Pictures? Yes, of course there are more!

This was a hiking and exploring trip, but it was a photo trip too.

There are pictures included within this journal, but as appears to be normal for me, there are more in my photo galleries. Yes, there is an overlap; there are photos in both places that also exist in the other, but there are also photos that can only be seen in one place.

There are 5 photo galleries within my photo gallery Death Valley National Park - 2007. You can start at this top level, or you can go directly to the individual galleries:

• A trail, a wash, a slot, anywhere! - this is the largest gallery, containing shots from different places (except those covered in the other four galleries) as I wandered through the park day to day. Captions under the photos indicate where the photo was taken.
• Sand Dunes on the edges of the day - the first few photos in this gallery were from late afternoon; most were from sunrise. Sand dunes, and patterns written by the wind...
• Mosaic Canyon - a magic place, carved rock beauty.
• Twenty Mule Team Canyon - a wonderful place to watch the sun paint the badlands.
• Zabriskie Point - a handful of the photos in this gallery were from my mid-day entrance to the park, but most of the photos are from the sunrise on my last day there. And most of them were taken as I was looking to the west, waiting for the sun to color the rocks.

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Curious to see other places that I've wandered over the years? Start at denisegoldberg.com and join my wanderings! If you are curious about any of my photos or my wanderings, you can sign my guestbook here or click the Contact me link on my photo pages.

Death Valley dreams

...I'll be back

I had a wonderful 4 days in the park, and I would have been very happy to stay longer. There are many more places I'd like to see that I didn't get to on this trip, and there are places I'd like to repeat too.

My biggest regret? I didn't get to meet a Kangaroo Rat in the sand dunes. They look so cute! But I did see a coyote on my last morning in the park. He even consented to pose for a photo.

I know that I should be used to these feelings by now. If I find a place to explore that appeals to me, it seems normal not to be ready to head home, not to be happy with a single visit. I suppose this is a good problem to have!

And now it's time to dream of my next trip, to a destination that for now is a mystery. And it's time to dream of returning to Death Valley too.

Common sense & warnings!

Death Valley covers a lot of ground. It is the largest park in the US National Park system from terms of area, with a lot of miles of roads - both paved, and (more) unpaved. It is a desert that deserves a lot of respect.

Carry more water than you think you'll need, more food too. Just in case... While I normally wear a Camelbak on my back, that just wasn't going to work for this trip. Why? Because I was carrying a daypack for my camera gear, and two packs wasn't going to work. I thought about slipping a bladder into my daypack, but somehow the thought of a potential leak onto my camera (electronics) didn't sound like a risk I was willing to take. Instead I picked up a CamelBak FlashFlo, a waist pack that holds a 45 oz. (1.3 L) bladder. I also carried water bottles in the side pockets of my day pack, and I left an extra stash of water in my car. I was only doing short hikes; for longer distances I will need to figure out a way to carry more water.

I have to admit that I was shocked to see other people heading out on foot with only a camera in their hands, no water. That's really not smart...

Recognize that if you run into a problem, or have an accident, that you're going to need to wait for someone to find you, to realize that you need help. And that cell phone you're carrying that usually is reliable - well, there's no cell phone access here.

Plan ahead - or not! Be careful, and above all, enjoy your Death Valley adventure!

Timing, food, fuel, and...

Timing is everything...

Do you want to try to catch the spring wildflowers? The rangers suggest calling the park in a February timeframe and they may be able to give you an indication of whether and when they expect a spring bloom. For example, a wet winter in 2005 produced an amazing wildflower bloom in the spring that lasted for weeks. Apparently there wasn't a room to be had in the valley, and people were staying 100 miles away and driving in and out each day in order to enjoy the flowers.

I just went wandering on the park's web site, and I found a page in the news section that contains wildflower updates. If I were hoping for flowers I'd probably still call the rangers for a projection, but it's probably also worth checking the Wildflower Updates page.

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Camping or not, you may want to bring some food and drink with you - at least snack food, bottled water, and drinks like Gatorade if you use them. I brought energy bars and peanuts from home, and I stocked up on bottled water and Gatorade in Las Vegas.

There are General Stores at Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells. They do stock some food, but they are quite expensive. For example, energy bars that I pay $1 for at home (at Whole Foods, which has great prices on these bars) were twice that price in the General Store. Interestingly enough, packs of peanuts were the same price they are outside of the park, probably because the "2 for $1" price is printed on the package as opposed to being a stick-on price tag. The stores had a minimal selection of fruit (bananas, Delicious apples, and Granny Smith apples) and some veggies too. I would have liked to have brought some fruit in with me, but given that it would be sitting in a car for the better part of a day before I could check in to my room I thought better of it. That problem could be easily overcome by bringing a cooler with you, or picking up a cheap (essentially) throwaway cooler. I didn't think of that in time...

