This last weekend John (our son) and Jackie (our daughter-in-law) came to visit us.  They could not come for long – John just started a new job – but they flew out on Thursday and back to Ohio on Sunday.  We were eager to see them and they were eager for a break from the cold and snowy Ohio weather.

As usual, we packed a lot into a few days.  On Thursday they got to Scotty’s Castle in time to take my last house tour of the day.  Then I showed them around the grounds a little and introduced them to the other rangers.  Tom took them with him while he closed the underground and then we retired to the RV for a pulled pork supper.  John and Jackie had to leave Columbus at 6 a.m. Ohio time so they were pretty tired and fell asleep shortly after supper.

Friday we headed south to hit the Death Valley tourist sites.  We saw the pupfish at Salt Creek and read about the Harmony Borax Works.  We walked along the Salt Flats at Badwater Basin and got our obligatory pictures by the below sea level sign.  We went to Devil’s Golf Course which is a large area in the Valley full of dried mud and salt formations up to two feet high.  We drove along Artist’s Drive and admired the colors at Artist’s Palette.  We soaked up the sun and warmth.

For lunch we ate at the 49ers Café at Furnace Creek and had the waiter take our picture together.  We all got burgers and fries and they were delicious.  After lunch we walked around the Borax Museum and took time to look at the large artifacts behind the museum.

Jackie wanted to see a ghost town, so we headed to Rhyolite and spent some time walking around.  We went up to the mine entrance but did not go in – although we were tempted.  We also found the brothel and walked around the train depot.  Then we drove through Titus Canyon, which was so amazing that it gets its own blog post tomorrow.

Friday night we finished off the pulled pork and played Boggle.  Tom typically wins – and he won three out of five games – but Jackie and John each won a game also.  We quit after John won – finishing on a winning streak for the non-Tom team.

Saturday saw us up bright and early again.  We went to Ubehebe Crater and then walked up Mosaic Canyon.  Even though the day was cooler, we still enjoyed all the sunshine.  We finished our visit with lunch at Stovepipe Wells, where the food is good but the service is sloooooow.

Then John and Jackie headed back to Las Vegas.  They were staying at a hotel on the strip and planned to walk down the strip and enjoy the bright city lights after their short time in Death Valley.

Tom and I enjoyed John and Jackie’s visit very much.  We love to spend time with them but the time always goes so fast – as it always does when we are with people we love.