OCTOBER 2016 - ... 2017

TRAVEL TO DEATH VALLEY, 49er ENCAMPMENT, ...

---

                                      2016-17 Home - See All Travelogues                    Next >>

---

 

TRAVELOGUE # 1 - ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
Getting from home to Death Valley (almost)

October 27, 2016 - November 3, 2016

Published Nov 26, 2016

Greetings to everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I celebrated it in Pahrump, NV, with a new group of friends from the Escapees Solos group, after leaving Death Valley. But I'm getting ahead of myself, I'll start at the beginning.

On the road again! I left Lopez on October 27 with the destination Death Valley and the 56th Annual 49er Encampment. I'd heard about it from friends who travel south, and I was curious, but didn't really know what it would be like.

My trip south was over US 2 through Leavenworth, and south thru eastern WA thru Walla Walla, then Pendleton OR, Burns, and into CA then NV. Stopped for several nights at Linda and Bernie Curtis' in Gardenerville, NV where I was joined by Myrna Patterson, from my WA LOWS group (Loners on Wheels). They treated us with great hospitality - including dinner at a local Basque restaurant. It just so happened that we were able to watch the final 2 games of the world series and the historic win by the Chicago Cubs. Nighttime temperatures while we were there were 20 degrees and 18 degrees! My little electric heater just barely kept us warm. My propane furnace wasn't working, so that was my only option. Sunna and I took some walks in the desert hills behind their house and saw a paw print from a mountain lion! Their dog was attacked by one a year ago, so it was a reminder that the desert is still pretty wild.

Myrna and I traveled south on 395. We stopped at Mono Lake and then stopped for a visit in Mammoth Lakes with Debbie and Mike Boucher and Lynn Bolton (friends from long ago in the Bay Area). We made it to Bishop for the night and headed into Death Valley the next day.

There are lots of photos, but the scenery is so beautiful, I just had to share them all with you. Enjoy!

Ann

Heading off toward Stevens Pass - lovely fall colors

The Skykomish River

The wide open spaces of eastern WA and OR - storm clouds coming through

Campground in Burns OR - on the way here I had to stop because of torrential rain, high winds, and then hail! Luckily, it didn't last long.

More storm clouds coming

Goose Lake (straddles the OR/CA border)

Goose Lake is largely a dry lake - with salts around the edges

Snow in the hills!

I have never seen such a large herd of pronghorn!!

Wonderful rock layers, just along the road

Storm clouds over the prairie

These California Quail were just outside my RV in Standish CA

Love the clouds and mountains

We filled up the Curtis's driveway with 2 RVs and Myrna's red jeep, as well as their 3 cars

Check out the slogan on the side of Myrna's RV

Linda and Bernie, and Emily (she survived the mountain lion attack)

Open space behind their house (above), mountain lion paw print (below) about 4" across!!

Mono Lake - above plus next 4 pics

We were right at the edge of the high Sierra Mountains

Following Myrna (towing her jeep) down 395

At the Fairgrounds in Bishop, CA. Next stop: Death Valley!