After spending the rest of the evening listening to Brave Combo we crashed. I later awoke still singing People Are Strange, polka style, in my head. Then we went to breakfast. You strange? Sure are. People are, you know. Strange. No one thinks they are. BUT. That's a big butt, er...but. Everyone is. Really. So when you finally admit to yourself that you are too, don't freak. OK. ok. The breakfast at Bonnie Springs was incredible! It kicked. It was also expensive. But it was close, delicious and the only thing around for miles. Scrambled eggs, pancakes with maple syrup, bacon, sausage patties, ranch fries with bits of onion, even the toast, mouthwatering. If my mouth would only water. Good tasting, I should say. Today was a special day because it was Marylou's birthday and we were going to tour Death Valley, a place she wanted to see. Sometimes timing  works out perfectly.

     We headed to Pahrump. Stopped there at Terrible's Casino Hotel to buy some gas, ice and water. Then we're off down 372 to 178 to Shoshone and into the Valley of Death. After driving around some big hills we enter the valley from the southeast staying on 178 west we cross over Salsberry Pass at 3315 feet above sea level and it's all downhill from there. After we drive fer apiece we reach Mormon Point, elevation sea level. It's obvious now we are in a deep valley with great hills on our right and several mountain ranges on our left. Pretty but deadly. The wrong time would make this the wrong place. As we continue ever deeper into the valley we notice a sea of white to the left of the road. It looks just like the snow in evidence on the distant peaks but it's something else. Salt and alkali residue. We press on, damning the infernal heat, I struggle to turn up the AC. Aaahhhh! That's better. Eventually we reach Badwater.

     Wow, there's water here! Let's take a drink. Naaa, maybe not. They don't call it Badwater for nothing. It's turns out to be saltier than sea water. OK, what's in the cooler? This is the lowest spot in the Western Hemisphere at 280 feet below sea level. There's a sign on the cliff that indicates sea level and it seems to be a good ways up there. So we take a few pics. Walk around some. Talk to a few other tourists, (I don't think that anyone's from here) and drive on. We decide to visit the natural arch. Bad idea! It's down a road designed by an accordion manufacturer. A mile and a lot of bouncing later, we park, walk another quarter mile to see a small nondescript natural arch. After our visit to Utah a few years back and Virginia's Natural Bridge last year, this one is a major disappointment. If you've never seen one, I guess it might be worth the trip, but we were less than impressed. So. it's back to bouncin till we hit the main road. Then on to the Devil's Golf Course.

     Funny thing about this course. No sand traps. For a desert environment there is very little sand in death valley. Just two places have enough of a collection to be called dunes. We are staying at one later this night, but as for now, we're sans sand. A tour bus parks nearby and unloads a mess o Japanese. They stumble over the terrain with us for a while until I announce that I found the 14th tee. They get a kick out of this as we depart. Leave em laughing, that's my motto. On to the Artist's Palette. This is one of the must see attractions in my book. Every hue you could imagine. All spread over a group of hills in one location. I mean there are plenty of colorful rocks all over this place, but not with this diversity and range right up next to each other. Wow! We drive the 9 mile loop road and exit enthralled.

     Driving North/northwest again we pass a caravan of vehicles escorted by State Police. We had passed them before but they overtake us during our sightseeing stops, so we have to keep passing them. It's a film crew! Got a part for me? I can "extra" with the best of them. They are apparently filming some commercial or other using the naturally sparse environment to make their soft drinks/cars/dockers/snacks/blue jeans/whatever look more appealing. Ooooh, I just got to have one! After a time we arrive at our next stop, Furnace Creek. As it was afternoon and we had just had an apple for lunch, we snacked some more. Didn't I just see an ad for these chips? Mmmm, the drinks are frosty. Thank God for styrofoam, ice and the internal combustion engine. We check out the area because we had thought about staying here for the night but the rooms were much more dear that Stove Pipe Wells Village which is where we will shelter for the night. It's a nice little oasis in the wasteland though with a restaurant and a gift shop. They even have a post office! We mail our post cards here so they will have the Death Valley postmark and then it's off to the Crack Pipe, er... Stove Pipe, that is.

     I thought we could check in here at 3:20, but noooo! So we head for the bar. It is now 3:29 and the bar is closed. A minute later it opens and we are greeted by Todd, originally from Bayonne, New Jersey, who asks "OK, New York or New Jersey, where are you from?" Pennsylvania we answer. "Close, close" he replied. So we sat down, got a couple of cold ones, some nachos with bean dip and salsa and enjoyed the next hour talking to our friendly host. Todd told us he left Joisey in '72 after college. Worked in Vermont for 10 years before moving out west to work at the Grand Canyon for a while before switching to Death Valley. Sheesh, most bartenders just move down the street for a new gig. He said the hottest day he had seen in 7 years was 132, the record is listed at 134 so that's about as hot as it gets. "But it's always 72 in the bar," he added. Sage advise. I asked him if he watches The Sopranos when he gets homesick. He got a kick out of that saying he can tell us where most of the landmarks from the show are located, right in his old back yard.

     We reluctantly leave the friendly confines of the comfortable drinking establishment, passing a couple of guys who were standing outside the door smoking butts, as it is illegal to smoke in a bar in the entire State of California. Unbelievable! No smoking in a bar. What's the world coming to. I don't smoke tobacco anymore, but it all seems just a little to Politically Correct for me. We finally check into our sumptuous lodging at 4:45 and break for a well deserved rest, marveling at the room we had expected to be very Spartan from all we had heard. It was not! Happy Birthday, Marylou.
 

Someone else's shot of the valley

The birthday gal & I gettin' down

Devil's Golf Course, where's my ball?