Day 08 - Sat 02 May

Police escort out of Vegas
The police saw us safely out of town!, but then we wanted to leave early as we had a lot of miles to cover to get through Death Valley (da, da, dum, da, dum ..... please hum in a suitable onimous way)
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Just like our hire car !
We drove past New York, New York on the way out and saw a double of our hire car:)
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Death Valley Junction
After a short stop for supplies (OK drinks and a subway sandwich, but "supplies" sounds more exciting) we drove on up to Death Valley Junction at Armigosa. As you can see, not the most bustling of places.
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55 ... You have got to be kidding!
Nothing on the road for miles & miles & miles, no turn offs, no people, buildings, wild animals ... nothing, zero, zilch, nada, and they post a speed limit of 55mph ... madness!
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What ... No Petrol?
Perhaps the speed limit was to preserve fuel? Hmmm maybe we should have taken notice. Still one of us can stay with the car, and the other can walk the 100 miles through the blistering heat to the nearest gas station.
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Elmo makes a new friend
Now this isn't something you expect to find in the middle of a desert! A floosie mannequin, coming on to all and sundry. That negligee is cool enough for the heat, but let's hope she is using factor 200 with that pale skin.
(Actually, it's weird story, but we have to leave something to talk about when we get home lets just say it involved an actress, and our first film role !!)
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Elmo meets ZZ top ... again
This guy must be following us, didn't he pop up on day 2? It must be that Elmo charm.
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Where did Mos Eisley go?
Elaine & Elmo taking in theview of central Death Valley and the salt plains. For those of you of a geeky nature you may recognise this view from Star Wars, it was the Mos Eisley overlook in Star Wars IV - A New Hope, that's the "original" film for those not in the know.
(Check out http://www.panamintcity.com/exclusives/starwars.html for some other Star Wars locations in Death Valley)
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Hello!
Much the same view, but perhaps even cuter?
It tickled us .. Elmo
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The intrepid explorers
More Star Wars locations (behind us), but if you think we're walking down there in this heat to photograph them you're mad.
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Elmo admires the desolation
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A lonely rock :(
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Can you guess what it is yet?
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Elaine's favourite hire car
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Serious Tyres
Take that desert ... and DIE!
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Elmo enjoying the drive
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Icy ???
What next ... "Beware - Penguins crossing"
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In the shade ...
"Icy", yeah right ?
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These aren't just any sand dunes ...
These are Marks & ... Uh, these are the dunes used in Star Wars where you saw R2-D2 & C3PO walking when the escape pod landed on Tattoine ... (Elaine, will you stop with all the Star Wars references!)
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Nearing the edge of nowhere
After a long day in the desert, we find a sign to a junction out of here.
In Star Wars, this sign was changed to read "Jabba's Palace this way" but it was taken out in the final cut :) OK, OK, no more Star Wars.
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So NOT the M25
This is what 5 miles of clear road looks like
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Ouch ... prickly!
Elmo and a Joshua tree get friendly.
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Bonnie & Clyde (well Elmo)
The latest hire car
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Ride em Elmo
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Ahhhhhhh - rest those weary boots
Well and truely knackered after a day in the desert sun, but we ploughed on well into the evening to a place called Bakersfield. It seemed like a good idea at the time ... perhaps the big sign saying "Truck Wash" above the motel and the fully clothed Mexicans in the pool should have warned us ... more of that tomorrow.
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Driven today - 394 miles
Running total - 1458 miles
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