Day 9

We started today by driving from Panamint Springs into Death Valley.
We stopped at Stovepipe Wells for breakfast, and went on a short hike in the nearby Mosaic Canyon. Then we stopped at the Sand Dunes, where I tried to have Noa take my photo while I was jumping from a dune. Instead, the camera didn't work at that moment, and I managed to land in a thorn bush and get hundreds of splinters all over my hands! Great fun!
Oh, and we did see a coyote on the road. The camera did work this time.

BTW, although you might get the impression from looking at the map that places like Panamint Springs, and Stovepipe Wells are actual towns, in fact they're nothing more than an inn, a gas station, and a general store. And they rip you off too.

We continued north, to the Ubehebe crater, which was formed by a volcanic eruption.
Then, we visited Scotty's Castle, which is the most attractive attraction we've seen here so far (though Elad was sure that it won't be). The castle is, in fact, a very nice hacienda that was built by a millionaire in the 1920-1930. A guy named Scott (aka Scotty) took his money and promised him a gold mine that didn't exist, and when he came to check on his investment he fell in love with the place and decided to build himself a holiday home. The funny thing is he and Scotty eventually became friends and Scotty lived on his expense until the day he died as sort of a storyteller/entertainer. The place is very nice, with lots of antique furniture and a pipe organ that still works. Our tour guide was dressed as the castle's house keeper as you can see from the photos.

Our original plan was to stay another night at the Panamint Springs "Resort", but since it wasn't that much of a place we decided against it, and instead drove to Beatty, Nevada – about 60 miles from Scotty's Castle, and outside of Death Valley.

We're staying here at a Motel 6, and right next door is a Casino!
We went betting; invested $2, played some, and ended up with $4.60. That's a 130% return on investment. We saved the original two bucks, and played with the rest until we lost them. All in all, we had fun, and it didn't cost us a dime!

Tomorrow we're going back down to Death Valley, and the day after we're going to Vegas.

Noa: Elad doesn't seem to like the desert. He can't connect with his inner wild side. I think it's beautiful here. There's something about the vastness and the emptiness of this place that I like.
Elad: Actually the Negev is a much better looking desert. And more compact too so you don't have to drive hundreds of miles everywhere. You can go there, and still be close to civilization. They don't rip you off as much too.
I like Nevada better. Legal gambling; legal prostitution; coupons for free beer. What more can a man ask for?