Off on a winter adventure in the American West! (page 4 of 5)

Day 13 – February 26

Two days ago, I justified our return to a more conventional route with my selfish desire to see two major sites in the American West dressed in their fall-winter collection. Yesterday, that bold move let us tick off the first box with Zion Massif dusted with a few patches of white snow. Now, it’s time to reveal the second: Badwater Basin. Nestled in the heart of Death Valley, this spot is one of the hottest and driest places on Earth. But if you’re lucky and show up at just the right moment—right after a rare winter rain shower—abracadabra, this dried-up salt lake can suddenly transform into a vast water mirror. Maybe even a perfect mirror if you pray hard enough to banish every hint of wind; the slightest breeze can wrinkle the masterpiece... And if all the stars align for you, nature might even roll out a carpet of tiny yellow flowers along the road leading there...

Anyway, we’ll see soon if this February 26 date I picked is the winning ticket. For now, we’re still playing the tourist in Las Vegas with the classic photo in front of the Vegas Sign, followed by a stroll through the Excalibur’s massive arcade, plus a quick detour to the pinball museum. All to add one last coat of satisfaction for our teens before we hit the road again as the wandering performers we are...











The next two hours fly by in Kara’s car as she teleports us to Death Valley—specifically to Dante’s View, the famous overlook overlooking the entire valley. "Wait, if it overlooks the whole valley, does that mean we’ll know if the first condition for our potential future thrill is met?" Suspense... Yes! Badwater is underwater! And... what a sight for sore eyes! Instant travel crush for Flo! "Wipe that tear, sweetheart..." O-r-g-a-n-i-z-a-t-i-o-n... Seven syllables to be sure we nail it!

Day 13 (continued)

After a picnic with a panoramic digestion up there, we race down the mountain to see this down below. And as real estate agents say, we’ve got some seriously beautiful spaces! And the wallpaper is a canvas woven with millions of tiny yellow flowers as the pattern! Yes, we’re meeting condition 3!





And get this—when we arrive at Badwater, the final race results come in: Jackpot, we’ve hit the trifecta in order! Not a breath of wind, not even a whisper! Bliss mode activated! "Jesus walking on water" button engaged! Professional photographer mode downloaded! Legendary sunset uploaded! Sorry, I’ll leave you for today—no words can describe what we’re feeling right now, and we need to savor what’s in front of our eyes... and under our feet! "Franck, careful, you’ve got a little tear rolling down there..."

Hey Franck

You’re so lucky—and we are too! It’s not every day you see something like this in Death Valley. Thanks for sharing!

WOWWWW wow!

I vote for option 3 and the last one... pure Art!

You never cease to amaze us.

Go back to Vegas and make the slot machines cry, and buy a "US millionaire".

Well done, man.

Thanks so much for the comment! Yeah, we were lucky (just wait for tomorrow’s payback ;)). If you like it, I’ve got more that I love... (sorry, we’re limited by VF)

Hi Franck

You're so lucky—and so are we! It's not every day you see that in Death Valley. Thanks for sharing!

I was secretly hoping for these conditions without really believing it... What a blast once we got there!!!

Day 14 – February 27

"My dear Flo, we’re in a right pickle here!" If I could persuade my friend Shakespeare to pick up his quill again, what a fantastic tragedy this would make for him!...

But what on earth happened on this February 27th to justify such a dramatic opening? Will our wanderers escape this mess unscathed?... To be continued... in the next episode...

No, I’m joking—you’ll know *everything* about the story by reading the rest of this day’s account! But for now, I’m fine, all is well... Let’s rewind a few hours, to when the alarm clock rings and orders us to pack up. The upside of not having a shower at hand—or under our arms—is that we save a ton of time, especially when traveling with three distinguished members of the fairer sex! Okay, I’ll admit, the downside might be the... *ambiance* scent. But still, while you’re pacing impatiently in your hotel room waiting for your wife to perfect her hairdo before heading out on a hike, I’m already in place with my better half, welcoming the sun with our backsides firmly planted at Zabriskie Point, still in Death Valley!



Shhh... I’m fine, all is well... The golden light lingers lazily over the landscape. The silence is absolute. The place invites deep contemplation. A perfect transition, since we’re at the starting point of a 12-kilometer loop combining the Gold Canyon Trail and Gower Gulch Trail. Another hike promising wonders galore. The mountains are already here, standing tall before us. As for the wonders, we can sense them... and we set off immediately in search of them! And we don’t have to look far to find them. The trail winds along the ridges of the badlands, skims past cliffs sculpted by time, then plunges into a narrow canyon before opening up into a valley carpeted with flowers. A little further on, the loop closes as we leisurely follow the bed of a dried-up river back to Kara... In short, a five-star hike just the way we love them—super varied, except when it comes to the sheer beauty of the landscapes, which it served up in spades...

