Our holiday visit in Las Vegas was great. We hope all of you enjoyed your holidays just as much.

I wish I could tell you more about the last two weeks, but I think you know that, “Whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

I can tell you that The Flying Ham got a new decal for Christmas. It’s a flying pig!

Monday, Dec. 31

We left Vegas on New Year’s eve day on our way to Death Valley. Our first stop was at China Ranch Date Farm, where we would spend the night. The farm is set in an oasis, down in a valley, by a river. To get to the farm, we had to leave pavement and travel for a few miles on a dirt road. Things were going pretty well until the road narrowed to one lane. To continue we had to drive through an opening that had been carved out in the mountains. It quickly dropped off and there was a sharp turn just ahead. All we could see were jagged rocks. I stopped the Ham deciding whether we should move on. Because backing up or turning around were not options, we decided to go for it. Halfway through the mountain, all I could hear was Lois moaning in the back of the Ham. It was so tight, that it seemed like the rock walls could squeeze shut at any time. One more turn and we were out!

We were greeted with the oasis date farm, old rustic buildings and informational signs telling of the area’s past. Chocolate chip date cookies were coming out of the oven when we entered the gift shop. Yeah, we bought a dozen. You were allowed to taste the many different varies of dates for free, so we had supper.

We spent the night in their parking lot in total darkness. I was quite eerie taking the dogs out at bedtime. The stars were incredible though. We were totally off the grid, so watching any New Year’s Eve activities was not going to happen. We went to bed early.

Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019

I got up at sunrise to start investigating the trails, date farm and mountains. It was a very cold morning, so Carol and Lois stayed in the Ham. After the trails and the farm, I took on a mountain. At the top were incredible views and about 50 mph winds. I apologize for using the word ”incredible” so much, but so many things are. We left for Death Valley.

To get to Death Valley, you have drive up the mountains first. The decent gets more beautiful by the mile. We stopped at Zabriskie Point to enjoy the panoramic view. A wide, steep, paved trail takes you to an amazing viewing point. Carol and I found the long trip to the top a little challenging, but it was worth it. The views were beyond incredible. As we walked back to the Ham, I decided I was going to put Lois in her mobile chair and push her up the trail. She was thrilled, and so were we.

We stayed at a Death Valley campground that night for free.

Wednesday, Jan. 2

Planet of the Apes, Star Trek V, Lost in Space, Westworld and other projects have been filmed at Trona Pinnacles. Trona Pinnacles are unique geographical formations that raise out of the desert. It was a must see for me. The only problem was the 5 miles of rough, torturous, bumpy, dirt road to get there. It took 35 minutes after we left the pavement, driving between 5 and 10 mph. Lois and I loved the pinnacles. Carol not so much. You decide from the pictures.

We stayed at an RV park in Mojave, CA. We hope to forget about it soon.

Thursday, Jan. 3

Everyday’s adventure sometimes isn’t as big as other days. Today’s adventure was just getting out of that nasty RV park.