Spring Break 2010. Eric was still teaching but the boys and I were feeling stir crazy, so we decided to try our first Big Vacation Without Dad. We chose Death Valley because we love National Parks, and our current weather conditions were cold and snowy and we figured we could count on Death Valley being quite the opposite. So we drove as far as Las Vegas the first night, then on to Death Valley for a few days. This is our campground. It was not-so-conveniently located on the far side of the park on the other sided a drive from sea level to 5000 ft and back to sea level again. But it had palm trees and cactus and dirt and rocks and a fire pit, so the boys were quite pleased. That day some of us came in closer contact than desired with vomit and diarrhea, but no blood, so not as bad as it could have been. I decided to adopt the attitude that I clean up vomit and diarrhea at home as well, at least I was doing it someplace interesting this time.
Our only full day in Death Valley began with the sand dunes. Everyone had a pretty good time here. Clay ran around and exhausted himself, barely able to crawl back to the car (or so he would have me believe), Dave tossed his football around (which was pathetically flat due to the drop in elevation since home) and Danny was happily occupied with a bucket that he had packed expressly for the sand dunes.
It was a little windy, but certainly warm and sunny and dry. We were happy to be in shorts and flip-flops and soaking up some sun.
Next stop, Scotty's Castle. Despite the extra long drive through road construction (resulting in a much delayed lunch), this was probably our favorite place. We spent a few hours and had a pretty good time. The boys bought some post cards and bookmarks and we took the standard tour.
To help maximize our chances of people being happy, I let the boys take turns with the camera. Here are some of the photos they took. They really enjoyed learning about how everything in Scotty's Castle was a lie. For starter's it didn't belong to Scotty, he just liked to tell people it did, and the owners were fine with that. This chandelier was made to look like it was old and then updated from candles to electric. But it was always electric. The house was built in the 1920s but made to look like an old Spanish Hacienda. Still it is amazing that they built all this out in the middle of Death Valley in the 20s. It even had a pipe organ!
The last stop of the day was to the lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin. Clay is pointing at a big sign on the mountain marking sea level.
282 ft below sea level
We hiked out a ways on the salt flats. Dave refused to smile for the picture. There was pretty much always at least one child who was unhappy and wanted everyone else to know, no matter what we were doing.
We discovered that the salt flats were a great place for shadow antics.
Also a good place to stomp on other people's shadow heads as we walked.
Here is the sun setting over the snow covered Telescope Peak, beyond Badwater.
On our way out the next day we made a few more stops. This is Salt Creek, a lovely stop because it was only a few hundred yards off the main road unlike all the other destinations which were hours between each other and at least 30-40 miles off the main park road. Also, there was something moving besides us...
pupfish! Delightful little fish to watch zoom around chasing and feeding.
We were there at a good time for wildflowers. There were tons and tons, but they couldn't seem to overcome the overall bleakness and sterility of the landscape.
We also stopped at a little abandoned Borax mine.
We had a picnic lunch at Furnace Creek, the place I would rather camp next visit! Who would have guessed that Panamint Springs was less exciting than Furnace Creek? The names are a little misleading.
I decided to make one last attempt to hike somewhere, but we didn't make it far before the whining and complaining became to much and we got in the car and headed for home. I was glad for the cell phone I'd purchased for the trip when we ended up leaving a different way than we had come. But I was able to finally get a hold of Jen who found where I was and made sure I knew where I was going. Thanks again Jen! We made it to Mesquite, NV that night.
Our last day of vacation we decided to make one more small detour to Snow Canyon. I guess I was feeling sentimental and wanted to go where I remembered spring breaking when I was younger. So we hit the dunes at snow canyon.
We buried Dave to his mid-thigh. Yes, he is standing.
And I finally remembered I had brought the gorilla pod with me for the camera so I could take pics of all of us together.
This is a typical scene from the many many hours we spent in the car. Clay refuses to ride in my car without his shirt over his nose. No one else can smell anything, and I find it offensive, but Eric assures me I will think it is funny some day. We listened to a lot of books on CD. Hardy Boys, Half Magic, George's Marvelous Medicine (I don't recommend that when you have a sick stomach), some of Fellowship of the Ring, and 39 Clues.
This post may have seemed long to you, dear reader, but I assure you, driving to Death Valley and back by myself was much longer! I have thought it is much like delivering a baby. At the hospital you may wish you could change your mind, but there is no getting out of it. It's hard and painful. In the end you feel a sense of accomplishment and you are glad you did it. And a surprisingly short while later, you find yourself thinking, you know, that was not so bad. We should do it again soon!
