Had a day off on Friday, and decided to head out into the desert for a walkabout.
My initial destination was a place called Cathedral Canyon, a small natural canyon which has been transformed into a display of icons, statues, and text on stained glass by a since deceased Las Vegas lawyer, apparently as a way to cope with the untimely death of his daughter. If I'd have found the bloody thing where I was told it would be, I'd write about it. But, like Rick in Casablanca, "I was misinformed". I have a fix on it now, and I'll head there soon.
None the less, my trip took me way off the beaten path, south into California, along a road so desolate and long I started to wonder if putting as much distance between myself and civilization was such a fantastic idea. My survival kit was on board, but my spare tire was not.
Just as I was starting to consider turning back, the road began to wind back and forth in order to traverse a mountain. It was fun to drive on, and the view was spectacular, so I pressed on. Below is a short video clip of the winding road as seen coming back, from the cockpit of the A4. (Careful with volume. The car stereo is audible).
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yy_lKnPwjK8
After the road settled back to it's straight 'n narrow routine on the other side, I came into the town of Tecopa. I think I saw 2 people in the entire town, and both were driving. One in a mail car, the other in a bright yellow school bus that read "Death Valley School District" on it. A few miles down the road, I found the school. A one story building no larger than the first floor of our home on Belmont Drive, perhaps smaller. The only other nearby buildings were a couple of tiny houses, and a post office. A nearby sign suggested I hang a right and visit the famous hot springs and RV park nearby, but I chose to pass. A couple more miles down the road was a huge cross and a small church. Beyond that, the road sunk back into the desert all the way to the horizon, and it was clear the next town was a long way away. I only got one picture (above) because the silence was a little unnerving, and the town seemed about a half mile wide.
My initial destination was a place called Cathedral Canyon, a small natural canyon which has been transformed into a display of icons, statues, and text on stained glass by a since deceased Las Vegas lawyer, apparently as a way to cope with the untimely death of his daughter. If I'd have found the bloody thing where I was told it would be, I'd write about it. But, like Rick in Casablanca, "I was misinformed". I have a fix on it now, and I'll head there soon.
None the less, my trip took me way off the beaten path, south into California, along a road so desolate and long I started to wonder if putting as much distance between myself and civilization was such a fantastic idea. My survival kit was on board, but my spare tire was not.
Just as I was starting to consider turning back, the road began to wind back and forth in order to traverse a mountain. It was fun to drive on, and the view was spectacular, so I pressed on. Below is a short video clip of the winding road as seen coming back, from the cockpit of the A4. (Careful with volume. The car stereo is audible).
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yy_lKnPwjK8
After the road settled back to it's straight 'n narrow routine on the other side, I came into the town of Tecopa. I think I saw 2 people in the entire town, and both were driving. One in a mail car, the other in a bright yellow school bus that read "Death Valley School District" on it. A few miles down the road, I found the school. A one story building no larger than the first floor of our home on Belmont Drive, perhaps smaller. The only other nearby buildings were a couple of tiny houses, and a post office. A nearby sign suggested I hang a right and visit the famous hot springs and RV park nearby, but I chose to pass. A couple more miles down the road was a huge cross and a small church. Beyond that, the road sunk back into the desert all the way to the horizon, and it was clear the next town was a long way away. I only got one picture (above) because the silence was a little unnerving, and the town seemed about a half mile wide.
Tecopa: Population 99, consisting of 60 households, and 22 families. The median income for a household was $12,344, and the median income for a family was $16,250. Males had a median income of $0 versus $31,250 for females. They have a shiny new school bus.
The RV park must be popular on weekends. On the return trip I passed no less than 20 RV's towing ATV's, go karts, dune buggies, etc.
The RV park must be popular on weekends. On the return trip I passed no less than 20 RV's towing ATV's, go karts, dune buggies, etc.
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