Some actual information on the Death Valley Ride
So the riding in Death Valley was amazing. You have miles of road with really no one on it and some nice curves and dips in elevation. We started from Shoshone and took Highway 178 up to Furnace Creek.
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This road hugs the east side boundary mountains and you really get a good view of some alluvial flows and the salt bed near Badwater Basin. We also got to see some wildflowers due to the time of year. From Badwater Basin (which is where we were able to see some pupfish and play in the salt) we drove through Artist’s Palette(Fun!) and on to Furnace Creek.
We had lunch there, visited the temporary visitor’s center, and the Borax Museum. The museum is extremely small, and the visitor’s center is being rebuilt so the National Park Service is being housed in a double wide trailer. But it was a nice stop, and we learned that the phrase, “I’ll be there with bells on” came from the Borax Mines. Basically if a mule team got stuck it was up to the other teams to help pull them out. If someone did help you out then you gave them your bells. Being there with your bells on meant you’d get to where you were going without any help. From there we continued on 190 out of the park.
We experienced some high winds that day so we were not able to really enjoy the ride as much as we would have liked, but it was still a lot of fun and the views were amazing. Driving by Owens Lake (which is dry) and up to Bishop you drive by Mt. Whitney and the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. Mt. Whitney is home to the highest peak in the continental US. Although this leg of the trip was extremely windy and we ended up driving through a forest fire it was extremely beautiful and we would like to do it again.
Next time we want to hit the Bristle Cone National Monument when it is not in threat of being on fire.
When we arrived in Bishop Bryan pulled into the first motel he saw with the “Lowest Rates in Town”.
Although the rates were low, and the room was cute and clean the “Swiss Manor” as we called it was right next to the highway. I think something a little further back on the property would lead to a better night’s sleep. When we were in Bishop we ate at Bill’s BBQ. Apparently my dad recommends the prime rib from 30 years ago, but Bryan enjoyed his beef sandwich. I, however, was not that hungry and had the most interesting garlic bread I have ever eaten. The next morning we headed over to Erick Schat’s Bakery where we had some wonderful pastries. My mom recommends the Honi Squaw bread and tells me it is made with raisin water. Luckily they have a mail order catalog that can be found: http://www.erickschatsbakery.com/Catalog/Products.htm. After checking out the hospital in which I was born we headed out off to more adventure….
