With the end of the year approaching and a quote in my head “the world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page” , Tim & I set off on the 290 mile ride north to Stovepipe Wells in the middle of Death Valley. Our choice of route was limited due to the high wind advisory in effect along the route so we took it easy, riding north to Victorville, on to Ridgecrest and into Death Valley National Park excited to see some of the gems the area has to offer: Badwater Basin, Ubehebe Crater, Furnace Creek, Racetrack Playa and Titus Canyon.

After arriving at Stovepipe Wells we set up camp and headed to the Stovepipe Wells village Saloon for dinner and chat with a couple of our neighbors at the camp site.

For the next few days we toured around the area visiting places that had been recommended. The place does not disappoint. Death Valley was given its forbidding name by a group of pioneers lost in the winter of 1849-1850. Now, you can find a newly remodeled Oasis at Death Valley near Furnace Creek offering a great buffet breakfast, facilities and everything you would expect from a modern hotel. The local sites of Badwater Basin and Ubehebe Crater are worth a visit but the off road trek to and through Titus Canyon was absolutely magical.