Death Valley: Day 1

Day 110

Vegas continues to suck down our money. Two days at the RV park has set us back  another $64. It’s time to do what we do best. Hit the road without a plan and hope for the best. Another glance at the map this morning and I call an audible to our travel route. Heading north looks like less of an elevation change than going back south. Either way the end destination is the same. This will also give us a chance to see a little bit more of Nevada. So it’s decided. We stop for fuel and propane before traveling off into the unknown. Death Valley will most likely be sparse of resources. ​

We pass by the Creech Air Force Base on highway 95 northbound. Katie is able to snap a couple of pictures as we roll past. There's drones flying overhead keeping an eye on things. The main focus of Creech is to provide security to the nuclear testing facility out here in the mountains. Once by this it’s wide open spaces for the next hour. Nevada’s barren land is a sight to be seen. Huge skies constrained by mountain peaks on both sides provide a fresh perspective of desert. There’s nobody out here. We pass through Amargosa Valley and drop south to Death Valley. Along the way we spot a casino/RV park at the Nevada border. It’s always worth checking out our options on the road.

This place is $25 a night for electric and water. It even has a petting zoo. With our tanks full and batteries charged we press on. There’s a boondocking spot just outside of Death Valley that we have in mind. What we didn’t plan on was not having a cell signal when we got here. There’s no address and the GPS couldn’t find it. So it’s with eyes wide open we look down the left side of the road for this RV oasis. ​

​Known locally as the “Pads”, the ownership of this place remains in question. The American Borax company built this site for it’s workers back in the 70’s. It was a place for them to park there trailers while mining the hills. Turns out to be damn near perfect for someone looking to hang out in the RV for a couple of days. We find a spot and settle in. This large level lot makes it easy to park and gives us a nice concrete patio for the next few days. The only thing we are lacking is a cell signal. That means this blog will be a little late to the masses. Such is life.