November 7-19, 2007 - After leaving Valley of Fire, we spent some time near Las Vegas visiting friends, staying at Boulder
Beach on Lake Mead. The lake was 85 feet low when we visited in 2004, and now, three years later, was 105 feet low. A
campground and boat launch had closed a few months earlier because they were now nowhere near the lake anymore, and we
heard that the turbines in the dam would soon be above the water level. Scary stuff. At least Lake Mead still had her pretty
colors in the sunshine.
We hiked along the rails-to-trails path that goes from Boulder Beach on Lake
Mead to Hoover Dam. It passes through
some old train tunnels and comes right
out at the visitors center for the Dam.
There is a wonderful statue
commemorating the daring and hard
physical labor it took to blast the rock
and pour the concrete to build the dam.
From Las Vegas we made our way to
Death Valley. We arrived on Veterans
Day and found the
road through the park
lined with flag waving
veterens celebrating
the days of the 49ers,
the intrepid souls who
traversed Death Valley
in pursuit of gold in
1849. The
campground was full,
so we were guided
back up the mountain to an open boondocking area by the side
of the road.
This was our first introduction to true boondocking -- where you set
up camp on public land and stay a while. There were many other
rigs in the area, and as we got to know our neighbors we
discovered they were part of the Escapees Boondockers club and
were gathered there for a few days. Eventually most of the
Escapees left, but we stayed with another rig and enjoyed long lazy
days and silent nights.
It felt so good to relax after our whirlwind tour of the northwest. We
stayed almost two weeks, making music with our neighbors and
exploring the area.
Death Valley is the hottest place in the country on many summer
days, but in November the weather was perfect.
We learned that the 49ers took two routes to the gold mines in
northern California. One group went around Death Valley, but the
other group trudged through the middle of it. They barely survived.
Borax is mined in Death Valley and has been since the late 1800's.
It was hauled out by mule team, and to this day Borax has an image
of the mule team on the container.
We took the Artist's Drive
which is a thin ribbon of
road that winds among
brightly colored hills. The
light danced on across
the cliffs.
Back at the visitors center we found the perfect gift for a young child. If
only we could all be children for a little while once again.
From Death Valley we wandered east and south through Laughlin, Nevada
and then down along the Colorado River to Lake Havasu, Arizona and
finally settled in Quartzsite, Arizona.