Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:25:35 -0800
Reply-To: Al Knoll <anasasi@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Al Knoll <anasasi@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Death Valley Trip
In-Reply-To: <68821.35385.qm@web54306.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I'll second that. Stop at the Visitor Center, buy a parks pass not just the
entry fee good for all US National Parks and such for one year or if you
have made it to the top of geezer pass, you can pony up a measly 10$US and
get a lifetime pass good at the same set of facilitities for you and most of
your entourage in one vanagon forever. (local definition of ever inferred
here). The good folks at the VC will sell you one and provide the offroad
map.
Greenwater Road is a jewel, but also for stealth camping, owl canyon, and
the road to striped butte and the geologist cabin, and many others are there
for your pleasure. Be sure to ask about road conditions at the VC, they
have a fellow, Brian his name might be, that specializes in checking the
byways as part of his commission for conditions.
Texas springs is THE spot locally for the likes of us. The famous JCarp of
Utahh and group fame and I shared a memorable couple of days there. So
windy that the portapoo blew over and the novice tenting section was
seriously rearranged according to mother natures whims at the time. Pix
available by request.
One of the memorable events of every DV trip I make is the ceremonial "Date
Shake" at the little restaurant at Furnace Creek Ranch. Sit at the counter,
on the south side with a view of the frycooks and slowly savor the awesome
power of the Timbisha Shoshone inspired date shake. Ask the waiter-folk if
you can also lay claim to the remains of the shake that will be residing in
the metal cup from the legendary Hamilton Beach milkshake apparatus. You
may get a brain cramp and sucked in cheeks trying to imbibe through a straw,
so ask for a spoon too. Of course the little cafe sells other fare but
none so spectacular as the date shake. The peoplewatching at the cafe is
exceptional, a truly cosmopolitan collection of park rats, exotic
travellers, back country ramblers, and occasionally, doddering old geefs in
buses. Look up dodder in the Funk and Wagnalls and keep an eye peeled for
its presence along the way. It's a parasitic critter that looks like a
tangle of orange string caught in the sagebrush, the dodder, of course.
Showers are available either stealthily or by paying at the guest counter,
the showers are at the warm spring fed swimming pool and are moderately
maintained. Bring your own swimming/showering attire.
As you mosey south towards the festivations at BBB, you may pick the route
through Shoshone, a small burg with some worthy attractions reached by
driving south over Jubilee Pass. My personal favorite is a tiny, eclectic
espresso cafe serving the pinnacle of fine italian coffee, Lavazza and
memorable handmade soups. David is the proprietor and the chef du cafe and
the barista and the dad of the place. It's on the east side of the road
kittycornered across from the post office/gas station. There is also a more
down to earth cafe that serves famous burgers and elegant fries and beer on
the same side of the road as David's. Worth the stop just to refuel so to
speak.
Web searches for Lippincott mine, amargosa opera house, ballarat, rhyolite
and ashford mills, will reveal even more reason to tarry. After all it's
YOUR park.
The new park super is a lady, Sarah Craighead, who is trying to fill the
shoes of J.T. Reynolds who retired last January. Big shoes to fill. At the
VC, if you have a chance, ask to meet her and thank her for her efforts.
A reasonable park map can be found here :
http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/upload/DEVAmap1.pdf
Suitable music for the trip always includes Kansas, The Eagles, Pete
Seeger/Woody Guthrie, and "Desert Pete".
Pensionerd. (Lifetime Passholder)
On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 10:17 PM, Michael Hart <mjhart853@yahoo.com> wrote:
> For those of you heading for Death Valley at Xmas / New Year. Firstly, I'm
> jealous - DV is our favorite place to camp (one year maybe I'll be able to
> join you, not this year as we're getting ready for a 7 month trip to S
> America and SE Asia). Based on three trips there (in two 2WD Westies), I can
> make a few recommendations for you. I know there are others on the list with
> a lot more knowledge of DV, but thought this may be useful to some of you.
> Texas Springs is our favorite valley floor site (half a mile from the
> Furnace Creek visitor center and 'village', in a quiet side canyon). Small
> campground, no advance reservations possible and typically filled up by 9am
> each time we have been there, but turnover every day, so go early if you
> can. There are two loops, the upper loop is officially for RVs but no
> generators allowed, so very few monster vehicles (they all stay in the 1000
> site RV/parking lot opposite the visitor center, which can serve for an
> 'emergency' site, but the engines, generators, TVs etc are pretty
> disturbing there!). It can be windy enough to make us lower our poptop and
> watch tents bowling across the campground. The lower loop is more sheltered,
> but officially a 'tent only' loop. The rangers enforce the tents rule, but
> if you take a small pup tent & put that up next to your Westy, that seems to
> satisfy them (our first trip we made a trip to the WMart in Parump to buy
> the
> required $20 tent...). Our neighbours did not mind in the least (they were
> glad to next to 'quiet' people too). Nearby is the Furnace Creek lodge,
> store & restaurant. Also there is a beautiful swimming pool, spring fed with
> hot water. You can get day passes at the lodge check-in desk. Very nice on a
> cold day in DV (coldest we have seen at New Year was Dec 1990, 17F at night
> - that time we were camping in a tiny tent....).
> Off road camping is allowed outside the valley floor, you have to go 2
> miles off the paved roads. The easiest route is perhaps the Greenwater
> Valley (turn off the road to Dante's View) takes you into the wild (Ghost
> towns etc.) and we've camped >15 miles from the nearest other people, even
> at peak Easter season. 2WD OK for most destinations, 4WD needed to get up to
> the furthest side valleys. Roads clearly marked on a map that you can get
> from the visitor center (ask for the offroad camping map). No permits
> required. Be sure to have good spares for the washboard roads.
> Have Fun!
> Mike
> '87 Westy
>
| 
