The route I used this week is not the most direct route, but it will enable you to see a litte bit of Death Valley -- however, it will require every bit of eight hours (depending where in LA you are headed). If you take the time to see a little more of the park you would need to adjust this up or down by those hours. Plus, I still think you should consider staying overnight at the Furnace Creek Inn. It is a very romantic place and remains one of my all-time suggestions for a nice get-away.Quote:
Originally Posted by lovegravy
But I digress, there are 3-4 routes, but this is the one I would choose for your travels: I-15 south to SR-160 (Blue Diamond Road) turn west headed for Pahrump. At Pahrump, there is a local's short-cut, but I am recommending that you follow the traditional tourist's route -- because I think you will get a kick out of seeing Shoshone. To that end, follow SR-372 southwest from town (it changes to SR-178 at the California border) take a few moments to grab some tourist shots in Shoshone (you will see what I mean when you get there) and then go 1/4 mile north on SR-127 and then turn west again on SR-178 this will take you over Jubliee Pass and into the southern end of Death Valley. SR-178 officially ends just past the entrance to the park (as you will see in the next couple of posts), but the road continues north....
Follow the winding road north and stop at Badwater -- and then north to the turn-off for Artists Palette (it is a graded, gravel road, but you should be able to drive it with your performance car). The Artists Palette is one-way loop and provides some great views -- proceed on north to Furnace Creek. Stop in at the Ranch -- great museum here.
http://www.meganedwards.com/Vegasland/DeathValley07.jpg
Run up to the Furnace Creek Inn for some ice tea and to see the wonderful lilly pad gardens and then drive a ways back east on SR-190 -- stop and take some photos at Zabriskie Point and then consider taking the graded, dirt road loop at the 20 Mule Team Canyon (you will see lots and lots of opening for the borax mines and get a good idea of hell on earth it must have been to have been a borax miner in the summer in Death Valley. Drive east to park boundary and then turn around follow SR-190 past Furnace Creek, past the sand dunes, past Stovepipe Wells and up Towne Pass (a good test of the hill-climbing power of your beast -- just follow the speed limits...)
If you a feeling parched or want a bit to eat you can stop at the cafe at Panamint Springs. Now you have a couple of choices -- the road on west of Panamint Springs has some great mountain curves and views and is alot of fun to drive. But if you are feeling like it is time to unleash the beast, (in a fully reasonable sort of way, of course) I would suggest turning around and go 3 miles east and turn south on the Panamint Valley Road. This road is a bit rough, but has some nice straight-aways and I have been known to unleash my own horses from time to time. Keep an eye peeled skyward since the local TomCat fighters like to fly "on the deck" up this valley and if you are lucky you might have a close-encounter with one of them.
As you zoom south, you will note that you have "re-joined" SR-178 again -- follow it past the town of Trona to the Trona Road and follow it to the now-reviving ghost towns of Randsberg and Johannesburg (follow the signs to Red Mountain). Now you have another couple of choices -- if your LA destination is towards the east side of LA (or San Diego, Orange County, etc.) I would head south on US-395 to I-15 and into the LA Basin. If, on the other hand, you are headed to Hollywood or any section of west-LA I would turn west again on the Randsburg Red Rock Road and drive over to SR-14 and head south again.
Follow SR-14 past Lancaster & Palmdale where you have a couple more choices. If you want a kick-toosh driving experience (and some nice views) At Pearblossom turn south on the Angeles Forest Highway and follow that to the Angeles Crest Highway and keep going south until you reach I-210 at La Canada. From there you can follow the interstates to your LA destination.
If time is short (and it may well be by the time you get here) I would bypass the mountain curves when you reach Pearblossom and stay on SR-14 (off to your right you will see Vasquez Rocks state park -- a famous location for hundreds of western movies) continue to follow SR-14 to I-5 and then I-5 to wherever you are going in LA.
This would be a long day in the saddle -- but I drove most of it a couple of days ago.
Mark
