Trip to the West Coast 8

July15th
After the desert we are cooling down at this very comfortable RV Park. We enjoy the bowling and the pool.

I think that most of our german friends have no idea how many American RV parks look like. It's rather like a big parking lot and has nothing to do with the camp grounds we know.

This one was really nice. That didn't help though that it was very hot and in the evening we had to have a very quick dinner because with the sun set came the cock roaches out of their hiding places and invaded our picnic spot. We kept the AC running day and night and we still had 95F at night!

July 16th

Exploring the amazing nature is a great experience but today we are heading to THE city! Unfortunately, oil is leaking from our caravan and the main plug for the electric hook-up is broken so that we have to go to a garage - why do these things happen on Fridays?!

 We still take the time to go on a scenic loop through the Red Rock Canyon on our Way to Vegas. These old sand dunes are so incredibly red!!

Finally at the garage in L.V. we're told that the differential is broken and that we need an exchange. Had I mentioned that our R.V. is totally old and shabby and I had to clean it before moving in? Well, we could hope for a new and better one now. Unfortunately, the central office doesn't agree, sends us to another garage that fixes the differential ... and we are spending the whole day waiting for our truck instead of making millions in the L.V. casinos. We only cross the city on our way to an RV park in Boulder City (at least we have to pick up the keys for the bathrooms in the Casino! How exciting!!!)

                                          We were not the only ones int the streets....
 We enjoy the pool and sweat through the night (still 100F).

July 17th
As our plug is still broken we don't go back to L.V. but to Cruise America's main hub to get it fixed... Afterwards we cross the Hoover Dam with Lake Mead which is impressingly big but alarmingly empty!

We continue our trip east wards to the Grand Canyon and shortly before Williams we get into a thunderstorm with heavy rain - I thought we were in the desert...

Only at 6 p.m. we arrive at the Grand Canyon, jump into a shuttle for Hermit Point and after a short walk to Hopi Point where we get to watch a breath taking sunset!!!

 Wow. This is so big and red and deep and all these cliffs and far far down the Colorado River!

Trip to the West Coast 7

July 12th
The weather is gorgeous and we are having a nice breakfast outside.

We drive into the Mammoth ski area...

... and take a shuttle bus which takes us on beautiful mountain passes to a ranger station. From here we hike to the amazing "postpiles", basalt rocks. It's quite warm but not too hot for our hike.

After the "Devil's postpile" we go another loop to the Minarette Waterfalls. On our way we even discover some spots of snow in the shade of the trees! The kids are totally astonished to find it while it is so warm.

 

We are back in the early evening and enjoy our bbq with alpenglow!!

July 13th

The desert is calling but first we need to go shopping in Bishop to get sunhats! After a picnic on the curb we continue our way to Lone Pine. It's quite hot and we are staying at an RV Park with a super warm pool.

Again: Diner with Alpenglow

July 14th

We should have started a little earlier to avoid the worst sun on midday... 5:30 is still awfully early!

Everybody is excited to explore the Death Valley National Park. We try to get gaz at the first station in the park, but they're out of stock... Will we get stranded so soon in 112F? Luckily we are getting gaz at the next station.

While having breakfast on the go we enjoy the Great Dunes at the beginning of the park.

We stop at the Borox pit, explore a little bit (like the wagon for 20 mules that had to carry the botox and water) but rush back into our truck to get out of the heat (although we already had to turn off the AC).

Another short hike takes us through a little canyon.

Finally we get to the salt fields - unfortunately at the hottest time of the day... After the Devil's Golf Course, Dietrich and the older ones walk through a salt field at Bad Water, ca. 274 ft below sea level!

The rock desert we are then driving through is breath taking with its different colors and countless different shapes and little canyons.

We finally get to go to the air-conditioned, cool visitor center. A totally enthusiastic Ranger explains the geological and other facts about the desert and the kids answer questions about the park so that they are sworn in as "Junior Park Rangers".

With the park we leave California and enter Nevada with its straight, never ending roads.

 It's still very hot. After that exhausting day we stay at a luxurious RV Park in Pahrump (very affordable though, here in the middle of nowhere) with a big pool and waterfall. The night in this heat is not very restful...

Trip to the West Coast 6

July 10th
This is a (very hot) day just to relax: pool, petting farm and gem hunt at the campground, shopping, campfire w/ marshmallows and s'mores (o.k. this is not the whole truth, of course there is laundry, cooking, cleaning...)

July 11th
Again Yosemite! This time we explore the giant sequoias of Tuolumne Grove. These giants are so majestic and its unbelievable that people carved one to drive through!! Nontheless we pose for a picture in it:

We leave Yosemite National Park through the north. This part of the park is at least as beautiful as the valley (and less crowded).

The weather is quite warm but not too hot so that we walk around a bit and enjoy this beautiful scenery. Then we drive east southwards. After a great scenic drive through the Sierra Nevada we arrive at Mammoth Lakes and stay at a big RV park.

   

Trip to the West Coast 5

After endless computer problems and a big mess with all our pictures I finally get to continue our blog :-))

July 9th
We are only an hour from Yosemite. On a quite hot morning we finally make it to our first "big" park! Yosemite Valley is spectacular with beautiful vistas and cascades ...

... but soooo crowded!

Why don't they have people leave their cars outside and organize a shuttle service like most of the other parks? It's not really amusing to thread a 30ft RV in these needle-eye parking lots...

We get a first refreshment at the Bridal Veil Falls that cover big part of the trail with their splashing water.

Then we hike to the "Lower Falls" which are together with their "Higher Falls" the highest water falls in the States.

After a hot day in the valley the kids cool off in the water

and on our way back we even catch sight of a (cinnamon brown) black bear next to the road !!!