Nov. '07 - Southern Nevada & Death Valley

We're spending three weeks in the Pahrump, NV area. On an excursion to the mountains to do some prospecting, these were the only "friends" we encountered. How about that cute little family!

Today we went west into California. As you can see, the price of fuel is record high there!

We visited the China Ranch Date Farm where Joanne indulged in sampling several varieties of the delicious fruits.

These date farmers must never worry about a use for their old shirts. The shirts were hung on the trees shrouding the clumps of dates. We think this has something to do with the pollenation process.

We drove into the Death Valley National Park from the south. This valley is a fascinating mosaic of color and extreme harshness as noted in the geology of the valley walls.

The area of Bad Water was the only location where we saw a puddle of water. The mirage of water that we had viewed earlier and again in this location would turn out to be sand. Can you imagine being a thirsty frontiersman? These illusions must have been devastating!


Directly above my head 2/3 up the mountain is a small sign identifying the location of "sea level". At this site we were standing 282 feet BELOW sea level...one of the lowest areas on earth. Every turn in the road brought amazing sights that must fascinate a geologist. They certainly intrigued us amateurs!

There is a lovely resort in the Furnace Creek area, a location where there are natural springs. When we visited here in 2005, there had been major flash floods that had closed the highway and done significant damage. Today it is a lovely oasis in the middle of a harsh environment!