China Ranch and back to Death Valley

Well for all that would like to know it is chilly here in Pahrump so today we decided to go back into Death Valley where it would be warmer. We picked up Reink and Lona and headed out for the day.

Reink and Lona wanted to show us the China Ranch which is just outside Tecopa Springs California, you are travelling across the desert and then down through a canyon and into a wonderful oasis of date palm trees, so beautiful.

We had a date shake and it was the best ever.

Reink led us down the garden path out toward the date tree orchard.

There was a sign about an alligator and this is what we found.

The covers over the dates are to protect the fruit from the birds.

Here is one of the many varieties under the sheets.

Some of the first palms planted over 90 years ago.

This poor palm was still alive but very bent about.

The date farm also had a coupld pomegranet(sp) tree. A first for most of us to see.

The road out of the canyon.

Here are some of the cliff dwellings made by the miners back in the days, they are in Shoshone, CA.

Off toward Death Valley and we came across a mule train so we stopped to ask if we could take pictures and had a little chat. They were on their way to furnace creek.

A couple of the team.

This is the Badland and is 282 fet below sea level.

The Devils golfcourse

Around the Artist Drive.

On the way home we stopped at Death Valley junction and made reservations for next Sunday to see the Opera at the Amargosa Opera house, excited about that. We were now heading back to Pahrump in the dark and when we hit the high pass it started to just pour and up on top Ron battle sleet and snow, much better when we got off the hill into Pahrump.