Cole wasn't permitted on the overlook trail at Dante's View, so we hiked higher up another mountain and got the best view of Death Valley's Salt Basin! Adapt and overcome.
View from 5500 feet.
Shortly afterwards, the view from the lowest point in America, Badwater basin: 282 feet below sea level. I couldn't resist, I had to taste the ground, it is salty. I didn't feel so goofy after seeing other tourists do the same. Indeed, the park was busy, mostly French and German tourists. Without even hearing them speak, I could tell them apart. The French were dressed for a Sunday stroll to the café, the Germans could all pass as National Geographic photographers. See Exhibit "A"...
He had this thing shipped over for this "excursion", as he called it.
I had erroneously believed Death Valley to be an abandoned, lifeless place. Not so, see Exhibit "B": a resort. Also in Death Valley: an Indian reservation, campgrounds and a gas station.
Where do you see these anymore?
Coyotes, bigger than Cole, have lost their fear of humans. After this encounter, at least 5 local people have told me to watch over Cole that they wouldn't hesitate to take him down. Gulp!
Here's another cool fact about Death Valley: Badwater Basin was the site of borax mining 120 years ago. The company's 20 mule team needed 30 days to complete, what must have been under atrocious conditions, a 165 mile round trip to the Mohave railroad junction. That old fashioned box of 20 Mule Borax, this is where it all began!
My road leading out of Death Valley had been washed away by floods. Oxymoronic: flooding in a desert. I lost a couple hours backtracking out and ended up, as usual, seeking a place for the night after sundown. Let's face it, I'll never learn.
A convenience store owner informed me that the only place accepting dogs within 60 miles was a resort in Tecopa Hot Springs.
This gave me pause for concern, but when I saw at least 8 Buddhist monks milling around, I figured the place to be safe. After paying for my room, as I was unloading my car, the monks piled into their van and left. I should have followed them!
I didn't know why they bothered to give me a key, the door didn't lock.
I found the smoke detector under the bed with an assortment of Skittles and false nails. Cole was instructed to get on the bed and stay there!
Look what he found in the bed: someone else's sock. It gets better.
Don't you love the expert carpentry? The closet in the bathroom is where a shower should have been. With no hot water or shower in the room, I had to wander out to find out what was going on.
Statues of nudes were everywhere...it helped set the tone for the resort. As I searched for the showers/ bath house, I was accosted. Did I need a massage? Could I give one? Did I need company in the hot tub? Harmless pestering, but persistent.
The disgusting showers were in the hot tub areas. We'll pass.
The famous mineral water hot tubs. Nothing like a dip in a bacteria vat!
I'll stick to my mineral water, thank you!
The available Wi Fi service convinced me to endure one night at the Funny Farm. Despite all the available hot water outside of my room, regrettably, I didn't get to bathe that day. I slept in my stinky running clothes, figuring if I needed to make a run for it, I was dressed for the occasion.
Cole and I made a sly getaway the next morning. All's well that ends well!
