Borax was known as “white gold” here in Death Valley. Mining operations were set up and 20 mule team teams were used to transport the stuff out of the area. We visited this abandoned site where we could see the operations along with an example of the 20 mule team carts that they pulled. Rob noted that the last of the 3 carts was a 1200 gallon water tank used to keep the mules hydrated as well as their drivers.
Harmony Borax Works
We hit a few tourist interest spots along the way (Zabriskie Point and Harmony Borax works – photos above, no those are NOT the sand dunes – keep looking down for those), and soon we found ourselves in Rhyolite, a ghost town long since abandoned when the mines all closed up in the 1920’s.
Hey, where are the dunes photos?
Dar will put them in eventually Jan. With our travel schedule and stuff, the biggest challenge right now is time for her to do the photo editing. To be honest, she’s not even done editing our own wedding photos!
as soon as she’s got them done, they’ll be put up.
I’m assigning her a “photo of the day” and we’ll soon have a gallery up as well. Even if we dont post a trip log for the day, we’ll have a photo of the day
Hey. love those photos…thanks! I really like the angle on the opera house, inside and out, and the wagon wheel and the dunes, and…you get the idea! Places like that are really awe-inspiring. Thanks again. And I do know how hard it is to get the photo stuff done. Since we got home from Malawi I have made only one post to our blog. However, it’s a philosophical one that needed some time to process before posting. Check it out at http://nesscafe.wordpress.com
Hi Jan, there’s still more coming for this day yet, including ghost town and sand dunes. Check back again tomorrow, I hope to have them finished. Just downloading 300+ from my memory cards now.
Jan I tried your link but it just goes to a “how-to” word press page.
Dar, I edited Jan’s comment with the correct link now
Pictures are gorgeous as usual. You should be tweeting this.
thanks, I think Rob is but he still wants to add some more stuff to it before he advertises it
Thanks for sharing your stories! They are great! I am a young snowbird too so I have had some of the same challenges. I would like to know how you were getting internet service in these remote places?
When we book our sites, we ask about wifi. All our wifi is provided by the parks. Most are free, but we’ve had to pay for some Tengo at times. Next year we’re going to get our own wireless modem and hook up with “Clear” who provide a signal in both Arizona and Texas
On another trip to Death Valley, it is most worthwhile to visit Scottys Castle. The story of Scotty and the castle and how it came to be built is fascinating. It is a US National Parks historic site. Good luck with your continued snowbirding (we are young ones too).
FYI for all Young Snowbirds readers: Road Trip calendars for 2011 are now available on my site. I had so many images and requests to have them that I have created a calendar of some of my favorites from the road. You can see all the images in the calendar and order one on my photography blog at: http://www.herviewphotography.com/2010/09/30/road-trip-2011-calendars.html