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Death Valley to Las Vegas. What a trip! I requested my people get up and leave the hotel at 5:30am. They grumbled until about noonish when they realized why we'd gotten an early start. We left Lone Pine and headed into Death Valley almost straight away, it wasn't that far to the sign in the middle of the road.
Then its an uphill and downhill climb to the first oasis where we stopped and picniced for breakfast, that was really nice (5 bucks to use the picnic tables and toilets at Panamint Springs~sheesh) and then uphill and downhill again to the second (Stovepipe Wells~ big convenient store but nothing much else).

Funny looking aren't they?

We stopped at some sand dunes and had a picture stop then we headed on down the road to Salt Creek to have a minor hike~ no water in the creek :(. Wow, hot. It was only 90 by then, that was 9am. Then we headed on down to Furnace Creek to have a look around and a stop at the market for some cold drinks. I got the groups helicopter rides all sorted out  today for Grand Canyon. They are all going on a flight. Its going to be great for them! I can't wait to hear all about it. They do that in a weeks time though so back to today.
The temperature was climbing so fast! By the time we reached Furnace Creek (talk about oasis!) it was 110 degrees. That store has lots of good stuff and the rangers are there too.
I decided to change the day up and drive them as far as Badwater and then turn around and go through Pahrump to Las Vegas. We stopped at the Devils Golf Course (rough gravel road) and then also at Badwater Basin (great walk out to the salt flats~really bright!) Its was too hot for Clint Eastwood to handle so near 120 degrees out. Jean bought a thermometer with Clint Eastwood on it in Walker and we've been carrying it around to see the temp outside. He was off the charts today. They put a sign up on the canyon wall that marks the actual sea level. So its pretty neat there. You have the highest peak in the park at 11,000 ft and then the lowest point in the US at -282ft and a sign to mark it for you. It gives you good perspective.

I really liked Death Valley alot. What an amazing place and so beautiful for a desert. I really enjoyed myself alot there.
So it was a good day and I am glad we didn't skip those things but they were so anxious to get to Vegas that I could have skipped the first 2 stops and they would have been fine with it.
Now that we are in Vegas on a Saturday night they are all out looking for fun. They were so excited they practically ran with their luggage to get ready and go out. They are funny.
Tomorrow we go to Zion and that will be nice. I'll have a full day off there and I'm so glad. They ride the shuttle everywhere and I can do laundry and a hike and a nap and a swim and it will be soo nice!
I also have to clean out the van because we've managed to track in major salt from the flats. Ha.

Now to wander the strip and see what's changed.