"I'm leaving Las Vegas..."

There. I finally got to paraphrase that Sheryl Crow song. You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that.

Watching Sin City disappear from my rear view mirror, I felt unusually pleased. I had no more business there. I wiped the town clean. (Well... a teeny bit.) I hit the road with the radio blaring, my window full open, the wind blowing through my hair and a satisfied grin across my face.

Heading north on 95, I come to a tiny town with an old west feel. I decide to check my oil, and when I pop open my hood... ACK! My oil cap is missing. I have no idea how long or how far I'd driven with it like that. I didn't even know if it was a real bad thing or not. I grabbed some duct tape from the trunk, and covered up the hole.

Beatty, known as the Gateway to Death Valley, was a short 30 miles away. I arrived there okay, and was very pleased to find an auto parts store. I explained the make and model of my car, and the guy went in the back and came out just as fast with the right part. Two bucks. There is a God.

I stopped by the Death Valley Information Station, and spoke with Connie Patterson for a short while about what I need to know before heading in. She offered me a free plastic gallon bottle for my car, and pointed out a water hose in the back of the building. After stocking my car with water, for both it and me, I cross a very simple California state line marker and start my journey into Death Valley.

I guess I didn't really know what to expect. I had this idea that it was completely barren. Nothing but hard, broken desert ground with little plant life and not too much scenery. I was wrong.

Watching the sun fade beneath the horizon here almost feels like some otherworldly gift I'd been given. "You've made it this far on your trip, so I'll give you a spectacular sunset."

It was my absolute favorite type of sky. I forget the name of those clouds, but they're the kind where it's all dark in one part, and out of a corner, a few single beams of sunlight break through like heavenly headlights.

The Furnace Creek Ranch is located at, of course, Furnace Creek in the central region of Death Valley. It's a wonderful little resort, complete with tennis and basketball courts, a swimming pool, two restaurants, the Corkscrew Saloon, a General Store that sells just about anything you'd need (or don't need but end up buying anyway), and it's also proudly "Home of the World's Lowest Golf Course".

"Tee up 214 feet below sea level on our 18 hole oasis golf course. In Death Valley National Park surrounded by majestic mountains and hundreds of shade trees, our course makes for a perfect and memorable gold outing."

Room prices at the Ranch range from $90 for a cabin up to $130 for Parkside accomodations. At the Inn, prices go from $145 to $325, depending on room type and dates. (Inn: 619-786-2361 / Ranch: 619-786-2345 / Fax: 619-786-2307)

Tomorrow will take me to Badwater, the lowest elevation in the United States (I'll stand there, look up, and wave at all of you), and further on into California with my final destination, Los Angeles!

See you on the road...

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