Spring Break 2010. Eric was still teaching but the boys and I were feeling stir crazy, so we decided to try our first Big Vacation Without Dad. We chose Death Valley because we love National Parks, and our current weather conditions were cold and snowy and we figured we could count on Death Valley being quite the opposite. So we drove as far as Las Vegas the first night, then on to Death Valley for a few days. This is our campground. It was not-so-conveniently located on the far side of the park on the other sided a drive from sea level to 5000 ft and back to sea level again. But it had palm trees and cactus and dirt and rocks and a fire pit, so the boys were quite pleased. That day some of us came in closer contact than desired with vomit and diarrhea, but no blood, so not as bad as it could have been. I decided to adopt the attitude that I clean up vomit and diarrhea at home as well, at least I was doing it someplace interesting this time.
Our only full day in Death Valley began with the sand dunes. Everyone had a pretty good time here. Clay ran around and exhausted himself, barely able to crawl back to the car (or so he would have me believe), Dave tossed his football around (which was pathetically flat due to the drop in elevation since home) and Danny was happily occupied with a bucket that he had packed expressly for the sand dunes.
It was a little windy, but certainly warm and sunny and dry. We were happy to be in shorts and flip-flops and soaking up some sun.
Next stop, Scotty's Castle. Despite the extra long drive through road construction (resulting in a much delayed lunch), this was probably our favorite place. We spent a few hours and had a pretty good time. The boys bought some post cards and bookmarks and we took the standard tour.
To help maximize our chances of people being happy, I let the boys take turns with the camera. Here are some of the photos they took. They really enjoyed learning about how everything in Scotty's Castle was a lie. For starter's it didn't belong to Scotty, he just liked to tell people it did, and the owners were fine with that. This chandelier was made to look like it was old and then updated from candles to electric. But it was always electric. The house was built in the 1920s but made to look like an old Spanish Hacienda. Still it is amazing that they built all this out in the middle of Death Valley in the 20s. It even had a pipe organ!
The last stop of the day was to the lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin. Clay is pointing at a big sign on the mountain marking sea level.
282 ft below sea level
We hiked out a ways on the salt flats. Dave refused to smile for the picture. There was pretty much always at least one child who was unhappy and wanted everyone else to know, no matter what we were doing. 
We discovered that the salt flats were a great place for shadow antics.
Also a good place to stomp on other people's shadow heads as we walked.
Here is the sun setting over the snow covered Telescope Peak, beyond Badwater.
On our way out the next day we made a few more stops. This is Salt Creek, a lovely stop because it was only a few hundred yards off the main road unlike all the other destinations which were hours between each other and at least 30-40 miles off the main park road. Also, there was something moving besides us...
pupfish! Delightful little fish to watch zoom around chasing and feeding.
We were there at a good time for wildflowers. There were tons and tons, but they couldn't seem to overcome the overall bleakness and sterility of the landscape.
We also stopped at a little abandoned Borax mine.
We had a picnic lunch at Furnace Creek, the place I would rather camp next visit! Who would have guessed that Panamint Springs was less exciting than Furnace Creek? The names are a little misleading.
I decided to make one last attempt to hike somewhere, but we didn't make it far before the whining and complaining became to much and we got in the car and headed for home. I was glad for the cell phone I'd purchased for the trip when we ended up leaving a different way than we had come. But I was able to finally get a hold of Jen who found where I was and made sure I knew where I was going. Thanks again Jen! We made it to Mesquite, NV that night.
Our last day of vacation we decided to make one more small detour to Snow Canyon. I guess I was feeling sentimental and wanted to go where I remembered spring breaking when I was younger. So we hit the dunes at snow canyon.
We buried Dave to his mid-thigh. Yes, he is standing.
And I finally remembered I had brought the gorilla pod with me for the camera so I could take pics of all of us together.
This is a typical scene from the many many hours we spent in the car. Clay refuses to ride in my car without his shirt over his nose. No one else can smell anything, and I find it offensive, but Eric assures me I will think it is funny some day. We listened to a lot of books on CD. Hardy Boys, Half Magic, George's Marvelous Medicine (I don't recommend that when you have a sick stomach), some of Fellowship of the Ring, and 39 Clues.
This post may have seemed long to you, dear reader, but I assure you, driving to Death Valley and back by myself was much longer! I have thought it is much like delivering a baby. At the hospital you may wish you could change your mind, but there is no getting out of it. It's hard and painful. In the end you feel a sense of accomplishment and you are glad you did it. And a surprisingly short while later, you find yourself thinking, you know, that was not so bad. We should do it again soon!
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