Today by the Numbers...
Miles driven: 514
Highest temperature observed: 111°F
Gallons of Gas Purchased: 53.6
And we’re off!
A long day of driving. We planned to drive to Baker, CA today but after being on the road for a bit we decided to push through to Las Vegas. That meant 11 hours on the road, which included a few stops. There was a traffic jam going up the mountain from Bakersfield to Tehachapi due to a large truck that broke down and that added more time. Overall, a beautiful day with temperatures getting quite warm. After passing through Barstow, we watched the outside temperature climb over 100° as we got into Baker.
Our original destination for the day ended up being a brief stop to see the tallest thermometer in the world. It towers over the Mojave Desert floor at 134 feet. Trivia question: Why is it 134 feet tall? You’ll have to read to the end for the answer! As we approached it, it was reading 111°F, but by the time we got to it, it was “only” 109°F.
As we continued to Las Vegas, we saw our wildlife spotting of the day; several wild burros grazing right next to the highway. We arrived at the Hitching Post RV Park at 8 pm and set up camp quickly. Some beers at the Saloon on the property with a salad for dinner were very tasty.
Tomorrow, we head on to our first park visit – Valley of Fire State Park. Bonus for driving farther today is we save about two hours of driving tomorrow! Looking forward to an easier day…
Trivia Answer: 134 degrees Fahrenheit is the world’s highest recorded temperature on July 10, 1913, in Death Valley, which is north of Baker where the thermometer is located.
I’ve always wanted to see burros! I can’t wait to hear what you think of Valley of Fire! It’s still one of my favorite memories from my Covid era spring break roadtrip!
I’m such a sucker for cheesy roadside things so I love that yall got to see the thermometer!!
Unfortunately, we got there after the gift shop closed. Otherwise, we’d have bought a cheesy souvenir to commemorate the visit.
Your gallons of gas intake remind me of Drifter trips!! Can’t wait for all of the park photos 😊