT THE SAND DUNES ON A MOONLESS NIGHT SO THE STARS WERE JUST AMAZING. THE RANGER TOLD SOME GREAT STORIES AND LOTS OF THEM ALLI AND I HAD BEEN STUDYING THIS YEAR FOR OUR NATIVE AMERICAN TALES AND FABLES.
ANYBODY SEEN SHANE'S HAIR LATELY?? JILL SAYS, "I'M GONNA MARRY SOMEONE WITH CRAZY HAIR LIKE DADDY."
ON VALENTINES DAY WE WANTED TO HIKE GOWER GULCH LOOP, 4 MILES ROUND TRIP, BUT IN THE MORNING IT WAS JUST TOO HOT AND WE NEVER WANT TO CAUSE THE GIRLS TO DISLIKE HIKING SO WE TURNED AROUND AFTER ONLY 15 MINUTES AND SPENT AT THE FURNACE CREEK RESORT SWIMMING. IT WAS IN THE LOW 80'S AND A PERFECT DAY TO SPEND BY A POOL. AROUND 3:30 WE HEADED BACK TO GOWER GULCH.
SHANE WANTED TO WALK UP THIS DRAINAGE TO GET TO THE TRAIL AND I WANTED TO JUST FOLLOW THE TRAIL, BUT WE WENT THE DRAINAGE ROUTE AND ENDED UP IN A CANYON WITH NO ACCESS TO THE TRAIL. WE BACKTRACKED UNTIL WE COULD BE SHOVED UP THE SIDE WALL BY SHANE. THEN THE GIRLS PULLED HIM UP. ONCE WE FOUND THE TRAIL WE WERE ON OUR WAY.
WE WERE HEADED THE OPPOSITE WAY OF THE ADVERTISED LOOP SO WE FIGURED WE WOULD BE PASSING LOTS OF PEOPLE. RIGHT AWAY WE PASSED BY A GROUP OF MAYBE 15 SENIOR CITIZENS ON THIS TRAIL. THERE WERE QUITE A FEW WITH CANES, SO WE FIGURED THE TRAIL MUST BE SOMEWHAT TAME. MOST OF THE WAY IT WAS.
SHANE IMPRESSING HIS GIRLS
THEN WE ROUNDED THIS CORNER AND SEE THE TRAIL WINDING UP THE SIDE OF THIS MOUNTAIN. MY FIRST INSTINCT WAS, "WE ARENT CLIMBING THAT!!" WE WERE ON DAY 4 OF MULTIPLE HIKES A DAY, SO I FIGURED THE GIRLS WOULD ALSO BE READY TO TURN AROUND. I WAS WRONG, OF COURSE! YOU CAN SEE IN THE PICTURE BELOW THE TRAIL IS IN RED ROCK AND THEN CLIMBS IN THE TO BEIGE AND THEN OFF TO THE RIGHT AND AROUND THAT POINT.......................RIGHT.......BELOW.............HERE.
THIS IS JILL SAYING, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR MOM???"
BELOW IS JILL AND SHANE ON THE CRAZY STEEP CLIMB. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE LADIES ON CANES DID THIS HIKE!!
THE VIEW WAS BEAUTIFUL
WE STOPPED AT THE TOP TO ENJOY MY FAVORITE SPLURGE OF A CHOCOLATE BAR, SINCE IT WAS VALENTINES DAY....RITTER SPORT BUTTER MILK BISCUIT.....BUT SOMEONE....AGAIN, NO NAMES.....TOOK IT OUT OF MY BACKPACK!!!! ALAS, THERE WAS NO CHOCOLATE, SO WE DREW IN OUR NATURE JOURNALS AND THEN HEADED DOWN THE HILL. WE WERE A LITTLE LATE SO DAYLIGHT WAS FADING QUICKLY...
WE FOLLOWED WHAT LOOKED THE BE A VERY CLEAR TRAIL......
APPARENTLY, THIS WAS NOT THE TRAIL AND WE WERE JUST FOLLOWING A RANDOM SIDE CANYON DOWN. SHANE AND I REALIZED ABOUT 20 MINUTES INTO IT THAT WE WERE MOST LIKELY NOT IN THE CORRECT CANYON BUT WE DIDNT HAVE TIME TO HIKE BACK UP AND FIND THE CORRECT TRAIL SO WE CONTINUED ON. WE WOULD BE SAFE AS LONG AS WE DIDNT COME TO A 30 FOOT DRY WATERFALL DROP.....LUCKILY WE DIDNT, SO WE MADE IT TO OUR CAR JUST IN TIME TO HAVE A ROMANTIC VALENTINES DINNER (SAUSAGES AND PEPPERS, YUM!) BY THE SIDE OF HIGHWAY 190.
