For back info you can go back to all the Moab trip posts or each installment: Day 1-3, Day 4, Day 5,
Day 6. Day 7 started out in the border town of Tonopah, NV. I'm not a big fan of border towns in general- they tend towards a certain ramshackle, get 'em while you can construction quality with an inordinately high number of cheap places to sleep vs. businesses and residences. Tonopah did little to dispel my preconceptions.
We pointed generally West and covered some serious miles. Southwestern USA does not lack for excellent highways with spreading vistas. That's for certain.
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Tonopah Station. It was cold, they take dogs. Other than that, I don't have much to endorse.
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Tonopah proper has some older buildings that I liked
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More old buildings in Tonopah
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And old cars. There is plenty of "old" there.
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...and a CREEPY "clown motel". I'm afraid of clowns, a little, and this place looks to me to be straight out of a Stephen King novel. I *almost* wish we had stayed there. Just to say we did. (note freaky 2/3-size painted guy on wall)
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More old. More Tonopah. Pretty mountains
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On the road again... with great, big, fluffy clouds
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Nevada desert dropping into Eastern California desert
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I wish that I had noticed the highway marker before clicking the shutter
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Doggy break. Sage.
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I have no idea why I took this picture, hope you enjoy it.
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Probably an awesome trout stream. Owens Valley, California (and no, we didn't have rods nor licenses, dangit)
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First of several hot springs with some hippy-dippy self-appointed caretaker who turned out to be a real peice of work. The best description I can offer is that he was a burnt-out surf goat type who was feeling territorial about "his" mungy little hot spring in the middle of almost-nowhere and sent us looking for a "better" one...
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...which lead us down some well-maintained fire roads with towering trees
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also soaring vistas -the Eastern Sierra in California is pretty. Go there.
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We finally found the "super secret" springs that the Goat had described. So secret that they had posted signs, and were entirely concreted in and no camping allowed.
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At least the setting remained spectacular, but we decided to press onward
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Soop. Surveying the Scenery serenely.
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A lousy picture of a pretty building
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Now *this* is more like what we were looking for!
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Natural hot spring cascading down into a natural pool formed by naturally(?) stacking rocks in a rough pattern.
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Complete with wildflowers
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And more wildflowers
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and more wildflowers!
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Majestic trees, seen from our campsite
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We even needed a little 4wd to get to our site
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After a soak in the springs, we built a firepit and enjoyed a tasty dinner.
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Our site
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I like the progress of my insulation when everyone else stayed pretty much the same.
Left to right: Steve, Annette, Seth, Soop
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Soop put on a different hat, I'm sporting down jacket. The tropis will do that to you.
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Campfire beats Casino 10/10 (but isn't as warm).
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Labels: 4wd, 4x4, california, camping, day trip, dog, expedition, land cruiser, moab, nevada
# posted by Steve Broyles @ 5/03/2008 12:13:00 PM
