Now that the dust has (literally) settled it's time to count the cost (and mix our metaphors):
RV rental : $1284.40
Gas : $ 667.46
Camp sites : $ 251.00
National park fees : $ 95.00 (includes $80 annual membership)
--------
$2297.86
That's about $460 per person for the five of us, and $328 per day for the seven night vacation ($66 per person, per day).
In contrast, seven nights of two rooms at the Furnace Creek Ranch would have cost $3,890.00 (let alone transportation costs, etc) so it looks like a great deal!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Homeward bound
We got home Saturday at around 12:30PM after leaving Kern river at 7:30 that morning ... probably a little more than a five hour run.
Took the RV to the house so that we could unload directly, and then I returned the RV and picked up the car (that'd been parked at CruiseAmerica all week).
It's pretty telling that I was able to tell Connie at the rental place that the children had unanimously agreed they'd do it all again!
Took the RV to the house so that we could unload directly, and then I returned the RV and picked up the car (that'd been parked at CruiseAmerica all week).
It's pretty telling that I was able to tell Connie at the rental place that the children had unanimously agreed they'd do it all again!
Passing gas
We're not talking gas of the "Dutch oven" variety here, though there was plenty of that in the enclosed space of the RV believe me!
We filled up seven times for a total of $667.46 for 155 gallons.
Since we travelled 1368 miles, that works out to just 8.8 miles per gallon.
Ouch! How I wish the RV had had a Diesel engine.
We filled up seven times for a total of $667.46 for 155 gallons.
Since we travelled 1368 miles, that works out to just 8.8 miles per gallon.
Ouch! How I wish the RV had had a Diesel engine.
Kern river valley
The KOA just upstream of Lake Isabella was OK as a rest stop, but the real surprise was how beautiful the drive down to Bakersfield following the river was.
With this in mind, and the fact we arrived at Lake Isabella with time to spare, I think we should have looked for somewhere to stay just east of Bakersfield along route 178.
With this in mind, and the fact we arrived at Lake Isabella with time to spare, I think we should have looked for somewhere to stay just east of Bakersfield along route 178.
Top of the pass
We had to stop at the top of Towne pass to pay further respects to the 508.
Team Tapir stopped there for soup in the middle of the night in 2006.
Heading down the long 6% grade at the other side before taking the Panamint Valley Road to Trona really drove home how tough a peddle it is coming up the other way.
Team Tapir stopped there for soup in the middle of the night in 2006.
Heading down the long 6% grade at the other side before taking the Panamint Valley Road to Trona really drove home how tough a peddle it is coming up the other way.
Real desert
As we left Death Valley heading to Towne pass we came upon the Mesquite dunes ... real desert at last!
Like father, like son
We came upon this tourist photo opportunity at Calico Ghost Town ...
... that reminded of a similar picture taken of my father.
The picture was probably taken in 1975 as we moved out of our house in Chester on the way to emigrating to South Africa so he'd be 37 years old.
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