Wow! It was a little scary going through Death Valley National Park. The temperature was averaging about 87 so we were glad we were coming through at this time of year. We passed a sign that said "Devil's Cornfield" which really seemed to fit the landscape somehow. We stopped in Beatty at a roadside shop where Jeff purchased a military canteen and a 1947 mess kit frying pan. The elevation kept climbing, went up to about 5000 ft and then dropped back down. Right after we passed the 4000 ft elevation marker we crested a hill and wished it was back in the old days when we had the kids with us. Roller Coaster! A handout we got in Lone Pine where we have stopped for the night says that this county has the lowest and highest point in the contiguous United States with Badwater in Death Valley being 282 ft below sea level and Mt Whitney which we hope to view tomorrow being 14,496 above. Jeff had a rough time today as we started climbing up out of the valley into the Sierra Nevadas. Some of the roads were way up there with steep dropoffs. I said it looked like we were on some of those donkey trails we had seen going around the grand canyon. I did mention to him that we were actually in the "foothills" and that he was probably in for a few more treats along the way! We found out that we have to do a long loop around tomorrow as there are no entrances to Sequoia National Forest from the east. I guess that Mt. Whitney must get in the way, you think? But we will hopefully arrive in plenty of time to make camp and go visit that giant forest. I saw a Lodgepole Campground in the park that is only about 2 miles from there. A little nervous about the "abundant wildlife including the american black bear" description on the website. But I did assure Jeff that I would protect him! :)