Death Valley - Highway 190 to Furnace Creek.

Leaving Pahrump for Death Valley we pass Shadowy Mountain, still on the Nevada side,

I have turned 190 degrees and this is the south side of the valley, those hills are facing north, look how much more vegetation on the north facing slopes to the first photo with the south facing slopes.

 Our first view of the centre of Death Valley from Dantes Viewpoint.

Wonderful views in every direction. 

 Looking back on the road leading to Dantes View, quite a drive the last little bit to the summit has a 15% grade.

Moving 36 km further on the 190 we come to Zabriskie Point.  There are lots of wonderful sights in Death Valley, in my opinion this is the highlight.

The guide book calls these formations mudstone hills

There are so many different colours

 to quote the guide book 'a panoramic view of golden-brown mudstone hills riddled with rills and gullies'

Furness Creek and the famous 20 mule-team wagons.  20 mules pulled these 2 wagons + the water wagon 165 miles took 30 days round trip, loaded with Borax on the way out and every day living stuff back in.

Pahrump Valley Museum

The Pahrump Valley Museum, a small local museum full of local history and life in the valley over the last 150 years or so.  Inside has all the usual domestic implements you find in these local museums plus a special exhibit dedicated to President Lincoln who was the President when Nevada became a state in 1864.  Out side there are exhibits of old farm and mining equipment and some old buildings rescued from Pahrump.

Couple of old and small tractors, for a moment I thought I was back in France, when I moved to France back in the 80s used to see tractors like these all the time, the yellow one at the back is rear engined and the front one, a single cylinder engine.

It is now Tuesday afternoon and we are in Bakersfield, California.  I started to write this blog last Saturday afternoon and then lost the internet. Sunday we visited Death Valley still no internet when we returned.  Monday we moved to Shoshone at the south end of Desert Valley - - no internet. Now in Bakersfield and back on line, lots of catching up to do.

 Finish up with this lovely little bird hiding in the Bourgainvillea, can't find it on my ibird app, cute though. 

Las Vegas to Pahrump, Nevada

Yesterday in Las Vegas we had an easy day, a visit to The Premium Outlet Mall to find a Reebok store, both of us in need of some new shoes and then a visit to Camping World to get a new water filter for the trailer, really exciting stuff.

Las Vegas Camping World a bit like Narbonne Accessoires only 2 to 3 times bigger.

 On The Blue Diamond Highway from Las Vegas to Pahrump, we have to go over Spring Mountain Pass at 5500 ft. this is the approach to the pass I think it is called Red Rock Canyon, a very scenic drive.

Our home for the next few days, Preferred RV Resort, Pahrump.

Really well landscaped park, well looked after.

This snow topped mountain is between Pahrump and Las Vegas. There may be snow on the mountains but its warm down here in the valley, dinner outside tonight.

 Part of the cactus garden, just love that bird house.

Sunset here at Pahrump, The other side of those mountains is Death Valley, which is on our visit list while we are here.