Death Valley National Park

Pahrump Nevada is a city about 63 miles west of Las Vegas, that's where Brent's cousin Janet lives with her husband Jerry. We got there around noon on the 19th. I had been weepy eyed on the ride thinking I was missing Trace's 1st birthday. Hope it turned out nice. When we got there Janet and Jerry were not there, so we unhooked the Tracker and left the motorhome there and went into town. They live out of town a ways towards death valley. We had some lunch and gambled a little but didn't win. Take me back to the Indian casinos! They were having an RV show in the parking lot of one of the casino's so we decided to go look at them. They were pretty nice, but man were they expensive. The only one I would have wanted to trade ours in for was almost a half million dollars!!! While we were looking Jerry called and said they were home, so we headed out to their place. We visited and they fixed us a very nice dinner.
The next day they said they wanted to take us to Tecopa hot mineral springs to soak. It is located in the California Mojave desert about 15 miles from Pahtump. They usually go at least twice a week as they are therapeutic for aches muscles and joints. We said sure that sounded good. Brent discovered that he hadn't packed his swimsuit, so he ran to Walmart to get one while I was getting ready, then off we went. When we get there we meet the people who manage it as Janet and Jerry know them quite well. We go to our perpective dressing rooms and I proceed to change into my suit, when Janet tells me no suits are allowed you have to go in nude as the waters have a natural water rating second only to Baden-Baden hot springs on the French and German borders and to wear clothes of any kind in them pollutes them. HUMMMM never done this before. I was a little uncomfortable but thought what the heck, so in I went after a shower with soaping to get any lotions ect off my body which is required. After the initial skyness of being nude it was actually very nice and I have to admit that it relieved my aches and pains. Of course we didn't see the guys until after cause it is not co-ed. I wondered how Brent was reacting to this and afterwords I asked him and he just shrugged his shoulders. Oh well life is about new experieces I guess. Sorry no pictures of this.
After we were done here Jerry took us to an Oasis in the desert called China ranch. Part of the adventure is getting there as you wind down a narrow road and when you get there there are dates palms and willows and a stream running through it all.

This is not at all visible on the desert it just looks like it's all sand and sage brush with nothing green in site. It's amazing. It's owned by a private person who has a date palm farm so to speak. The dates were almost ready to harvest and they cover them with pieces of clothing it looks different.

They had a little gift shop and serve up date shakes, cookies, muffins and candy. We had a date shake and I bought some cookies. The grounds were cute too.


We visited some ruins where pioneers and miners lived back in the day. Some had 3 rooms. These are truly fixer uppers.



The Next day we went deep into death Valley National Park. It is an awsome place.

Then on to a place that was built in the deseret by a rich man. It's called Scottys Castle. It's was really a castle in the desert. Very elaborate. We took a tour of the inside it was unbelievable.


Well that's all for now..