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I woke up to a snow covered Tonopah. It was so deep I feared that I would not make it out. Tonopah sits on top of a fairly high hill & it was bound to get some snow from the storm that was blowing across, but I did not think it would be quite as much. The bored lady at reception thought I would be fine without the chains as they had already cleared the roads. She was right. Also, literally, 10mins down the hill & there was no snow at all. I carried on south along the 95 towards Beatty, the window to Death Valley National Park. Its not a bad sized place, with numberous motels & a couple of casinos.
I drove straight into the national park. It was wonderful dropping down into valley. I am sure the breaks on the car will be shot as its a faily long drive with a steep'ish decent. The heat of the valley is great - the thermometer in the car rose by approx 30 F by the time I had reached the basin at the bottom. Then heading over to Badwater which is the lowest point in the USA, it rose even more. The landscape is spectacular. Huge mountains on either side, some covered in snow, salt pans in the basin & wonderful colours. One of those mountains is over 11,000 feet high. I did the Artists Drive which was lovely, and goes right alongside & between some of the hills.
I drove along a couple of short unpaved roads & the last one I went on freaked me out. It was rougher than the others with a very steep climb. I did not want to drive too fast & the poor tank was struggling, but then this beeping noise started & I had no idea what is was, no lights were flashing, and I did not know how to turn it off. Luckily I was near the end, but even when I stopped & put the car into 'Park', the noise continued. So I switched the engine off & hoped for the best when restarting.
The park is massive & I needed an extra day to do it justice. The entrance fee was $20 & this lasts for 7 days. I decided not to overnight in the park as the ranger I spoke to said it was pretty full & probably twice the price of outside. I paid the most I have ever paid for petrol in the park - it was $1 more per gallon than in Beatty.
Back in Beatty, I checked into the Exchange Club which I believe had been some sort of bar/casino in the old days. It was cheap, basic & cold. I had pork chops for dinner at Stagecoach Casino which was just up the road. Opposite the motel was the Sourdough Saloon which I decided to try. It also had a counter making & selling pizzas. The bar had stools around it & they were mostly occupied with locals. I had a draft beer called MGB (I think) which were only $1.75 each. What a bargain... for $5 I had two beers & enough to leave a tip. Marvellous!!
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