Red Rock Canyon NV

Another Red Rock Canyon!

10.9.16

Red Rock Canyon... this time in Nevada!

The above photo also gives a clue about what we were up to the previous week...

Our dear friends the Morenos live in Las Vegas.

I'm pretty sure that spending time with them has been the kids' highlight of the trip so far...

:)

...and this photo clearly shows how excited the boys were to put up with Tim's and my enthusiasm for the fascinating rock formations and desert plants we encountered all day, like these:

 (Check out that BLUE sky!)

They had a great visitor's center...

...and this guy was the star of the show there.

What a fascinating and beautiful place!

Thank you, Morenos, for being so gracious and patient with us.

Our extended family can attest to the fact that having an adventure with us

really does require an extra dose of patience.  

We'll be back in the next post with our evening adventure with the Morenos!

Death Valley

Ridgecrest and Death Valley

9.29 - 10.1

In Ridgecrest, we learned about the local pictographs and petroglyphs.  Interesting...

Evidence of aliens, for sure.  ;)

We drove from there to Las Vegas,

and had to either drive around Death Valley or through it...

...so of course we drove through it.

Never mind that it was over 100 degrees...

 These crazy people were still excited to run out into it...

Can you see how red she is?

That's not a burn...it was just that hot!

After the first stop at the very hot sand dunes,

we stopped to check out the Harmony Borax Works.

The refinery was in operation from 1883-1888.

 Look!  It's a "20-mule team"!  I had no idea where Borax came from...

...and you can tell that lots of people are interested...

Check out all the cars in the parking lot of this place!  ;)

Can you even see our lonely van back there?

Next stop was Badwater Basin - the lowest point in North America!

This might look lovely and all,

but Jadan and I were thinking that we just might die before we made it back to the car.

It was so hot!  Have I already mentioned that!?  ;)

Our final stop in the Park was Artist's Drive and Artist's Palette.

See the cool green and pink in the back left of the photo?

Well, guess who had to get out there into it...

Can you see them out there?

 My compliments to the Artist

All in all...it wasn't my favorite park, and I wouldn't want to camp or go biking there...

Why do people do that???

...but it was a beauty we've never experienced before and were thankful to have seen.

Red Rock Canyon State Park CA

Red Rock Canyon State Park

9.28.16

Had to travel to a different city mid-week... 
happened to be driving past Red Rock Canyon State Park.
The geology here is like nothing we've seen before.

(Wait... that phrase seems familiar.  Which is about all that is seeming familiar...)

;)

We were greeted by this guy at the closed visitor's center.

Weedpatch Camp

-Excerpt from "The Heart of Weedpatch Camp" by Brie

Dad went out to the camp to have a look around.  When he came back he wore the biggest smile I'd seen in years.  And that smile was like a spark to firecrackers.

"Come on Dad, spill it!  Wha'dya find?"  Jeb and Jack shouted as they ran up to 'im, Chelsie not far behind.

"Dad!  Dad!  Spill Daddy!  Spill spill!"

Me and Clara walked up while Dad swooped Chelsie into the air.

"What is it Daddy?"  Clara asked with her eyes wide, while I held my breath.

"We are movin' into the camp!"

"But Dad," Jeb said, his face hardening.  "You don't have a job yet."

Dad's eyes twinkled.  "I do indeed, Jeb.  I'll be doin' maintenence work 'round the camp with some other men, and they said that's enough pay."

A grin cracked across Jeb's face.  "Aw, slip me five Dad, we're in!"  He said, as they shook hands and clapped each other across the back.

I smiled 'n hugged Clara, then we both smothered Chelsie.  But as Dad headed toward our tent shack, I thought I saw pain behind his smile.

Brie was interested in what life was like for people during the Dust Bowl/Great Depression Era when we studied this time in history last year.  She began writing this story, wanting to learn more and share what she learned about a man who was a hero to many of the children of Weedpatch Camp, Leo Hart.  We drove out to the location of Weedpatch Camp and listened to some of Brie's story...  She hasn't even gotten to the part about Leo yet! Don't you think she should get it finished?  ;)

"There are three buildings remaining from the camp that make up this National Register of Historic Places property: the community hall, the post office, and the library." - from Wikipedia

Brie really wanted to get in there!  Not happening this time...

It was really hot.  Can you tell?  ;)