Thursday, November 1, 2012

Death Valley, CA 10/29 & 30/12

On the road again Monday Oct. 29


View as we were leaving the Fairgrounds in Bishop, CA.


The roads often have dips!!!


And windy. We went around Magruder Mountain.


Looks like a pyramid.


Death Valley National Park also has windy roads.


We've seen a fair number of bikers on our journey.


Funeral Mountains


Memorial of the Harmony Borax Works, 1883 - 1888, and our RV in the parking lot.


The wheels are 7 ft. The trains were 100 ft. long carrying 30 tons pulled by 20 mules.


Tank carried 1,200 gallons of water.


Borax was the white gold of the desert.


Next two nights at Furnace Creek Campground.


On the road again Tuesday Oct. 30. The moon was setting when I got up so had to capture it.


Hiking the Mosaic Canyon


Little climbing up and over some formations.


Some of the walls are polished like marble.


Mosaic on embedded stones.


A cactus must have been blown in the canyon.


Waterfall is dry now. Our turn around point.


Wouldn't want to be in the canyon when it's going to rain.


Feels so good to hike and be in awe of nature.


Sand dunes. We tried to take full moon photos on the sand dunes last night. Didn't work out.


Scotty's Castle, the elaborate mansion of Albert and Bessie Johnson.


Joshua tree to the left of the gate.





Sun dial in the courtyard.


Death Valley Ranch entrance from the courtyard.


Courtyard steps to second floor.


Two story living room.


With two fireplaces.


Leather drapes. (sheepskin)


Three leather sofas.


Amazing chandelier.


Interesting.


Scotty's bedroom. He supposedly hid his gold under his bed. But no one ever found it. He solicited investors for his "gold mine." Albert Johnson was one of the investors.


Bullet splitter. Bullet shot thru the hole would split and hit invaders to the right and left.


Solarium.


Many antiques.


Fireplace in the guests sitting room.


Looking from one end of the living room to the guests sitting room and Solarium.


Dining room.


Interesting pottery.


Many fables why the plates are curved at the bottom.


Copper pots in the kitchen.


Kitchen sink


Fireplace in Master Bedroom's sitting room.


All the heavy wood furniture items had exquisite carvings.


Many Indian baskets throughout the house.


Sitting room for the large guest bedroom.


Smaller guest bedroom. As a teenager I stripped the paint off a bed frame just like this. So amazing to see.


Only one fourth of the entertainment room. I guess so huge I was overwhelmed to try to photo it.


Staircase going from the second floor.


Clock tower.


Staircase up the clock tower.


Clock tower.


Weather vane.


Side of the Castle.


There was a pool planned but never completed.


We took the Underground Tour to learn the methods used to provide electricity as early as 1920's in this remote desert. Electricity did not come to the Valley until1964.





Batteries.


Ubehebe Crater is 3,000 years old. 500 ft. deep and 1/2 mile across.


Underground steam and gas explosions sprewed cinders for miles. Cinders can be 150 ft. deep.

What a full day. We left our campsite at 9 am and didn't return till 7 pm. We traveled 138 miles. The weather warmed into the 80's and overnight it has been 54 degrees. It's a good time of the year to visit this fascinating Death Valley.

Location:Death Valley, CA.

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