DESERT TO THE MOUNTAINS

Before leaving Pahrump,couple of things bear mentioning.The infamous Hollywood Madam,Heidi Fleiss,has opened a laundromat in the Albertson's shopping center called "Dirty Laundry."The bathroom is straight out of a bordello and she plans to open a brothel for women customers soon.We,of course,felt it imperative that we do our dirty laundry with Heidi so off we went.pulled up in front and realized we were parked next to a red 71 VW bus,only the 3rd or 4th working bus we've seen since Florida.Met the owner,female truck driver and a real hoot.We gathered a pretty good crowd over the next hour.Then it's visit Heidi's pissoir and back to Rancho Charlie.saturday it's farewells and off in a rental car.Up Hwy 160 to Hwy 226 and then to Hwy 128 to cross at the very upper end of Death Valley.TRAVELLERS' TIP-this is THE way to get across DV between May and Sept.Very windy mountain road passing thru abandoned mining towns and one still occupied-Lida,Nev.Long climb up to 8500 ft,very spectacular.Off the main road and continue climbing to 10,000 ft and the ancient bristle-cone pine forest.These trees are probably the oldest living inhabitants of Planet Earth.Real attitude adjustment,makes you feel a little like a mayfly.Then it's down the other side to 2500 ft or so.Then it's climb up to 4000 or so and Hwy 395,our favorite road.The next chapter will have to wait-a gathering of the clan is happening this evening.Old friends are meeting at a free outdoor concert and farmers' market in Windsor,picturesque village about 10 miles from our current position in Healdsburg.The forecast is for a heavy wine and smoke front to move thru causing us to seek after-concert refuge in Terri&Keith's hot tub & pool.Life's hard,uh-huh,uh-huh.