THE NEXT DAY WAS MY BIRTHDAY AND WE WERE HEADED WAY OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE TO THE RACETRACK. 20 MILES ON A DIRT ROAD. OUR FIRST STOP, AND LAST STOP ON PAVED ROAD, WAS THE UBEHEBE CRATER. SOME SNACKS, SOME DRAWING AND THEN BACK INTO THE CAR FOR THE LONGEST DRIVE EVER.....
AT TEAKETTLE JUNCTION WE WENT LEFT TO EXPLORE A CANYON FOR FOSSILS. WE WOULD GO TO THE RACETRACK THE NEXT DAY.
WE COULDNT QUITE UNDERSTAND THE GUIDEBOOKS EXPLANATION FOR THE BEST CANYON TO FIND THE FOSSILS, BUT WE ENDED UP FINDING THIS REALLY COOL ONE, JUST WALKING TOWARDS THE CANYONS. IT IS THE STEM OF A PLANT.
ALLI LOVED ALL THE CACTUS, SHE SAID SHE WANTED A HOUSE WHERE THIS IS THE DOORWAY
THEN ALLI FOUND A ROCK WITH AN 8 ON IT. SHE WAS SO EXCITED.
THE MOUNTAINS HERE ARE JUST HUGE. SHANE AND ALLI LOOK SO TINY COMPARED
THAT NIGHT WE CAMPED ON THE SIDE OF THIS DIRT ROAD. AFTER A GREAT BIRTHDAY DINNER OF MAC AND CHEESE EVERYONE SANG ME HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND WE SPLIT MY SCRUMPTIOUS RITTER BAR.
FOR THE LAST DAY OF OUR TRIP WE HEADED TO THE RACETRACK. IN THE PICTURE BELOW THAT IS SHANE WAY OUT IN THE MIDDLE. HE HAS WANTED TO SEE THESE MOVING ROCKS FOREVER, SO HE WENT OUT EXPLORING. THE GIRLS AND I STAYED ON THE GRANDSTAND.
I LOVED THE FLOOR OF THE PLAYA. IT WAS SO FASCINATING.
WE GOT BACK INTO THE CAR AND HEADED THE 2 MILES TO THE SOUTH END OF THE RACETRACK. THE MOVING ROCKS ARE ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM THE PARKING LOT AND THE GIRLS DIDNT WANT TO GO SO THEY PLAYED ON THE PLAYA AND SHANE AND I WALKED OUT TO SEE THE ROCKS. I WISH THE GIRLS HAD COME, IT WAS SO AWESOME. ROCKS THAT MOVE ALL BY THEMSELVES AND LEAVE THEIR TRACK TO BE SEEN...
MY FAVORITE:
AND WITH THAT DONE, IT WAS THE END OF OUR TRIP. WE DROVE THE 20 MILES OUT TO THE PAVED HIGHWAY (TOOK 2 HOURS) AND THEN DROVE TO MAMMOTH. AFTER 7 DAYS OF CAMPING EATING WE WERE READY FOR THE HAPPY HOUR AT WHISKEY CREEK. 1/2 OFF ENTREES AND APPETIZERS AND 4 HUNGRY PEOPLE....WE ATE AND ATE AND ATE.
WE CAMPED THAT NIGHT NEAR MONO LAKE. IN THE MORNING IT WAS 22 DEGREES. WE ALL SLEPT FINE AND GIRLS WERE TOASTY WARM WHEN WE ASKED HOW THEY FELT....
WE CAMPED THAT NIGHT NEAR MONO LAKE. IN THE MORNING IT WAS 22 DEGREES. WE ALL SLEPT FINE AND GIRLS WERE TOASTY WARM WHEN WE ASKED HOW THEY FELT....
AND BECAUSE WE DO LOVE TO END CAMPING TRIPS WITH FOOD WE LOVE, ON THE DRIVE HOME WE WENT TO
HAYS STREET CAFE IN BRIDGEPORT FOR BREAKFAST,
WILD CHERRIES FOR COFFEE IN TRUCKEE,
SOPA THAI IN NEVADA CITY FOR DINNER...
..AND THEN HOME AGAIN, SWEET HOME.
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