Rally at Death Valley National Park, Dark Sky Festival, 1-3 March 2024

[UTTransplant]

This will probably be a small rally because it is dry camping, but the festival and the park are both fabulous. We will be staying at Sunset Campground in the Furnace Creek area. There is a central water, a dump station, and flush toilets available. The price is an astronomical $7/night for old farts, $14/night for young-uns (see what I did there?) The park has a link of activities that will continue to be populated. They usually have everything from Star War film site tours to discussions of astrophysics to how to take photos of the night sky. The Las Vegas Astronomical Sociey comes with telescopes for visitors too. While the park is still recovering from catastrophic floods a few months ago, by March it should be in decent shape. This will be a very low key rally with planned activities being only a campfire happy hour and socializing.

 

[PancakeBill]

INteresting!

 

[Utclmjmpr]

Pam,, you will probably see me there,, altho it will be only me..>>>Dan

 

[UTTransplant]

Just bringing this to the top if anyone had forgotten. We will be arriving at Death Valley Sunset campground on the 26 or 27 of February. Look for the dark red motorhome in my profile picture. You don’t have to camp next to us; just find a spot where you are comfortable. Drop by the rig though to let us know you are here. There are lots of things to do in Death Valley, and it is one of our favorite parks. The events associated with the Dark Sky Festival 1-3 March can be found at Death Valley Dark Sky Festival - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Make sure your vehicle is as full of fuel as possible. Fuel prices at Furnace Creek are obscene, though prices at Stovepipe Well are better and prices at Longstreet, NV and Pahrump, NV are good.

 

[Wendy]

And it’s a great time to see Manly Lake. And maybe some desert wildflowers.

 

[UTTransplant]

Wendy, I am hoping for both!

 

[DonTom]

There is a central water, a dump station, and flush toilets available.

And EV charge stations right across the street:

(And they are free to use!)




-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Utclmjmpr]

Planning to arrive the 28th or 29th at Sunset campgrounds,,>>>Dan

 

[garyb1st]

Hopefully the next Pineapple Express will not wash out any of the roads into the park.

 

[UTTransplant]

Lake Manley is amazing! And the hills/mountains actually have more color. I assume it is from years of accumulated dust being washed away by the rains. We are in site B26, right across from the first pay station, farthest east site. Beautiful place to wake up.

 

[Utclmjmpr]

Will be leaving before 9 in the morning for a 5 hour drive after a 3 day effort to overhaul the water system in the coach ,, (freeze up)..Expect to arrive between 3 and 5..>>>Dan ( Have a new friend with me,,first trip with her,,she is black and fat but I won't hold that against her.)

 

[UTTransplant]

Our little rally now has three rigs - Utclmjmpr, GaryB and his lovely Maria, plus Kevin and me. However we are all hibernating in our rigs in the wild windstorm currently going on. Winds are gusting to near 50mph, and it is forecasted to get worse. Dan turned his rig around so his windshield wouldn’t get pelted.

ETA the reason for the winds is the same huge storm coming into CA from the Pacific. Same storm is dropping many feet of snow at Tahoe, but we are just getting serious, serious winds.

 

[ferfer]

Ugh! It appears that the high wind will last through Sunday? Hope I am wrong. Please let me be wrong.
I thank all of you for not sending the winds toward us.

Maria, thank you for my forum picture!

Jennifer

 

[jackiemac]

Ugh! It appears that the high wind will last through Sunday? Hope I am wrong. Please let me be wrong.
I thank all of you for not sending the winds toward us.

Maria, thank you for my forum picture!

Jennifer

It's a great shot!!

 

[TonyL]

Hope you all stay safe with no damage.

 

[Wendy]

Hugs to the brave group. “It may not rain, it may not snow, but in the desert it will blow.” ~ DEVA Ranger Charlie

 

[jackiemac]

Hugs to the brave group. “It may not rain, it may not snow, but in the desert it will blow.” ~ DEVA Ranger Charlie

That's true. It was very windy when we camped there in 2019.

 

[Utclmjmpr]

P+K,,Got home at 3:30 Utah time and the entire 310 miles was BRUTAL,, with the worst thru Amargosa valley area taking two lanes to go straight.. Fortunately little traffic and all going the same direction with the same problem..Thanks for the company,,>>>Dan

 

[Heli_av8tor]

We talked about joining y'all there for this mini-rally. I'm glad now that we didn't.

 

[UTTransplant]

Right now the winds are much milder, and they will be just breezy by tomorrow. Temp is 69 degrees. We may stay an extra day just to catch up and clean up all the dust. And since we all know without a picture it didn’t really happen, this is Dan as he said goodbye this morning. I haven’t gotten one of Gary and Maria.