ZR-1 Corvette Road Trip to the Southwest and San Diego

[PhillipsLT5]

Originally Posted by XfireZ51

I'm in for a West side tour.

Me too


Sent from my iPhone using ZR-1 Net Registry

[QB93Z]

On Day 15 and 16 we were at Zion National Park:





On the way into the park we stopped to look at the mountains and spotted an eagle soaring among the cliffs:





The portions of Zion NP that are accessible to the public are relatively small. There is a single road that runs from the entrance station (s) to the north end of the park. Due to the large number of visitors to Zion each day, the main park road has been closed to private vehicles. There are shuttle busses that run continuously the length of the road.


Our first hike in Zion was along the Virgin River at the north end of the canyon:











Along the trail we spotted many squirrels. Some were more socialize than others:





to be continued......

[QB93Z]

On Wednesday morning were took some more hikes in Zion NP. Since the paths are pretty crowded later in the day, we set out from the Grotto area early in the morning. The Virgin River carved the Zion Canyon over about a million years. the shaping of the canyon is still actively underway. As recently as 1995, major rock slides close the road and stranded guests at the Zion Canyon Lodge. We hiked from the Grotto area above the Lodge and climbed up the rocks to the Upper Emerald Lagoon and then followed the small water falls down to the river:




















Jim

[QB93Z]

On Day 16, the mid way point of the trip we left Zion NP and drove southwest thru Utah and the corner of Arizona, to Las Vegas Nevada.


Along the way we passed through St George, UT, the place where we bought the Purple Z just 2 years ago. It had 4,000 miles then, now it has 41,850 miles.


The landscape of southwest Utah has several different characteristics. It was hot and windy as we approached Las Vegas.



















Jim

[QB93Z]

Day 17: We spent a second day in Las Vegas, relaxing by the pool, catching up and reprovisioning. The Purple Z got an oil change, new front tires and an alignment. I put on Nitto 555's. This is my first time for the Nittos. I will let you know how they work out.





I entered the drawing for this new C-7. Do you think they will let me drive it home?





Jim

[A26B]

They might but I would wager Lyndy would get the pleasure. The C7 is sooo enjoyable to drive!

[key_on]

I will be watching for a purple Z in Vegas today. We are at the Bellagio for a little R&R.

[QB93Z]

Day 18: On Friday, we drove from Las Vegas to Death Valley National Park. The traffic un US-95 north from Las Vegas was light and the road was in excellent condition:





Along the way, near Area 51, we got a photo next to the Largest M80 Firecracker in the world:







We stopped briefly in Beatty, NV to get a picture at the Atomic Inn. The inn had seen better days:





From Beatty, is was a straight run into Death Valley:








to be continued....

[QB93Z]

We drove south and down to the "floor" of the Valley. When the GPS said that we were at sea level (0 ft elevation), we stopped for a reference photo:








There is a nice, paved, turn out loop road that leads to an area called Artist's Palette. We found rock formation of various colors:








Next we drove to one of the most interesting landscapes in Death Valley called the Devil's Golf Course:








The landscape is composed of a mixture of salt, rocks, and silt. The evaporated salt water leaves the surface crust very firm, but with lots of open cavities.


to be continued....

[QB93Z]

We headed further south to the lowest point in North America at Bad Water:





Our GPS showed -272 feet but the actual elevation is 282 feet below sea level.





It is hard to see in the picture, but there is a sign on the side of the mountain above me that marks sea level:





At Bad Water, the surface is a hard shell salt flat. Death Valley only receives about 2 inches of rain a year. There is no outflow from the valley so the salt is building up at Bad Water.






In addition to the deepest point in North America, Death Valley holds the record for the highest recorded temperature in the world, 134 degrees, and it is the driest place in America.


We headed north again to the sand dunes in the central area of the park:





We rested for the night at the Stovepipe Wells Village:





Jim