Greetings from Death Valley

Saturday, February 8, 2025

We arrived at Las Vegas airport at about 12:30am this morning. Given the time zone shift, it was 2:30am for us. We Ubered to our Days Inn and sat around looking at our phones and reading flyers I picked up in the lobby. It was close to 2 local time when we went to bed. I couldn’t get to sleep until nearly 4am. The continental breakfast started at 4am, so I seriously considered walking across the parking lot to check it out. I didn’t because I didn’t want Keith to wake up. Keith got our rental car (‘for the first time, he tried the trick of reserving a smaller car than he really wanted, since they always offer you a bigger car at check in for a modest upgrade. It worked. We got our Nissan Altima for $100 less than just ordering one) and we set off for Walmart. It was on the way to California, and we needed supplies.

We spent an hour and a half in Walmart. First, their special at Subway lured us and we enjoyed our lunch. I had a pepperoni something sandwich, and it was bizarrely good. Don’t know what it was, but I gobbled it up. Then we went looking for soda. We bought a 24 pack and looked at chips. We went back and forth about 16 times between the Super Bowl displays and the regular aisle. Seriously. We weren’t in a hurry, and it is a good thing.

We had the road to Death Valley to ourselves. We met about 10 low, zoomy, fast, expensive cars on the way. We could just hear that throaty rumble as they came toward us, just a few inches above the road. One was actually going our way, and when he got the chance to pass, it was like we were standing still. Vroooom.

We got to Death Valley and stopped at the ticket kiosk. There were machines to buy passes, which we already had from Volcanos a couple weeks ago. We were ready to move on, but I couldn’t leave without checking out the mysterious cooler with a rock on it. What the heck was in there? I thought maybe there were tickets to fill the machines and that would be funny. I thought maybe there were bottles of water to save thirsting hot people. I moved the rock. I opened the catch on one side. I lifted it a fraction of an inch and let it drop.

What if it was snakes? Just a whole bucket of snakes?

I jumped away. I was pretty sure they would yellow-ish snakes with some red bits.

I went back. I thought about leaving the mystery. But mystery!! I lifted it again two fractions and let it drop.

Snakes! It could be snakes because DEATH Valley.

Why would they have a cooler of snakes? It didn’t seem right. But it seemed so possible.

I couldn’t do it. I could not leave without knowing. I lifted the lid an inch and peeked, ready to dop it and run.

It was a battery for the ticket machines.

Phew. I was safe. I latched and returned the rock. Phew.

We drove to the visitor center and did the learning. It was very interesting – as learning so often is.

We drove around a tiny bit of the park. Rocks are cool.

We checked into The Ranch and enjoyed some time in front of the fire. The weather was gorgeous. It was 78 when we got to the visitor center, and dropped a bit after sunset (but, still. Not below freezing!)