Day 14 (continued)







Okay, I'm doing fine, everything's fine, but with our dreaded return to France approaching, we're heading to Los Angeles, with a few fun stops planned by our chief tour operator. First up, Fish Rocks—a quick stop just for a photo and to notice that the outside temperature has switched to oven mode, slow roasting at 35°C... Mom, Dad, I'm still doing fine, everything's fine...







Next, the Trona Pinnacles rise up along our route. Here, nearly five hundred limestone spires stand in the middle of an otherworldly void. Born beneath a salt lake that vanished thousands of years ago, they offer a landscape straight out of *Star Trek*. We’re clearly alone here, wandering freely among these stone arrows planted in the desert. A contemplative smile, yet another path taken... A descent... Sand... No choice but to speed up... Too late, the trap has closed around us...

Day 14 (continued)

If this day were a Netflix series, this is exactly when the screen would go black. Dramatic music... then silence... flash... Kara appears on screen, the two rear wheels buried halfway in the soft, deep sand of a dried-up riverbed. "Flo, we’re in a real mess here!"

Feels like fifty degrees. Tools? Of course! Our bare hands... Flight? H-20!



How do you get a ship that’s decided to drop anchor in the middle of the desert back on track?... Lying in the dust, I dig, I scrape while the girls scramble to gather rocks and branches. First try? "Push, just push!!!" Ten centimeters of progress..., unfortunately straight down into that wash! I curse, I sweat, I dig, a bed of rocks... Second try... Kara’s cabin sinks even deeper and now rests in peace, alone on the sand, staring at the water... Two grueling hours digging a ballast pit with a teaspoon. Two hours of sweat, blood, and disillusionment with no real results. We’ve crossed the line of resignation—we’re little rabbits in the sights of a golden eagle soaring fifty meters above our heads...



Wait a second... That doesn’t actually look like an eagle... What is it? An ultralight coming from the sky to rescue us? Don’t laugh, our salvation might come from this unidentified flying object that flies over us once... then again... The pilot must’ve seen our distress—no doubt about it! Hallelujah, our flying savior has clearly spread the word, because a few minutes later, a huge pickup truck rolls up, packed with a crew of tattooed Mexicanos straight out of a gang movie. Well, when I’m drowning, I don’t ask for the résumé of the person throwing me a lifeline. And now, everything falls into place! Another group of Americans shows up out of nowhere in dune buggies. Then three more guys equipped with sand recovery boards... Everyone coordinates in true American fashion to set up a full-blown rescue operation in the middle of the desert.





And after an hour of coordinated, relentless effort, we’re relieved to report that our Kara is back, safe and sound, all four wheels firmly on solid ground! Our new Yankee buddies celebrate like it’s the happy ending of *Independence Day*! Hugs, high-fives, shouts of joy, backslaps, testosterone dripping everywhere! An incredible moment of free help, camaraderie, and brotherhood to wrap up this unforgettable day of our road trip... "Thanks, guys—we’ll never forget you!"

With the crowd cheering him on, Franck introduces us to his new adventure 🙂 And it’s off to a great start! Thanks! Hope you’ll share your Namibian trip on VF too!

Here we go!!! We're off on a Namibian adventure! | Travel journal > Namibia | Voyage Forum

Wow, Franck!

That "final" paragraph is pure gold... the last-minute rescue by the US Troupe, it just needs the soundtrack. Epic!

Now, seeing water in Death Valley is super rare, and get this—I saw it TOO:

On a smaller scale, at the end of our first trip in 2009, on August 23rd, we hit a storm rolling into LV from Kingman. We returned the RV on 08/24 and rented an SUV to head toward DV and Furnace Creek for the night. On 08/25: we visited Badwater, where there was a shallow little pond with critters. I dug up 2 photos and a video (MVI) from my archives, but I don’t remember how to post them! Memories, memories (Johnny...). See you later!

Thanks for the travel journal—it brought back so many memories of our trips out West. The Water Mirror is a real discovery, and the photos are just as stunning as those of Bromo. Your wife is lucky to share the adventures of a top-tier Bibouns!

These 2 days ended up being practically our best memories from this road trip!

2009, the year of my first trip to the American West too!

