Pahrump

tee hee - what a great place name! After breakfast and some grocery shopping (including the recommended 6 litres of water for Death Valley) at Stellar Brew in Mammoth Lakes, we headed to Bishop for Burger King lunch. The temperature here was already scorchio! We'd both been very nervous about today's visit to the most inhospital part of the country at this time of year, but a chat with the photography shop bloke reassured us greatly. And he was so right! This has without doubt been the best day of the holiday so far, and the best views. Every turn of the corner was amazing and we took so many photos. We got out of the car a few times to experience what it would be like to be cooked in an oven / thrown about in a tumble dryer and it was amazing! It was120 degrees in the shade on the valley floor and marginally cooler when you were in the mountain ranges. The route we took went across all three mountain ranges and was fantastic. We drove in from west to east then joined the north to south ride so saw the maximum possible on a one way trip. The end of the day saw us at Badwater for the most incredible sunset, at 284 feet below sea level. Fantastic.

Badwater

In the evening we arived in Pahrump (tee hee!) - a huge sprawling town- and the hotel room is HUGE! With mirrored walls! We hit the pool and the hot tub immediately (heaven - in the cool water with stars, moon and palm trees overhead) then went into the next door sports bar for another huge portioned dinner. Potato skins with olives, tomatoes and spring onions to start, Richard had Caesar Salad and I had Taco Salad. The taco was the size of two dinner plates! Then time for bed....

Feeling hot hot hot!

First sight of valley floor

In the shade!

Holding our breath

Last sight of sun over Valley

That tiny sign is at sea level!

On route to Death Valley

Sand Dunes

Sunset at Badwater