Scotty's Castle -- Part 2

Here's the rest of the "good" slides I took at the Castle. If I ever start getting my negatives scanned, I be able to post additional photographs of this special place in Death Valley.

Death Valley -- The Clouds

When you live in a desert, you are always aware of clouds because they are so few and far between. In Death Valley, the clouds just pass overhead off to deposit their rain or snow elsewhere.

Also part of Death Valley: Scotty's Castle

Sixty miles north of Park Headquarters is Scotty's Castle. While I was stationed in Death Valley, these historic buildings were turned over the the National Park Service by the foundation which owned them. Since there were no additional funds yet provided by Congress for the operation, we had a concession company which had contracts in several other national parks, come in to provide tours and limited food service. Unfortunately, the president of that company and my park superintendent took an immediate dislike of each other to the point of not wanting to be in the same room together. So, since "concession management" was in my administrative officer position, I had to play the role of negotiator going back and forth between the two of them. Fortunately they both liked me, so the arrangement at the Castle ended up being just fine. In later years, Congress did provide the money for tour guides and maintenance positions.

Meanwhile, back to the dunes in Death Valley

Rhyolite -- Part 2

Here is the last group of slides of the side trip to Rhyolite.

A side trip to Rhyolite, Nevada

Right outside of Death Valley as you head north to Beatty,Nevada is the ghost town of Rhyolite. Here's some photographs taken in 1971. I wonder how much of the town is left today?