Grand Canyon and Death Valley, Yosemite National Park, Soutwestern USA travel diary

 

Grand Canyon

The next morning, put up your luggage and cadge a bad breakfast, we made sail for West Rim, the west side of the Grand Canyon, by all indicatoci like more savage and less tourism. We had all the necessary information written in a package, we made the full car and greeted by a Las Vegas last step in its main boulevard. From there we are on the state and we have directed towards the desert. The mood was through the roof and could not that be so, surrounded by nature but adverse damned fascinating. The road has been longer than expected, perhaps because of some uncertainty about the interpretation of our driving directions. The fact is that overnight the darkness fell and we were alone in the middle of nothing. Fortunately suddenly in the middle of the dark pesto if they have checked a huge billboard that showed the words "West Rim, fifty miles." It seemed that, just go down that road on the left who proceeded to nothing and we would have found a destination. Prey to optimism, we decided to stop in the city before the national park to eat our dinner. More than a city issue of a few houses from all over and forgotten by all, with one open house. Stopping the car we went and we have taken their seats. The location was certainly distinctive, typical film on Far West, with a bar where beer and gulp cafe and more at the bottom, slightly apart, a saloon where proposed course of country. The location could not be crowded define, in effect beyond us there were only two cow boys in shirt, jeans, leather boots with a bit absurd (mancavano spurs!), A leather belt of a snake and the inevitable hat of the order (even while eating!).

While cenavamo we asked the owner some nice information about how to get there, after we lifted the anchor and we are quickly broken down. The road that we had before was not any kind of lighting, but fortunately enlightened enough to an incredible full moon. The only forms of life than we were the number of insects and hares that have repeatedly threatened to invest. At one point we saw on the right a tiny sign indicating the entrance to the park of the Grand Canyon. And here it is difficult if the road just traveled could not easily defined, that which has been presented before, you probably could not even bear the name of the street. It was a strip of torn clay of the desert, crossed by streams and obviously devoid of any form of lighting. It was virtually impossible to travel over twenty miles per hour, the hares that we met were much faster than us and we wanted more than an hour to travel the few miles that separated us from the goal. Arrived at their destination around in the night, we were faced with a poor building, devoid of any information on the place where we were finished. The suspicion that he had mistaken the road began to rise in our minds. There was plenty of choice but to park the car and wait until the first light of dawn, trying to crush a nap.
That done, we have reclining seats in our Taurus, and as we navigated campers immediately fell into a deep and restful sleep.

Grand Canyon

As usual, awakened by the first light of dawn they were doing on the head rear window, we realized that we were finished, fortunately in the right place: the collected information, we opted for a tour that took us to visit the most striking observation points Grand Canyon West Rim. What to say, the view that offers this corner of the world is difficult to describe in few words. It seems to see a huge wound that plunges to the heart of the earth, in a depression of several hundreds of meters. Right in the middle of this large wound, like a blood rigolo, imperturbable runs the Colorado River. The tour lasted no more than two hours, and included a delicious dinner offered by the local Indians, since it is from them that has managed the entire reserve of the Grand Canyon National Parck. We were still in front half a day and with it yet another decision on how to continue our journey. The alternatives were essentially two: to continue eastwards to visit another part of the Grand Canyon (South Rim, the most tourist ever!) Or head towards the west, and more specifically to the "infamous" Death Valley. After a quick consultation, the cultural association Parallel Back to Zero, ruled by an absolute majority to proceed to the Valley of Death.

Death Valley

We have already heard before and she had seen a glimpse of the television, but it is hard to imagine what is really waiting for them there. The road to reach it seemed simple enough (at least on the map), but it really was not that. We had to retrace the contrary miles of asphalt up to Las Vegas and then turn toward the north. In a moment we were surrounded by darkness, lost in a language of asphalt crossing the desert. We arrived at what we could define the tourist center of Death Valley when it was already evening. The tourist center is presented as a sort of cathedral in the desert, and as such prices remained very high, at least for us. The only place where we could fix something to eat was a supermarket, which is also still with price scare. Our dinner was a cup of hot chocolate and lots of good intentions! Swallowed our dinner, we went to look for a place to park our house ... in a moment we were ready for yet another night in the car. The next morning we were awakened by an unusual warm, that we were more used to warn. In fact we were in the middle of a sort of desert, which in summer had a record temperature of 51 ° C. well

