Day 12 - 27 Sept: Hilltop, NV, to Zion National Park, UT

After a wild night of gales, we busted out as soon as we could as it was too windy even to make a cup of tea. We'd spotted various massive malls on the outskirts of LV the night before, so headed back looking for breakfast, a grocery store and somewhere to buy Dylan some cheap trainers. Not much was open at 8:30am on a Saturday...but one store fulfilled all our needs - Walmart! Our first experience of this phenomenon was surprisingly positive - plenty of mobility scooters and morbid obesity, but not an unpleasant shopping experience - until Ruth got spewed on at the checkout. In truth she was splashed rather than in the direct path, and it was all liquid - I think the poor kid had had too much pop - but it was simultaneously hilarious and appalling, appropriately enough for the venue.

Having picked up donuts as well as all our other supplies, we set off for the Hoover Dam, east of Vegas, eating breakfast on the way. Tried to buy coffee but ended up with some nasty, bitter, nuclear liquid, acquired while having to listen to a local explain to a long-lost acquaintance how he had just been arrested on a domestic charge...

Hoover Dam - impressed by the sight, we were even more so after the tour - jolly interesting. Checked out the various exhibits 'n' stuff, then did one.

Next stop, Zion National Park. Today was a three-state day. We'd already stepped into Arizona as the Hoover Dam is on the border with Nevada, and we'd walked across. The drive from Vegas took us back into AZ, then on to Utah, through some fairly mundane scenery, then some more stunning stuff.

As we neared Zion we were disappointed to see signs saying that the park was closed. Seems the tail end of a hurricane had brought unseasonal heavy rain over the previous couple of days and the Virgin River, which flows through Zion Canyon, was a raging torrent. We had noticed it was very full and chocolate brown as we'd followed its path on the I-15.

Enquiries at the St George Visitor Center revealed that the rain in the park had stopped, much of the flooding had cleared and parts of it had reopened, so we decided to press on. We didn't have a campsite booked - they're walk-up only - and got to the South Campground to find it showing 'Full' signs. The rangers were there, though, and revealed there was one solitary spot left. Relieved, we coughed up the outrageous $16, set up camp, marvelled at the beauty of the location and cooked dinner, before planning tomorrow, contingent on no further flooding, and crashing out, hoping it wouldn't rain again...

Day 11 - 26 Sept: Death Valley, CA, to Hilltop, NV

In order to beat the heat we got up with the sun and hit the road. In the cool and light of early morning the valley seemed much more appealing, and we were pleased and a bit proud to have spent the night on the valley floor.

So we returned to the sand dunes for another look in better circumstances, and to see if we could spot any tracks of nocturnal critters. And there were loads, including the unmistakable markings of the sidewinder.

Chuffed to bits at that, we set off for one of the ghost towns - Rhyolite. A brief step out of California into Nevada. Not much left, but interesting all the same.

Then to the lowest point in the US, Badwater Basin at -282 feet. Again, really interesting...

..and the boys decided to fulfill their Ice Bucket Challenge obligations there, albeit rather late in the piece and with a bucket of melted ice. Video's too big to upload here.

Then it was time to head out of Death Valley, with a couple of last stops...

Golden Canyon:

Zabriskie Point:

And Dante's View, just a short distance as the crow flies from Badwater but about 6,000 feet higher:

..before leaving California behind for now and venturing into Nevada for real this time. We drove along dead straight roads for a couple of hours, stopping in a scary town for supplies before heading up again into the Spring Mountains.

We looked set to have our first rain since Big Sur, and as it was still only late afternoon and the idea of sitting out the remainder of the day in the van didn't appeal, we decided to head down into Las Vegas. Hadn't really intended to bother with it, what with having the boys with us, but did a drive down the Vegas strip* both ways as it got dark. We all agreed, it's a bizarre place. Abandoned any idea of trying to stop on the strip - we had wanted to get food, at least - because we couldn't find anywhere to park our behemoth that had high enough clearance and seemed safe, plus the traffic was crazy and an epic thunderstorm blew in. We didn't even take any photos, just marveled at the insanity of it all, then headed out again.  

Decided to duck off the freeway to find burgers or something, but instead stumbled across a cute little family Italian and had probably our best meal yet in this country.

Made it back to the mountainside campsite, where it felt like the van might get blown away, or at least the pop-top might, so decided all four of us would have to be inside the van for the night. Cosy!

* Sorry, my cultural reference points don't seem to be getting any more useful.

Day 10 - 25 Sept: Grays Meadow, CA, to Death Valley, CA

Continued on down 395 with the majestic Sierra Nevada to our right and the Inyo Mountains to our left, an epic sweep of a valley so wide there's room for other stuff. 

We stopped in at Lone Pine to check out the Alabama Hills, with crazy rock formations and the locations of many a Western movie and TV series.