Thanks for the travel journal that reminds us of several of our trips out West. The Water Mirror is a real discovery, and the photos are as stunning as at Bromo. Madame is lucky to share the adventures of a Bibouns who’s always on top!

We complement each other! I’m also lucky to have her by my side. She follows me everywhere and can’t get enough of it!

Day 15 – February 28

Route 66... A name and a number that fire up our imagination... Long before cats became internet stars, long before social media was the religion of our teens, when I’d flip through the "Tout l’univers" books at my late grandmother’s place and discover this legendary road—its colorful signs, its retro diners, its wild desert landscapes, its old American cars—it felt like a world that only existed in movies through my childhood eyes, fed on the rural Ardennes scenery. A setting that seemed to belong solely to films... and thus, a fantasy. A fantasy that became reality many years ago, but one I’m still thrilled to dive back into and share today, as the final chapter before closing the book on this adventure. We’ll be driving this road, at least its California stretch, all the way to its iconic western endpoint: the Santa Monica Pier, which also marks our return to Los Angeles.

Today’s journey begins in the small town of Barstow, where we spent the night at the Motel 66 to enjoy a much-needed shower after yesterday’s dusty, sweltering escapades.











Next, a quick hop to Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch, a quirky spot that oozes Mother Road vibes. Back when I first passed through, I didn’t run into Elmer, the artist behind the place. Unfortunately, that won’t be possible this time either—Elmer has since passed away, rest his wonderfully eccentric soul. But wandering through his bottle-filled Garden of Eden, you can still feel his gentle presence lingering... A must-stop for a curious glance... or to recycle your Dr Pepper bottles!









Then, the right turn signal leads us to another stop: Emma Jean’s Holland Burger for the last burger of the trip. Yes, it’s 9:30 AM—so what? It’s also our final dive into deep America: the land of free-refill coffee, waitresses working their gum like it’s their job, burly truckers devouring eggs and bacon on their sky-high stools at the counter... before declaring war on the world...

Day 15 (continued)

We then indeed land in Los Angeles, a city full of contrasts with its driverless taxis, delivery robots scooting along the sidewalks, its highways with twice eight lanes... and its legendary sunshine that was still looking a bit gloomy at the very start of our trip two weeks earlier. Our goal? The Santa Monica neighborhood, its pier, its tall palm trees, its rides above the water, its lifeguard huts, its Pamelas with big busts squeezed into swimsuits too tight after all those winter tartiflettes... Welcome to our 90s TV shows! But just like the swimsuit, the timing is tight, and we only stay here for an hour and a half to get a feel for the pier... and the Pacific. Our final mission before our flight is a full wash generously granted to the deserving Kara if we want her owner to recognize her...

Day 15 (continued)







With time... With time, everything fades away... And so do we, because here we are—it’s over. The final whistle of our latest American adventure has just blown. So? What can I say about this one?... Simply that if I keep coming back, again and again, it’s because the start, okay, okay, guarantees I’ll never be disappointed! And you know what?... Well, I wasn’t disappointed this time either! A van. A long ribbon of 4,800 kilometers traveled. Endless landscapes. Nature. Raw. Perpetually stunning. It doesn’t take much to be happy!...

And now... What am I gonna dooo?... Well, we’re setting a meet-up, our backpack and I, for our next adventure! Want the date for this rendezvous so you can join us?... Yes? April 11th! A new region of the world. New landscapes. New horizons... New stories to tell you...

Off we go on a road trip in Namibia! | Travel journal > Namibia | Voyage Forum

Thanks for your always interesting travel journal.

You’ve taken several trips to the Southwest—what’s your take on how things have changed compared to previous years? Cost of living and activities, tourist crowds, etc.? And what about van trips—pros and cons?

Best,

Fabrice

Thanks for your always interesting travel journal.

You’ve already taken several trips to the Southwest—what’s your take on how things have changed compared to previous years? Cost of living and activities, tourist crowds, etc.? And what about van trips—pros and cons?

Best,

Fabrice

Hello, This was actually my 10th or 11th trip there. What’s changed? The prices! Especially for activities—they’ve skyrocketed! As for crowds, I don’t see much difference since I always try to avoid the busiest times of year or day...

As for the van, I see a lot of advantages, especially for families. The downsides? Mainly that it’s not 4x4. And, of course, the shower means having to stop at campgrounds now and then, whereas I prefer wild camping. Don’t hesitate if you need anything...

Franck

Thanks again for this travel journal in the American West... every time I see these amazing landscapes, I really want to go back! 😊 The photos with the water at Badwater are really great 👍