.

[Jim Ratto]

It’s been over 10 years since I’ve made a journey out to Death Valley, CA. If you’ve never been, and appreciate the grandeur of Mother Nature at work, plan a trip. Late fall and early spring are my favorite times to go, though I have made the really stupid mistake of going in August.

In March 1991 I went for the very first time….all by myself, in a Fiat X19. I had a week off, vacation from Buggy House and no plans, no girlfriend, nothing going on. Woke up one day, unfolded an old crinkly California map, eyes fell on Zabriskie Point, in Death Valley. Within 20 minutes I had packed a change of clothes, about $100 in cash and took off in the X19. For fun I took all secondary roads there….taking 2 dazed days to get there after rambling through some weird roads through Central Valley, and Mojave desert. After finally getting there, I spent a mere two hours or so there, hiking around in the dunes, dodging sidewinders and weird bugs. Being all alone out there (with a bad storm looming to the west) got a little unnerving. Hopped back in Fiat and headed back up Panamint mountains, out of the sink, passing Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells. The drive from Panamint Valley back to I-395, along SR 190 is a beautiful drive, lots of saline valleys and surreal rock formations. By the time I got to I-395, near Olancha, the sky became a dark red and the wind was horrible. By the time I got up on SR58 west headed into Tehachapi, it was snowing fiercely and I could barely see and the little Fiat was swerving and swiveling around almost across two lanes. I was going to have to stop for the night. Thing was I had $17.00 to my name, and back in ’91, ATM machines were still a luxury, and Tehachapi wasn’t so equipped. I found a cheap motel, run by some wrinkly old lady. The rooms were $55 a night, but after some pleading she gave me a room for $17.00 and even gave me a bag of green grapes for dinner.

Since I’ve been 4 or 5 more times….the one time in August was really dumb…. Flat tire, speaker box where spare should have been, 120 degrees F, gravel road, ravens circling, visions of skeletons……. Thanks goodness for Fix A Flat.

Any of you other guys enjoy the desert

[Sarge]

Man...perfect timing, Jim!  Just happen to have a few Death Valley pics in my computer today .  I agree with you...there is nothing better then the soitude of the desert.  These were taken sometime in the '80's while on vacation.  A nice mushroom omelet would make this trip even better...

[Sarge]

Here's a couple more taken at Zabriske Point.  For those of you who have never been here, think of walking on the moon and you'll get the idea...then turn the heater up to 120 degrees! 

[BeetleBug]

During my drive on Route 66 we did a few detours including the Hoover dam and Grand Canyon. We did the three day tour of the Canyon and I loved every second of it. After day one we skipped the guided tour and walked by ourselves instead. This was in early September but it was still crowded. I would have loved to go the the dessert just to listen to the silence.

Please post more pics if you have because they keep us that lives close to the North Pole warm.

Best rgs
BB

[Sarge]

During my drive on Route 66 we did a few detours including the Hoover dam and Grand Canyon. We did the three day tour of the Canyon and I loved every second of it. After day one we skipped the guided tour and walked by ourselves instead. This was in early September but it was still crowded. I would have loved to go the the dessert just to listen to the silence.

Please post more pics if you have because they keep us that lives close to the North Pole warm.

Best rgs
BB

My pleasure!  My wife and I were amazed at the amount of Germans visiting the day we were at Furnace Creek in Death Valley.  I guess it's the hot, dry climate that lures them in...then there's the stark, vast beauty, too.

I will try to dig some pictures out from my stash.

Sarge do you still have the pic of the scorpion "pieces"?

Not "the one" but a scorpion none the less...   How 'bout a BEER???

[Rick Meredith]

I'm always up for a trip to the desert. Love going out in the Jeep.

On another note when I used to work SCCA races at Willow Springs, I used to get up at 4:30am so I could catch sunrise on the Pearblossom Hwy and then make it to the track by 7:30am. I had my Thunderbird SuperCoupe at the the time... it was a great road tripping car... best I've owned.

[Sarge]

I'm out of Death Valley...how about a blast in the rail? 

[Carlos De Alba]

I'm out of Death Valley...how about a blast in the rail? 

Yeaahhh.......baby!!!! 

[Sarge]

I'm out of Death Valley...how about a blast in the rail? 

Yeaahhh.......baby!!!! 

MORE...

[Jon]

I going over to the States in just a few days...  these pictures doesn't make the wait any easier...
Any chance you still have that Rail stashed away somewhere 

[Sarge]

Any chance you still have that Rail stashed away somewhere 

Don't I wish!  I sold out ten years ago.  Where are you headed over here?

[Zach Gomulka]

ATM machines were still a luxury, and Tehachapi wasn’t so equipped....

Just drove through there Monday, still nothing

[Rick Meredith]

Stop here?? 

[Jason Foster]

Great story Jim.  and great pics Sarge!

[BeetleBug]

This is getting better and better, thanks for sharing.

One happening I remember quite well was driving from a place called Gila Bends towards Mexico and Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) Not a car on the road and the road was straight for as long as we could see. We started to believe we was heading in the wrong direction when we suddently could hear a strange SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH sound. On each side of the car two fighter jets passed us flying so low that I swear we could see the color of the pilots eyes. Once passed us they flew straight up in the air and splitted directons before they dived towards the ground again while strange lights came out of them. DAM! Silence again.... for a couple of seconds..... when suddently BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.. Loud bangs and the dust came up from the ground not far from us. For a split second I thought they where trying to hit us in our white rental van. We stepped on the gas and got away from there as fast as we could - nobody told us that the road to Rocky Point was going through a military training area for the fighter jet based in Tucson.

Well, if this was a bit...................exotic I can tell you that our three day stay at The Point was like a David Lynch movie. But that`s a totally different story containing newly rich americans, alcohol, silicon breasts, a house on the beach, mexicans and bbq`s.

[Sarge]

This is getting better and better, thanks for sharing.

One happening I remember quite well was driving from a place called Gila Bends towards Mexico and Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) Not a car on the road and the road was straight for as long as we could see. We started to believe we was heading in the wrong direction when we suddently could hear a strange SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH sound. On each side of the car two fighter jets passed us flying so low that I swear we could see the color of the pilots eyes. Once passed us they flew straight up in the air and splitted directons before they dived towards the ground again while strange lights came out of them. DAM! Silence again.... for a couple of seconds..... when suddently BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.. Loud bangs and the dust came up from the ground not far from us. For a split second I thought they where trying to hit us in our white rental van. We stepped on the gas and got away from there as fast as we could - nobody told us that the road to Rocky Point was going through a military training area for the fighter jet based in Tucson.

Well, if this was a bit...................exotic I can tell you that our three day stay at The Point was like a David Lynch movie. But that`s a totally different story containing newly rich americans, alcohol, silicon breasts, a house on the beach, mexicans and bbq`s.

Ah....Mexico!   Cool story    We got buzzed (by aircraft ) quite a bit as the area adjacent to the dunes is a military training area, too.  The jets would come out of nowhere and scare the crap out of us...SHEEESH!!

[ApeLatex]

I only go down there to do peyote and go naked Indian hunting.

[Lee.C]

Now thats where I need to take the Manx 

[Rick Meredith]

I only go down there to do peyote and go naked Indian hunting.

 
Are hunting for Indians that are naked or are you hunting Indians while naked??

 

[ApeLatex]

Dude. Rent the fucking Doors movie. C'MON!

[alfie the monster]

That's part of next months road trip 

Although I think the rental Dodge Charger wouldn't be as great off road as the rail 

[ApeLatex]

I'm afraid not my dear friend Jim...my mojo's just been on the rise lately.