China Ranch

Saturday we decided to go to China Ranch and have a date shake for lunch.  Yummmmmmmmm!  It is not far from Tecopa. 

Looking down the road, it is hard to imagine that a date farm is near.

The road goes down pretty steeply between walls of dirt and rock with some neat windows.

There are some old (fenced in) gypsum mines along the way.

It is amazing that it can be so brown and barren up where the road starts and then so green and lush down at the bottom of the canyon.

It is a beautiful spot.  But now it is time for that date shake!

We bought our date shakes, some dates to eat and some date bread.  Yummy goodies for later as well. Here are a few more pictures around the ranch.

Kinda hard to read.

The big purple area is Death Valley National Park.  We are close to the SE corner of the park.  The Amargosa River runs through Tecopa and China Ranch and then turns north into Death Valley.  China Ranch also grows cacti for sale, which happened to be in bloom while we were there.

No matter where you go. there you are.   We went farther up Furnace Creek Road to what used to be an old mining camp with lots of buildings and several mines in the hillside.  Not much left but garbage and cement slabs.

Then we stopped at another place we like to camp on the other side of the valley from where we are parked now.  It is a beautiful spot with another wonderful view.

You don't see much as you turn off the road, but don't drive fast because there is a surprise waiting for you.

There is a slot canyon on the other side of China Wash.  We call it the little Grand Canyon.  Even though there isn't any water running down the wash, there is enough moisture for green plants to thrive. 

And last, but not least, what would a beautiful sunny (almost 90) day in the desert be without a beautiful sunset.

Beautiful, huh?  Oh, I almost forgot.  Those beads?  I finally put them together.  I made the clasp out of copper wire, as well as the ear wires for the earrings. It took me several starts and stops and take aparts to figure out the design I wanted. 

I even had enough beads left to make a matching bracelet with a magnetic clasp.

I had a pattern for a little beaded teapot.  It turned out really cute.  Beads are wonderful little things.

This morning we had our weekly "taters and eggs" breakfast and then went to the little church in Tecopa.  Sadly, I forgot my camera to take a picture of the church.  Today is in the 90s as well, but it is supposed to cool down a bit the next few days.  Have a blessed day.

Lila

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