Wednesday 11/14

Looked like it was going to be a super sunrise this morning. Nope. I’ve been waking just before sunrise about 5:50. At least it’s above freezing!! My thermostat says 51F. Yea baby! Clear and bright. There is a little General Store, a restaurant, a Ranger Station and a small motel, besides the CG, at Stovepipe Wells.

I get SHORTS out this morning! You can’t really pee out your back door here. It would be like peeing in Walmart’s parking lot. Off to the bathroom and a look-see around. Walk down to the ranger station to show my senior pass but it’s closed up. Do the rest of the tour around Stovepipe Wells and stop in the General store which really is a tourist gift shop. Ahhh, i can get the girls a souvenir and be done with it. Pick something out for all four of them and get a Death Valley magnet for me and start back to the schooner. Get about 1/2 way there and stop dead in my tracks! Whoa, sorry Sully! I’ll get you something somewhere else.

This isn’t my type of CG and you have to drive to see the different things here anyways, so i decide to go 32 miles north to Mesquite Flat CG up by Scotty’s Castle. Scotty’s Castle was flooded out in 2015 and the road was destroyed. Still not open but they think by 2020. I stop at all the little pullouts with placards. I’m learning a bit about geology in my travels. Stopped at some dunes and there was a guy in a BIG German MAN diesel washing his rig in the parking lot….if you have enough water on your rig to wash it, you’re carrying to much water.

Get to Mesquite Flats, only 3 rigs here! Get a nice site #28 and walk back to pay. In Death Valley it’s not a cash base. No putting your money in a envelope and dropping it in a pipe. It has a electronic setup like Missoula parking meters. Stick my Debit card in, go thru the procedure and ….declined! WITH? Maybe i need to transfer some money. Stick my CC in and same thing. Try my AMEX and declined again. Hmmm, i know there is another kiosk about two miles away so off i go. Get there go to put my card in and, for Christ sakes, the card won’t go all the way in. Get my knife out and see if i can get out whatever is in there. Nope. Oh well, back to the CG and will deal with it when the ranger shows up. No one in the CG has been able to pay.

Just hang out the rest of the day napping and reading. Reading a WEB Griffin book. A nice pleasant day.

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