Fall 2019 - Mobile Cabin II
December 5 - 11, 2019
Stay West
Thursday, 12.5.2019
Fly out of Duluth airport at 5 AM. Quick layover in MSP, then into PHX by 9 AM (time change). Called our shuttle and met right up with Dusty, right where we left him!
Oil change, groceries, REI stop and lunch with Scott at TKJ's.
Little rest time before meeting up at Scott and Candace's around 1630. Chatting, relaxing and catching up. Delicious salmon bowls for dinner. Watched Pippa's bball practice a bit. Puzzle with Delaney. Hanging with the pups.
Friday, 12.6.2019
Quick bite for breakfast. More chatting and hanging. Downtown Chandler for Tumbleweed Christmas Tree, coffee, walk about. Then, headed west toward Joshua Tree National Park!
Listened to podcasts about JTree. Entered at South entrance. Stopped in at Cottonwood Visitor center. Cholla Cactus Garden loop; German lady with cacti all over, stuck in her hand.
29 Palms, scoped out BLM land, then into JTree. Walked around in the shops, apps and beer at JTree Saloon. Sprinkling. Back to camp spot.
Little touch up in Dusty with reflective/insulation stuff. Chilled with tunes, chocolate. Looked at hikes for tomorrow.
Saturday, 12.7.2019
Breakfast burritos and tea in the van. To JTree for coffee to-go from Crossroads Cafe; walk through the farmer's market and cute shops (Mockingbird). Smoothie from Natural Sister's Cafe.
To JTree NP (west entrance). Hidden Valley loop, quick hike. To Keys View, awesome view (bit cloudy over the mtns in the distance). Super lucky timing for parking at Lost Horse Mine trailhead! Tucked Dusty in, grabbed a quick lunch, then ~4 mile hike to the most successful mine of the area (historically). Pretty neat, couldn't get very close. Out and back. Awesome rainbow!
Jumbo rocks; Skull rock.
To Yucca Valley; missed the holiday craft fair. Nothing caught our eye. Back to JTree, beer and bananas from the liquor store.
Back to Sunfair BLM land for a camping spot. Quick lie down, then dinner of chips and salsa with rice and tasty bites. Research into Death Valley. Massages and music in the cool, dark desert.
Sunday, 12.8.2019
Breakfast burritos and tea in the van. Quick grocery and water reload in 29Palms then headed up toward Amboy, CA. Crazy salt evaporation operations just south of Amboy. Amboy Crater. Stopped at Roy's in Amboy on Route 66; weird place.
Further north on Kelbaker Rd to Mojave National Reserve.
Pulled off at Kelso Dunes and hiked to the peak! ~3 miles total; amazing views! "Booming/ Singing" dunes, very few in the world!
Continued on Hwy 127 north through Baker, where stands the world's tallest thermometer. Really neat drive with wilderness areas surrounding, with mountains and dunes.
Took a slight detour into Tecopa to try our luck at some hot springs. Peter, the camp host, gave us the key to our private hot springs pool. We got a shower anyways. Peter mentioned there are 4 hot springs spots in town; and didn't hesitate to tell us this establishment is not the best of the 4 ("Delights" is best). Warm water and shower, check!
Back into hwy 127 through Shoshone to head into Death Valley National Park. Getting dark, thunderstorms over the mountains in the distance. Drive through/by Badwater Basin. Camp and Tasty bites dinner at Texas Springs campground with our own private forest. Plan our 2 days in Death Valley.
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| Road to Kelso Dunes |
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| If you look reeeaaaally close, there's a person standing at the peak and a few more along the ridge to the left and right! That's where we're headed! |
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| Sam at the tippee TOP! |
Monday, 12.9.2019
Work up at 6am and drove to Zabriskie Point for sunrise (along with a large gathering of people). Oatmeal in the van for breakfast. Then, hiked the Badlands Loop, which was beautiful - excellent temperature/day. Chatting about baby names, mostly Louise.
Back in the van and headed down to Badwater Basin for a daylight experience. Unreal! We walked out onto the salt flats overlooked by the snow-capped mtns. Mud, salt, water and sand. 1 inch layer of water on top of the salt flats reflecting the distant mtns.
Next, we drove through Artist Drive and saw Artist Palette, which was really neat.
Went into Furnace Creek for general store, gas ($4.55/gallon). To the Visitor Center for Intel on the rest of the park and pick a route for the rest of the day/tomorrow. Beans and weins for lunch.
Took the North highway (Scotty's castle road). Pit stop at Fall Canyon and Titus Canyon. 3 mile hike RT into Fall Canyon. It was cool! Gravel road a bit sketch but we made it!
Back on the north highway to Ubehebe Crater at sunset! LOVED. The place to ourselves; perfect sunset colors on the mountains across the valley with the oranges of the crater at our feet! 500 ft down, 1/2 mile across. 1.5 mile hike around the rim. Sunset before 1630!
Found a spot at Mesquite Spring. Chicken fried rice for dinner, brownie dessert. Kangaroo mouse running around our feet for scraps.
Chillin in the van.
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| Sunrise at Zabriske Point. |
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| Badwater Basin: 282 ft BELOW Sea Level! |
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| Artist's Palette. |
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| Voted Most-Fun-To-Pronounce Crater in the world = Ubehebe Crater. |
Tuesday, 12.10.2019
Woke up to a breezy morning for sunrise in the northern part of DVNP. Drove to Stovepipe Wells for a buffet breakfast! Opted out of Mosaic Canyon this time; instead took a relaxing walk along the dunes cliffs of the Mesquite Dunes. Beautiful, peaceful!
From there, we drove NE for Daylight Pass and the first ghost town of the day, Rhyolite. Pretty weird with a free museum, too. Drove around and followed along the map.
Headed east to Beatty, NV. Another weird spot on the map. Saw a wild burro crossing the street!! Hit up the candy store for an ice cream lunch and Jed's jerky.
Drove south past Big Dune into Death Valley Junction, 2nd ghost town, except for the once-famous (still?) Opera House.
Then, made our way toward Las Vegas via State Line Rd. Stopped at Late Night trailhead for 2nd lunch (squash soup and naan) before a quick 4 mile mtn bike ride. It was beautiful! Yucca/Joshua trees and plants everywhere with giant mtns surrounding. Perfect, little evening cruise. Then, the sunset! And full moon! Epic.
Back over the pass to Mountain Springs Saloon for a beer - what a spot! Living the local dream in there. Maria's tacos were absolutely delicious and churro! Great time chatting with Roger, bartender, and other locals (Manny). Sam won back $10.60 in video poker (we each put in $5). Plus, free shots when the VGK score a goal. Everyone agreed we'd camp in Lovell Canyon for the night, so we took off from there further down the pass. Great place! Gonna get chilly tonight, 34F at 2030.
Very strange things in Rhyolite...
Wednesday, 12.11.2019
Pancake breakfast, packed up a bit then headed to Blue Diamond. Adorable cafe for coffee and scone. Hit the trails from the bike shop (closed). I did ~7 mile loop, Sam ~10 mile loop. Awesome trails! Joshua trees and other cacti, mountains, bluebird day, acrobatic planes in the sky above, perfect temp.
Washed the bikes, lunch in the van, van chat with a pilot, chatted with a local about his app/ business.
Packed up, cleaned out the van and headed for the storage spot in Las Vegas.
Parked and left the van. Lyft to the Luxor. Quick showers thanks to Mary's co-worker, LKW. Walked the strip to Wahlburgers for dinner. Back to the Luxor, Lyft to the airport for our red eye to MSP, then onto DLH.
