Red Rock Canyon Nevada

We finally visited Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Death Valley - February 2019

We stopped again for a couple of days in Death Valley National Park.

During our previous visit, the Artist's Drive loop road was closed due to the government shutdown.  We made sure to take in that drive on this visit.

Rincon Parkway - February 2019

We spent a couple more days at the Rincon Parkway as we started towards the east.

This time we spotted a few Gray Whales migrating north.

Due to the shape of their blowholes, Gray Whales produce a "heart-shaped" blow.

We always seem to see interesting aircraft pass by.

I always like how the late afternoon sunlight backlights the breaking waves.

Another nice sunset

Rincon Parkway - January 2019

After Morro Strand, we spent a few day at the Rincon Parkway camping area near Ventura, California.

This dog was having a great time fetching in the surf.

We also saw some unusual aircraft.

We happened to be there during the "Super Blood Wolf Moon" lunar eclipse.

And we saw a couple of nice sunsets.

Morro Strand - January 2019

We again spent a few days in January at the Morro Strand State Beach campground near Morro Bay, California.

Elegant Terns

A gull unhappy with us being too close

Willet landing

Morro Rock

Beach scenes

 

We watched these mushrooms grow during our stay.

Death Valley 2019 - Part 2

Another day we revisited a few favorite spots accessed off the Emigrant Canyon Road.  First we headed to the site of the mining boom town of Skidoo.

A couple of old structures near the road into Skidoo

There is nothing left at the Skidoo town site except an interpretive sign.

Just a little further down the road and around the back of a hill is the Skidoo Mill where ore from the mines was processed.

Trail from parking area to mill

Interpretive sign for the mill

Current condition of the Skidoo Mill

Ten of the fifteen stamps in the mill that crushed the gold ore

Business end of the mill stamps where the ore got crushed

The remains of an old car in the canyon near the mill

One of four jet fighters that passed overhead

After returning to our car from the mill, we spotted this bighorn ram who came down the hillside we had just walked along and proceeded to cross the canyon.

Our next stop was Aguereberry Point.

Parked at Aguereberry Point

Looking towards Badwater Basin

Looking northeast

Our last stop for the day was the Wildrose Canyon Charcoal Kilns. These beehive shaped kilns were built in 1877 for converting local Pinon Pine logs into charcoal.  The charcoal was used in two area ore smelters.