Schoolboy or schoolgirl error, drive an hour past Bakersfield yesterday to shorten today's drive. Into the mountains again we go, to a forecast of snow!! Tehachapi at about 1200m is on the eastern edge of the San Joaquin Valley. Well at least we will be stuck in the mountains rather than having to make a last minute decision whether or not to cross them!
As it turned out the forecasts were alarmist for our part of California but we did see pictures of heavy snow further north. We had a bit of freezing sleet to cope with but as soon as we were out of the mountains the sun was shining again and the temperature had risen to nearly 20. Overall today we left Tehachapi at 4ºC and arrived in Death Valley at 27ºC - which is actually cool for here. Expecting 38 later in the week. And believe it or not it rained over night in Furnace Creek, near the lowest and hottest point of Death Valley. It doesn't do that much but we are as always the rain bringers!
A quick stop for coffee in a California City, which seemed largely deserted, and a gradual drop into Death Valley past the borax and potash mines.
And before we knew it we were in the lowest, hottest and driest part of the USA, perhaps the Western Hemisphere. As it was unseasonably cool, we walked the Mosaic Canyon from one end to another and back again, around 5km. But even at 27º that is enough.
Time for lunch in Stovepipe Wells where I had a bit of nightmare with some chicken wings!
And then a short late dash to the Mesquite Sand dunes for a short walk and a quick photo-op.
And then on to our, admittedly rather luxury hotel, for the next two nights. Hotels in National Parks are notoriously expensive and we have previously forked out a small fortune to stay in what felt like a prisoner of war camp in Yellowstone and a scout hut in Grand Teton, but this place is actually worth the money. This is the view from our balcony as we contemplate an evening of food, beer and star gazing. More on that tomorrow , when we will also hopefully visit the salt flats and try to keep hydrated! Bye for now. More pictures tomorrow but the bar is calling...
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