Reorganization of the car, we were directed towards the tourist and with the help of the Rangers, we have identified some of the most suggestive that the valley could offer. So it was time to leave at a time of Bad Water, our first goal. This is a lake at high salt concentrations, where most water was evaporated and had left in the ground a considerable layer of white salt. With the sun beating a peak was virtually impossible not to wear the sunglasses and also the temperature was so high that is enough for just ten minutes buscar headaches. We then divided the time of the Natural Bridge, our second stage. This is a bridge of rock carved by the power of that over the centuries has created an impressive natural bridge which rises above a canyon (a river dried up by now). The last major step was the Golden Canyon, just for a canyon with the special characteristic of having a yellow ocher earth with which the reflection of sunlight, taking a color of sea bream. Time is a tyrant ... Before you know it had already passed half the day and things to do were very many. First we had to head towards our next destination, the Yosemite National Parck, and along the road had also planned to stop and take a look at other points of interest in Death Valley. We again pointed toward the tourist center where we found time to munch a quick breakfast and then away to new shores. As ground miles the landscape changes abruptly, within a couple of hours we went from desert to snowy mountains. The night was approaching fast and we had to overcome the Sierra Nevada to bring us as close as possible to Yosemite ... perhaps taken too much enthusiasm, perhaps the road called the race, the fact is that in the middle of the path are checked behind us the funny red and blue lucette accompanied by a familiar sound of sirens. Salivation suddenly cleared, and a lump has formed in my throat: it was just him, a sheriff with seriosissimo divided Manganello and pistolone. Has approached the window with making threats to ask for identification documents. Had committed the most classic of offenses: speeding. After a few moments of terror, the Sheriff has shown compliant and enabled us to resume the journey.

The path continued between high trees and spray the snow to Lake Tahoe where we stopped to dine in the usual fast-food. In fact the idea was to cross the Sierra Nevada through a mountain pass that would have led us immediately to Yosemite National Park. Unfortunately, with our extreme displeasure, the pitch was still closed because of snow and the only way to achieve our goal was to get around the Sierra Nevada through Carlson City, Lake Tahoe to Sacramento and then back to ' south entrance of the national park. But back to our dinner at the fast food ... We then continued up to the outskirts of Sacramento, where we stopped to sleep in the car park of a service station.

Yosemite National Park

Wake up in the usual good time, right time demisting glass of our machine and we were still on the road. the day was excellent and the road to reach the park was even more beautiful: gentle hills between green hills, ranches and herds to pasture. Our goal was to reach the day of a hostel which was just outside the park to finally crush a nap on a real bed, and above all make us a healthy shower ... had five days that we could not wash and now in our skin begins to form a worrying oily layer, impermeable to water and weathering. Going into the reception for the hostel we were led to visit the room and we have communicated the price ... fifty dollars to sleep under a sort of tent of the fairs! It seemed too far and now we were loyal to our machine. But unfortunately our home as comfortable crew might be, was not a shower. We had some moments of indecision and then we thought well of it dirty ... showers were slightly defiladed accommodation from the central body, the right needed to implement the perfect crime, one after the other we put in the undergrowth to reach the showers and we have thoroughly cleaned up, shaved and scented ... we were new men!

Gathered our things as if nothing had happened, we called again on the road to reach the entrance to the now near Yosemite. The spectacle offered by the natural park was respectable, although in fact looks much like our dolomites. Majestic yellow pine as the eye can see in the midst of which it unravel pedestrian inevitably going to end at the foot of spectacular waterfalls and crystalline lakes. Unlike our dolomiti Park Service provided a first-order, starting with an efficient public transport, information and office facilities. We did not escape the facts at a free tour which allowed us to visit most of the park we will get acquainted closer with some of its principal inhabitants as deer, squirrels and birds of various kinds. Began to decline in the evening and we were facing the same problem as always: where to spend the night? The park provided an opportunity to camp in it but as usual the price was not for us, all that remained the same machine and started the engine so we began the descent towards temperatures
milder for not risking frostbite night.

The next and final destination to the stars and stripes was San Francisco, too distant to reach in the evening, so we decided to gallop as much as needed to stop it at the usual fast-food is not just tired.