Death Valley
October 27 2012.
It was like a weekend vacation. The impetus was that my Mom was joining a day tour with her local museum group. So I had the crazy idea to try to rendezvous with her from our home in Las Vegas and do our annual Death Valley campout all in one. Since our last ride and camp to Utah worked out well, Mrs. Boondocker was up for this trip. I have to say that I'm so pleased that she is getting on-board with this interest of mine - adventure motorcycling. About 5 years ago, while trailer camping in Death Valley and hiking down into Ubehebe Crater, we met a group of ADV riders and couples on tour when it hit me - I want to be those people! I got into it shortly thereafter, but it's taken till now for Mrs. Boondocker to come around.
The weather was perfect. Our first stop, about 150 miles in, was Dante's View.
A nice winding road to the top, it’s always windy up there. In the background, about 60 miles north, behind us and just below the horizon in the photos, is is where we camped, Mesquite Springs.
On the way down, we took the dirt road detour known as the 20 Mule Team Road through the otherworldly sandstone hills.
The mineral Borax (main ingredient in washing soap) was mined in Death Valley in the 1800's and wagons of the stuff were pulled out by teams of 20 mules.
Knowing that my Mom was supposed to stop for lunch at the Visitors' Center in Furnace Creek, and being about noon, we stopped there too and sure enough, there she was. You can spot that silver/gray head from a long ways off. So we joined her and her friend for lunch. We brought ours. After that we motored for another hour on up to the camp ground, secured a spot and pitched the tent. Then we went 6 miles to Scotty's Castle, where her tour was finishing up and met her again. That was a nice treat for us and added a special note to the trip. We also met some bicyclists, there were hundreds of them. Some were on a 100-mile trek and others on a 200-miler. Makes me feel lazy, but I like my motor.
Mesquite Springs campground
After that we hit Ubehebe Crater http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/ubehebe-crater.htm, just to return to the point of my inspiration because now we are those people who I wanted to be.
High Five!
Mrs. Boondocker is even talking about planning a summer trip up to British Columbia with a stop in Banff National Park of Canada. That would be good practice for a tour of the Austrian Alps in a few years. So we had what is just about my idea of a perfect weekend. Hope you enjoy the story and pictures.
October 27 2012.
It was like a weekend vacation. The impetus was that my Mom was joining a day tour with her local museum group. So I had the crazy idea to try to rendezvous with her from our home in Las Vegas and do our annual Death Valley campout all in one. Since our last ride and camp to Utah worked out well, Mrs. Boondocker was up for this trip. I have to say that I'm so pleased that she is getting on-board with this interest of mine - adventure motorcycling. About 5 years ago, while trailer camping in Death Valley and hiking down into Ubehebe Crater, we met a group of ADV riders and couples on tour when it hit me - I want to be those people! I got into it shortly thereafter, but it's taken till now for Mrs. Boondocker to come around.
The weather was perfect. Our first stop, about 150 miles in, was Dante's View.
A nice winding road to the top, it’s always windy up there. In the background, about 60 miles north, behind us and just below the horizon in the photos, is is where we camped, Mesquite Springs.
On the way down, we took the dirt road detour known as the 20 Mule Team Road through the otherworldly sandstone hills.
The mineral Borax (main ingredient in washing soap) was mined in Death Valley in the 1800's and wagons of the stuff were pulled out by teams of 20 mules.
Knowing that my Mom was supposed to stop for lunch at the Visitors' Center in Furnace Creek, and being about noon, we stopped there too and sure enough, there she was. You can spot that silver/gray head from a long ways off. So we joined her and her friend for lunch. We brought ours. After that we motored for another hour on up to the camp ground, secured a spot and pitched the tent. Then we went 6 miles to Scotty's Castle, where her tour was finishing up and met her again. That was a nice treat for us and added a special note to the trip. We also met some bicyclists, there were hundreds of them. Some were on a 100-mile trek and others on a 200-miler. Makes me feel lazy, but I like my motor.
Mesquite Springs campground
After that we hit Ubehebe Crater http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/ubehebe-crater.htm, just to return to the point of my inspiration because now we are those people who I wanted to be.
High Five!
Mrs. Boondocker is even talking about planning a summer trip up to British Columbia with a stop in Banff National Park of Canada. That would be good practice for a tour of the Austrian Alps in a few years. So we had what is just about my idea of a perfect weekend. Hope you enjoy the story and pictures.
