Two days to Tecopa, California

It took a couple of days to reach Tecopa, California, 417 miles away. Here we would meet up with Alpine friends at the Tecopa Palms RV Park, stay two nights then continue on to Death Valley together where we would spend the next week. 

The first leg was from Gold Canyon to Kingman.  

We left the Arizonian on a bright, blue-sky day heading west along I-10 and 60W through Phoenix. It took over an hour to get through this sprawling city. Eventually we left "civizilation" behind and faced the familiar flat desert ahead of us. 

Joshua Forest Scenic Parkway

We continued along Rt 93, also known as the Joshua Forest Scenic Parkway, and one we had not yet traveled. It was every bit scenic with its interesting topography and forest of Joshua trees, a Mojave Desert native that grows between elevations of 2 and 6,000 feet. 
We descended, the Joshua trees disappeared and saguaros reappeared. 
It happens that quickly. 
Elevation gain or loss makes a difference to vegetation.

saguaro reappear

Next came a long, ear-popping ascent followed by a long gradual 6% downgrade. The grandeur of the scenery was riveting as we drove through a landscape of saguaro, palo verde and creosote surrounded by mountain peaks and canyons. 

We crossed Burro Creek with its spectacular deep canyon. The creek was bone dry except for a hint of a patch of water reflecting in the sun. I wondered whether this creek ever filled up.

Burro Creek below the bridge we crossed

Eventually we hooked up with I-40 to Kingman. 
Kingman, a half-way point to Tecopa, was also a convenient stop to re-fuel and have an oil service at Speedco located less than half a mile away from our RV Park. 

All Alpine servicing completed, we pulled into our site at Blake Ranch RV Park, set up, went for a quick walk, had dinner and headed for a night's rest after a long day.

The following morning we were up and out to Blue Diamond Truck wash where the undercarriage got a thorough cleaning, finally getting rid of the anti-icing salts and crud from the Texas roads. We were lucky as there were only 3 trucks ahead of us, so we were back on I-40 within the hour, heading to Rt 93 and several miles of more spectacular scenery. We were driving along the tops of the mountains.

sweeping view from the front

We caught a glimpse of the Colorado River snaking its way through the canyons. 

that spot of blue among the hills is the Colorado River

Next we drove down a 6% grade for three miles until we saw the turn-off to Laughlin and continued on route 93. 


We passed Hoover Dam, crossed from Arizona into Nevada, then passed Lake Mead, places we explored the same time last year. 

Mike O'Callaghan Memorial Bridge across Hoover Dam

Lake Mead

Route 215 took us through Las Vegas.

approaching Las Vegas with snow capped mountains

red rocks 

We continued on Route 160 all the way to Pahrump.  
Just past Las Vegas the road took us through the Lake Mead Recreational area with more mesmerizing scenery and signature red rocks. We toured the Red Rock Canyon over a decade ago now. 



Next came a section of the Spring Mountains Recreational Area with more Joshua tree forests populating the valley we were driving through.

Joshua tree valley

We approached Pahrump, which appears to have expanded substantially since we were last there a decade ago. My question remains the same: why would folks choose to live here and what do they do here? Apparently there must have been some reason to be drawn to this remote desert spot today which is not apparent to me.


We left Nevada, entered California, and were on the final stretch of today's 194-mile remaining journey to Tecopa. 

The scenery once again was quite picturesque, despite its barren and mostly bare terrain. I find the mountain folds fascinating, and typically try to envision how this topography was formed eons ago. This volatile area of previous volcanic activity and turbulence along the earth's crust left us this legacy of upthrusts and interesting rock colors and formations which are today a playground for us retirees. Other than recreational opportunity, there isn't much else for which this barren expanse can be used. But it certainly is pretty to look at and photograph. 

approaching the Shoshone Valley and Tecopa

you can see the salt deposits throughout the area

Tecopa is mostly known for its hot springs. Numerous natural hot springs emerge from a small range of hills in ancient Lake Tecopa, the remnant of a Pleistocene or ice age lake. This site supported one of the largest native American populations in the entire Death Valley region when Europeans first passed through the area. The town was named in honor of the local Paiute leader in the late 1870's, although Tecopa himself actually lived in Pahrump Valley. Originally the area attracted prospectors and as mines developed nearby, Tecopa served as the settlement.  The town was established by two Brown brothers in 1875 and named Brownsville. Jonas Osborne bought out the Browns and renamed the town Tecopa. 

We arrived in Tecopa at Tecopa Palms RV after mid-day. The Johnsons, then the Vosses and the Barrows joined us soon after.

set up for a couple of nights at the Tecopa Palms RV Park, enjoying a
gorgeous sunset over the glowing pink mountains 

Tecopa Palms RV Park was as we remembered it from a year ago. 
(https://alpine36adventures.blogspot.com/2017/01/tecopa-hot-springs.html)

We enjoyed soaking in the private hot mineral pools and the next day we explored family owned and run China Ranch Date Farm and Bakery tucked away in an oasis among the mountain folds and badlands. We sampled various dates, each with its unique color, texture and taste, enjoyed a delicious date shake, and stocked up with home-baked date bread. 

My boyscout hubby climbed up to the top of the hill to take a picture of the gift shop and bakery with the date tree farm beyond, the only spot of green in this otherwise barren landscape.


We wandered along the China Ranch Creek behind the gift shop that gives life to this hidden oasis, and then through the date grove, intrigued by the clusters of dates and the net bags used to harvest them. 

If you are wondering how dates came to be grown in a dry, unforgiving landscape that is now riddled with abandoned mines, the China Ranch website has a great overview and also tells the story of how this farm came to be called China Ranch: 
http://www.chinaranch.com/category_s/25.htm

Alpines lined up across the street from the Crowbar Cafe

Monday morning we stopped in Shoshone, about 8 miles away, for breakfast at the Crowbar Cafe before continuing into Death Valley. 
We also made a quick stop at the museum next door, now housed in an old gas station. We found out all sorts of facts about this remote and sparsely populated spot close to Death Valley.






This crazy quilt was in a display cabinet. I wondered if perhaps Charles Brown was related to the two brothers who established the town.


This 1906 White sewing machine belonged to Nona Rosenberg. She and her family lived on the T&T railroad when her husband was bridge foreman in charge of bridge maintenance along the route. He and his crew lived in box cars on sidings along the railroad wherever bridge repairs were needed. One of their favorite stops was Shoshone. It would appear that no matter the era, women on the road bring their favorite tool along! Thankfully my sewing machine is far more portable.


The 60-mile drive in to Death Valley was even more spectacular under today's clear, bright skies than a year ago. 



We drove straight to Furnace Creek where we pulled in at the Visitor Center for information about ranger programs and maps. 

Alpines lined up at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center

From Furnace Creek to our campground at Stovepipe Wells is 25 miles. 
I took over the wheel, and drove the rest of the way, happy to discover that, like riding a bicycle, driving the Alpine all came back to me and my confidence improved. However, I am not quite ready yet to exchange the quieter less-traveled roads for highways and will leave those to my seasoned bus driver. For a while longer anyway.

driving a 36-foot bus, towing a Jeep - Yikes!

phew! made it and parked it today

Today's driving lesson included starting up and negotiating my way out of the parking lot and on to the road. And it included pulling into a pull-through site, avoiding the electrical post and faucet, while leaving enough space for the room and closet slides to extend. With the Jeep still attached, one can't back up so it's preferable to get it just right the first time. 

The Smiths and Archers were already at Stovepipe Wells when we pulled up. This year we were 6 coaches (we missed the Collinses and Hassmans who sadly could not make it this year.) 

set up and ready to explore Death Valley