Day 30--two days into week 5!

Crater Lake



BIG rock

We are camping about 90 miles outside of Death Valley National Park in CA.  We looked at the weather forecast and it is supposed to be 110 there today.  Maybe we will go on a 5 mile hike!
We had a wonderful time yesterday.  After driving about 40 miles on the most difficult road I have ever been on we were out of Sequoia NP and headed towards Vasalia CA.  After stopping at Costco for gas and then wandering down their many isles for samples--it was lunch time--we headed to W 3300 Cherry St where cousin Ruth lives.  I could not find her phone #, we found out it is in her son in law's name, we decided to just stop and see if she was home.  She was and we had a delightful 2 hours with her and then her daughter and her husband.  Ruth's dad, Ansel, was second oldest in my mom's family and mom was the youngest by several years so Ruth was only 8 years younger than Aunt Ruby. She was so so excited to see us.  She said more than once that Ruby was her hero in so many ways.  She was in mom and dad's wedding and she remembered just what she wore.  At 94 she is very very with it in all ways, full of energy and conversation.  As we talked we had a glass of wine and cake.  She said, with a grin that oh yes she was not like some Sampson, she enjoys a glass of wine!
Death Valley today will be our 11th NP so far this trip.  We found one in CA that we did not know about but will not see it this trip as it is a series of islands off the southern coast.
Happy September 1st to all.
We did get a nice camp site for last night and tonight even though we just called yesterday afternoon.  We got their last pull through.  Another note, as we were leaving Sequoia NP yesterday we were pretty much alone in the west bound lane and at the park entrance there were at least 100 cars in line to get in---good decision to go west!!!!