The hills' geology and weathering seem to lend themselves to the formation of arches, thus:

But this is also a great spot to view Mt Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48. So combine the two for a cheesy photo op.

We then stocked up with water and gas before heading, against Ruth's better judgment, at least, into Death Valley. We hadn't booked a campsite and were tossing up between one at 4,000 feet which might be a bit cooler, or an air-conditioned motel room at sea level. Drove in to Stovepipe Wells first and were staggered by the heat, so after a quick look at the sand dunes (the towels were wet...for about 30 seconds)...

..we headed for the hills - Wildrose in the Panamint Mountains, and its campsite, passing a group of wild burros on the way.

However, when the only living thing for miles around seemed to be the wild donkeys but probably included many a rattlesnake and the odd mountain lion, and the campsite was bleak and blown by a howling gale, we decided the air con was worth the $200.

At this point Ruth and I were actually begging to be transported out of this baking, windy, dusty hellhole. The landscape, although amazing, is very harsh and not what we would call beautiful. Glad to have been here and seen it, but we'll be heading out of here as soon as we can.

So to the motel, and they had a pool! Swim, dinner, beer, useless Wi-Fi...(real) bed.

Day 9 - 24 Sept: Silver Lake, CA, to Grays Meadow, CA

A much milder night at Silver Lake than Sunday, and a really decent night's sleep finally. 

Got on the road in good time, heading south on Route 395 down the East Sierra. Stopped in at the Devils Postpile, a mad volcanic formation à la Giant's Causeway, down a winding valley road. Some of these things really don't look real.

Where some of the fallen pieces lay, seemingly abandoned, it reminded me of the kouros in Greece, left unfinished when a flaw in the stone was discovered.

Onwards, and more spectacular scenery than you could poke a stick at...

..and then it was time for the main item on the itinerary for the day - the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. The 24-mile drive off 395 went up and up, one of the craziest roads I have ever driven. It was hot as hell at 4,000ft on the highway and the van's AC doesn't really work, gradually cooler as we ascended to the 10,000ft where these trees grow. Shortly before we got to the 'forest' we stopped to take in this view...

One runs out of words.

And so to the oldest trees on the planet, a day after the fattest.

The very oldest living specimen is about 4,700 years old, believe it or not. That one was too much of a hike away, but these ones are at least 4,000 years old.

Did an hour's walk on the Discovery Trail, where Dr Sherman first found some of the oldest ones. By comparing core samples from living and dead specimens, he built up a continuous record going back 10,000 years.

Time to descend back down into the inferno and head for camp - Grays Meadow, on the edge of Kings Canyon National Park. Unfortunately there's no access to it or the adjoining Sequoia National Park from this side...

..but as Tim (see a couple of days ago) of State Forests pointed out, "Just more trees." The campsite is beautiful anyway, and almost deserted, it seems.

Tomorrow we venture, with some trepidation, into Death Valley. The forecast is for about 43° - did I mention the lack of air con? Got to be done, though, although the heat already seems to be getting to Finley...

Day 8 - 23 Sept: Yosemite National Park, CA

Bacon and eggs on the van stove got the morning going right. Another beautiful, clear, warm day.

From the campsite we took a short drive to the trailhead for Tuolume Grove, one of three stands of giant sequoias in the park. Beautiful walk down through majestic coastal sequoias before the first of the big fellas came into view. We spent half an hour or so wandering around saying 'Wow!' a lot, climbing on and crawling through felled specimens and taking heaps of photos, before walking the 1:3 gradient mile back up.

We were then heading out of Yosemite, but not before another couple of walks. The Soda Springs were slightly underwhelming, but still interesting, especially with the historical background. We'd then intended to climb Lembert's Dome, a hike to the top of a ~10,000ft peak (from ~9,000ft), and had been told it would take about 3 hours. I encountered some resistance from the youngest member of the party, and he got some support when the first 10 minutes were rather strenuous, but we pressed on and it eased off, and we made it almost to the top in about 45 minutes.

Ruth and Dylan weren't game to go for the summit but Finley and I were. Pretty darn awesome. Pretty bloomin' scary, actually, but worth it. Very proud of the little chap.

And that was our Yosemite experience done. A truly awesome place, magical, one might say. I'd love to have had more time, but I think we really made the most of what little we had.

We drove out of the park and back to Silver Lake, where it was really hot still in the late afternoon, being a good few thousand feet lower. Had a chilled couple of hours, which made a refreshing change, the boys playing around the lake, Ruth and I tidying up the van, preparing dinner and generally relaxing, drinking more Sierra Nevada - definitely got rather a taste for that - and getting our first showers in too long, which was VERY welcome. 

Red beans and rice for dinner, roaring campfire, giant marshmallows...jet lag hopefully busted, should sleep well tonight.

BTW, we're blasé about bears now, used to putting everything away in the bear lockers but still yet to see any real sign that it's not all an elaborate hoax. Famous last words.