Fun in the Sun, Las Vegas Jan1-2, 2012

So sunday morning we were to meet up with a group called My 2 Wheels at a gas station west of Las Vegas. It was 7 am when we started our trip so it was a bit chilly, but it quickly warmed up. I counted 13 bikes at the beginning ranging from hayabusas, to Cruisers, to sport touring bikes(KLR's) Kickstands were up just after 8am and it was time to ride to breakfast.

After a 1.5 hour ride we stopped to get breakfast. It was a small nice little place but the wind was really acting up.

After breakfast was eaten, I rode across the street to "top off" my gas tank. I laughed when I saw the price of gas.

After this we took off and didn't stop for about 4,000 ft up and 6,000 ft down. I'll explain in the next picture. The guys that we were riding with exceeded my comfort level so I just took it as I could and we wrode for a few more hours to Badwater, saw Telescope Peak, etc. Quick facts on Death Valley, CA. "Death Valley National Park is located in California and is about 90 miles from Las Vegas, NV. Within 30 minutes one can drive 240 feet below sea level to over 6,000 feet with a 20 degree drop in temperature." Death Valley National Park has more than 3.3 million acres of spectacular desert scenery, interesting and rare desert wildlife, complex geology, undisturbed wilderness, and sites of historical and cultural interest. Bounded on the west by 11,049 foot Telescope Peak and on the east by 5,475 foot Dante's View, Badwater is the lowest point (-282 feet) in the western hemisphere. High Point Elevation: 11,049 feet (Telescope Peak) Low Point Elevation: -282 feet (Badwater) Weather One of the hottest places on earth- 134 degrees F was recorded in 1913, second only to the 136 degrees registered in Libya in 1936.

Riding with gloves and not being able to take them off as easily was hard, so Jared got creative and took most of my photos from the driver seat. This is the only one that turned out somewhat of me in the background.

We rode a one way road that was steep, narrow and had quick turns and drop offs. It was actually really fun. We rode until we got to Furnace Creek Campground/Resort/Rv park and took a break, got some suveniers and relaxed for a few minutes. A few riders decided to take off to beat the sunset and we wrode to a detour to Scotty's castle.

Hidden in the green oasis of Grapevine Canyon in far northern Death Valley, the Death Valley Ranch, or Scotty's Castle as it is more commonly known, is a window into the life and times of the Roaring 20's and Depression 30's. It was and is an engineer's dream home, a wealthy matron's vacation home and a man-of-mystery's hideout and getaway. Walter Scott, Death Valley Scotty, convinced everyone that he had built the castle with money from his rich secret mines in the area. Albert Mussey Johnson actually built the house as a vacation getaway for himself and his wife Bessie. Scotty was the mystery, the cowboy, and the entertainer, but he was also a friend. Albert was the brains and the money. Two men as different as night and day, from different worlds and with different visions - who shared a dream.

http://www.nps.gov/deva/historyculture/upload/Chronicle2007.pdf http://www.nps.gov/deva/historyculture/virtual-tour.htm After the sun went down, we hit the freeway after dinner and rode as quick as we could in the bitter cold. Got back to the house around 8PM after picking up some chicken from smiths and fell asleep very quickly. Awesome ride! The next morning we loaded up the bikes again and headed for home. We planned on riding Zions National park in St. George UT but we will be back in May for the VBA Rally.

Total miles on motorcycle: 600+ Truck with trailer: 840+ miles