The road from Tecopa to Death Valley National Park

Tecopa Palms RV Park

Before setting out this morning, we took a short stroll down the road from the RV park. 
The mountains in the distance looked eerie in the early morning light with the sun's rays penetrating through the clouds. It felt like we were in the middle of an alien world. Several Star Wars landscapes came to mind in this remote, barren place.
It had a mesmerizing appeal being in the total stillness and quiet. 

view across an ancient lake to the Nopah Range

road from Tecopa towards Rt 127 and Shoshone 

Across the street from the RV park, we investigated an abandoned laundromat. There were washing machines inside, rusted and useless.


Next to the laundry stands an abandoned, rusted truck, further accentuating the abandoned aura of this remote, lonely place. 

Alpine convoy in Shoshone

The closest town is Shoshone, where we all first gathered for breakfast at the only restaurant, before completing the drive into Death Valley National Park. 

Eating in small towns in out-of-the-way places is always a treat. When our group of 10 arrived, the poor waitress blanched as she scrambled to pull tables together, and her eyes grew larger after we asked for separate checks by couple. But after a few minutes, she relaxed and started chatting. Soon we learned all about her life: she had just sold a cattle ranch (really, here in the middle of nowhere there is ranching? poor cattle!), and prior to that she was an entertainer in Las Vegas (I can see your knowing smiles) as a belly dancer. And now she is pursuing a new line, waitressing and taking orders from groups of seniors who have the time to travel and ask for separate checks. My predictable life seems quite ordinary by comparison;)

The drive into Death Valley was spectacular. The sky was clear and with every twist and turn, the landscape changed. The variety in topography and geology in one area is remarkable and a feast for the eyes.

Death Valley in the distance

colorful rocks and sand deposits

sand dunes on Mesquite Flats

a gigantic sandbox filled with interesting formations

driving at or below sea level in different spots in the valley

At Stovepipe Wells, we set up camp and got our bearings. The next week promised to be busy exploring different areas in this 1.3 million acre National Park.