Day 2 Death Valley

Before heading out on the trail, we stopped in at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center to check on trail conditions. Everything looked good so we headed out for a quick stop at the Harmony Borax Works for a bit of a history lesson on why people ever chose to live and work in such inhospitable environment. The answer: Borax!  We then hiked from beautiful Zabreiski's Point, through Golden Canyon and over to Red Cathedral. The views and the many colors of the rock were stunning! From Zabriskie's Point, you can view the Panamint Mts, which are over 11,000 ft high, and the bottom of the valley, 200+ feet below sea level. It is quite a sight.  After our hike we headed back to Furnace Creek for a nice picnic lunch in the shade of the palm trees (thankfully!) and for a quick ice cream break at the resort store. Our route out of the park took us to Badwater Salt Flats, at 282 ft below sea level and past some beautiful road side wildflowers. Tonight, it's chili for dinner and a nice soak in the Tecopa Hot Springs. 

Day 1 Red Rock NCA!

Today we hiked in the Calico Basin area of Red Rocks National Conservation Area. After meeting our guests at 9AM at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, we drove out to the park approximate 45 minutes outside of the city. After filling our packs with water, we hiked along the Calico Hills trail, packed up a lunch and headed up to Calico Tanks.  The trail took us through this beautiful little valley surrounded by red rock sandstone. Plenty of yucca, aloe, manzanita, and lizards were spotted on the trail.  And at the very top, we stopped for lunch at a look out where you could see the Las Vegas Strip. It almost looked peaceful from that distance.  After the hike we continued on the one way scenic drive through the rest of the park. It is a bit baron these days, as a fire went through the area 4-5 years ago and you can still see the effects.  The cliff walls in the distance were very beautiful though. We'll continue on to camp at Furnace Creek in Death Valley tonight. I'm sure we'll hear coyote! 

Shopping List for up coming Death Valley Tour.

Walnuts and chocolate chips for delicious banana nut chocolate chip pancakes.... Check.

Apples, oranges and mango for fresh fruit salad every morning..... Check.

Spring greens, pesto and farfalle for Chicken Pesto Pasta night..... Check.

Looks like we are all set for a trip filled with tasty, nutritious meals.

Wait! I almost forgot the marshmallows and Nutella for around the campfire! 

                         

Road Biking option added to June 14th North to Yellowstone Itinerary

Terry D from Cape Cod, MA will be joining us for her 3rd tour, this time for our June 14th North to Yellowstone Adventure. Once a mt biker, her first tour with us was our Fat Tire Dreamin. A short time after that trip she suffered an accident which left road biking a much better option for her than mt biking. Two years ago she joined us on a Grand Canyon and the Wild West tour and brought her road bike for fun. She ended up both hiking and biking almost every day, and loved it so much she is trying that again this summer. This time, she'll be biking on our North to Yellowstone tour, where there is great scenic road biking available, especially in Grand Teton. You couldn't ask for a more inspiring view! 

If you are interested in joining Terry on our June 14th North to Yellowstone tour or any other tour  for some hiking and road biking, give us a call!  1-888-737-5263 or email info@adventurebus.com. 

Adventure Bus Friend Rides in Moab’s Skinny Tire Festival

Barb P. from Denver Colorado visited us last weekend here in Moab and biked in the Skinny Tire Road Bike Festival. A long time friend and fan of Adventure Bus, she has been on several tours and assists us with our marketing. Her first ride took her along the Colorado River. The second, out to picturesque Dead Horse Point State Park. She raised over $850 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. She began road biking only 2 years ago. Way to go Barb! We are proud of you for getting out there and just doing it! 

Can't Wait for the Wild Flowers!

I love the desert. I love the colors and the clarity it has. It never ceases to amaze me how efficient life is in the desert. I am constantly wondering how plants and animals can survive and amazed at their ability to adapt. Plants seem to pop right out of rocks, without soil and water! And then there are the wild flowers..

In certain years we get treated to a more spectacular show than usual, and it looks like Spring 09 will be no exception!  The wild flower reports out of Death Valley, Joshua Tree and Mojave Preserve look very promising. And lucky us, we will be hiking there at the peak of it on our upcoming Death Valley and the Mojave Desert March 30-April 3. Even luckier us, we'll get to see the show again in May on our Best of the West tour, and in our own backyard! Join us for one of these tours and you can see the splendor too!  Here are a few more shots from last spring.

Take care,

Stephanie, Adventure Bus Crew

                            

Welcome!

Welcome to the Adventure Bus Blog. We freely admit that blogging and all the other forms of social networking and media are new to us, but we hope our blog will give more folks a chance to get to know our crew and how we travel, and become part of our extended family of  adventure travelers. Feel free to comment or ask us questions. 

Take care,

And Remember, It's all about the Journey.

Stephanie

Adventure Bus Crew