February 5, 2005 - San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico

Yup, we did it.  Left the country.  For a week anyway.  The adventures never end.  But more on that later.  Got to get us out of Death Valley, don't you think?

Bill and Diane have joined us again, and we're heading south from Furnace Creek.  Stopped by the Devils Golf Course just to see what it was all about.  Apparently some wag offered as how only the Devil himself could play golf in this area.  Barb's poking around looking for one of his golf balls -- no, not really.  She's convinced that what the Ranger said was true.  They have pictures of these tiny little salt crystal balls that can be found in this area, and Barb really wanted to get a picture of one for herself.  The rest of us skeptics didn't bother to get salt on our shoes while hunting.  Salt is amazing stuff, actually, in the forms it can take around here.

Next venture was a trek into a canyon that boasted a Natural Bridge.  Sort of an unassuming trail leading from the parking area, but we decided to take it just to see what it offered.

Well, it turned out to be interesting, and a real gentle hike besides.

From one end to the other.  On the left is essentially the end of the canyon for us, as that rock wall at the end was more than we wanted to climb.  And then on the way out we could see the lake at the bottom of the valley.

Then the Ashford Mill site, with some interesting colors on the way.

Sure enough, there were even flowers up there along with the ruins.  And as you can see from the cracked mud, there had been plenty of water in the valley.  We've been told that this year will be spectacular for wildflowers, and we find that easy to believe.