Week 7
Sunday, June 13th: Plan was to spend the day touring around Death Valley. Drive to Death Valley takes us to Death Valley Junction, California (ghost town, population=2) where we meet half the population which is outnumbered by the wild horses around town--we see 5 of them. We swing back into Nevada, thru Beatty where we stop for late lunch/early dinner. There is a brothel (it is legal in Nevada) across the hiway. Next stop is the ghost town of Rhyolite. No one here. Then a short drive and we are back into California and soon into Death Valley. Wow! Campground is huge and just about empty. We decide to continue south thru park. Come eventually to lowest point in North America -- 282 feet below sea level. Sign is way up the side of the mountain just east of us. More mountains are across the flat valley -- both sets of mountains run north/south. We travel south between them on the east side of the valley. There seems to be water, or is it a mirage, on the west side of the valley. Sun is setting behind the western mountain range. We are the only ones here. The wind is breezy and hot and it is trying to suck the moisture out off us. It is like a sauna though, as well. Hot this late in the day. For an hour and a half we see no other human. We do see some wild life crossing the hiway in front of us as we continue south thru the park and all the way to the interstate. Arrive about 11:30pm. We spend the night in the car -- sweating. We move on at 3:30am when I have to find a rest room. Oh, the airconditioning is a welcome relief as we drive half a mile to an open restaurant. It is stinking hot even this late at night/early in the morning. We drive half an hour and come to a rest area. We try to get some sleep here. It is still stinking hot. Cindy has her window open all the way and her head is almost hanging out.
Monday, June 14th: Plan is to drive from Death Valley campground west thru to Victorville then south east to Joshua Tree National Park which is south towards Mexico and east of Palm Springs. We awaken in the rest area already long out of Death Valley. It is stinking hot already at 5:30am. When we get to Calico Ghosttown, no one is there yet; it is too early. On to Barstow, outlet malls, then Victorville, (we picked up some of Route 66 thru here) then towards Joshua Tree N.P. No running water in the park. We find campsite amongst huge boulders. Great campground, except for lack of water. Weirdest looking trees.
Tuesday, June 15th: Plan is to tour about the park, and maybe neighbouring towns. We do. Found showers outside park. Touring outside park takes us thru Palm Springs. Returning to park we see what seem to be thousands of huge wind mills.
Wednseday, June 16th: Plan is to drive up to Los Angeles area and stay at the Red Roof Inn a couple of blocks from Disneyland in Anaheim. In driving to Anaheim, we strayed back to Bakersfield and met up with the old Route 66 again. We even found the original McDonald's today. It is now a museum, not serving food. Discovered who the first Ronald McDonald was.
Who was he you ask? Give you a hint: he became a tv personality, and still is.
After checking in at the RRI, we drive over to Downtown Disney, or was it the Disney Market Place? We stroll about and return to motel after late dinner.
Thursday, June 17th: no specific plans for our next several days: but we do want to get to Hollywood, Rodeo Drive, beaches, Santa Monica pier where Route 66 ends, maybe a tv or studio tour, Crystal Cathedral which is very close to our motel, etc. Today is visit the Crystal Cathedral day. It is nearby. There is a Sunday morning religious tv broadcast from here. It is quite the fancy, clean, classy place. We do our own tour about. From here we go south west t the coast and start a drive from Newport Beach all the way to Venice Beach with several scenic stops along the way. Then the long drive back to the motel.
Friday, June 18th: no specific plan. We drive north to Sandimas where we pick up Route 66 again and follow it west thru Hollywood, Beverley Hills, L.A. all the way to the coast and the Santa Monica Pier, with diversions to the Beverley Hills Hotel, Rodeo Drive, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood & Vine, Mel's Drive-In. Eventually, the long drive back to the motel. The pier was a bit of a let-down. Years ago when I was about 13, dad brought us here. The place was known as Pacific Ocean Park, or Palisades of the Pacific, (after Palisades Park in New Jersey) and there was an old wooden rollercoaster in those days. I didn't do the coaster then. I wanted to do it this trip. The old coaster was gone and there is now a newer metal coaster that did NOT look like a challenge.
Saturday, June 19th: Up real early and shuttle bus over to Disneyland. Spent the entire day til closing at Disneyland and neighbouring California Adventure (Disney's latest park, just a short walk away). Was it the Beach Boys or Beach Boys look-a-likes that entertained us when we arrived after lunch at California Adventure? I did the Tower of Terror and got the t-shirt. Several hours of fun and walking about later we take in the closing parade at Adventure. Then it back to Disneyland for the closing fireworks. What a day.