The hotel at Furnace Creek has small refrigerators in the room. The same may be true of the lodging at Stovepipe Wells, but you'll need to check.

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Gas is very expensive in the park, and you will need to buy it. It's not smart to travel in the desert without a fully fueled vehicle. How expensive? The gas at home is in the $2.80 range. It was slightly higher in Las Vegas, but in the park? I paid $3.99 for regular at the Furnace Creek station. The gas at Stovepipe Wells was slightly cheaper.

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There is no cell phone access. None!

Before I left home I picked up a phone card so I could make phone calls from my room without paying a crazy hotel phone rate.

I did talk to folks who had access after they climbed one of the high trails leading up the mountains on either side of the valley. Funny thing, while I was waiting for the sun to rise over Zabriskie Point someone wondered if there was cell phone access up there. Everyone quickly turned their phones on to check, and everyone's phone said "no service".

Are you dreaming of Death Valley?

Travel hints

Is Death Valley on your list of places you need to visit? What are your dreams?

It's always good to look for information on the National Park Service web site. Click to access the home page for Death Valley National Park.

When you arrive in the park, take the time to stop in the visitor's center and talk to the rangers. They have all sorts of hike descriptions, from a sheet titled Day Hikes to others that are detailed descriptions of longer explorations. (I hesitate to call them trails, since many are marked as No trail.)

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Ranger programs, valuable, fascinating

I found the ranger programs in the park well worth attending.

It's funny, the last time I attempted to go on a guided hike in a National Park was when I was in Glacier on my first self-supported bike trip. I didn't stay with the group very long then, but on this trip I did.

I went on two guided walks, and attended 3 evening programs. The evening programs are all at the visitor center which is within walking distance of both the motel and the campgrounds at Furnace Creek. If you choose to stay at Stovepipe Wells, you are 20+ miles away from the visitor center.

I've included descriptions of the walks and evening programs that I attended. In both cases, the descriptions were borrowed from the Ranger Programs handout. Click to view the current week's Ranger Programs.

I was extremely lucky in my timing. These programs are not run in the hot weather of summer and early fall (at least the walks aren't, the visitor center evening programs may be); the week that I was in the park was the week the programs resumed.

Two guided walks in one day - I think that's a record for me! Both were excellent:

• Natural Bridge Geology - "Discover the geologic wonders of the Black Mountains. The hike passes under the bridge and ends at a major fault that is part of the Death Valley story." This walk was led by a geologist who was clearly excited about Death Valley. He spends the summer months working in Yellowstone, and the rest of the year in Death Valley, and this week marked his return to the desert.
• Desert Photography - "Join a nature photographer for tips and techniques to improve your photography with all cameras. Meet at the Sand Dunes." And what luck! There were only two of us who elected to go on the photography hike on Tuesday. We talked about camera settings, but even more we talked about composition. We walked a bit, but most of our time was spent standing, talking, and looking through a camera on a tripod as Bob used examples to show techniques for improving the composition of shots. Fabulous!

The evening programs I soaked in were:

• The Storms of 2004 - "Did you ever wake up and find that everything had changed? See the effects and aftermath of Death Valley's great storms of 2004."
• Salt, Sand and Summits - "The varied ecosystems of Death Valley are so unusual and captivating, you may never want to leave."
• Rare as Rain - "Sunshine and blue skies in the desert can get a little tedious after a while, but a Death Valley rainstorm is always a special treat! Discover the miracle of a desert cloudburst."

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Roads & maps... getting to hiking points

Will you be happy sticking to the paved roads and the "normal car-approved" good condition dirt roads? Or do you want to explore the path less traveled?

Death Valley has over 1000 miles of roads. I'm told that 300 miles of those roads are paved, and there are some dirt roads that are fairly well kept and that can be driven with an everyday vehicle. For the four days I spent there I was quite happy with where I could wander, but when I return I may consider renting a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

If you're a map freak - as I am - you may want a topo map of the park. I picked up a copy of the Trails Illustrated map of Death Valley National Park. This covers the entire park; if you are planning to do some long distance trekking, more detailed topo maps are also available.

There is a new map produced by the park service (well actually, it says "Presented by Jeep" on the bottom of the page, but still...). This map shows all roads, paved and not paved, along with classifications by type of vehicle. Even though it's a brand new document - maybe because it is new - it needs to be (and is scheduled to be) reprinted since the printer laid the roads over the wrong section of the relief. So the map as it exists makes it look like there are roads down the spine of the mountains. Nope! It's still worth requesting a copy.

The roads on this map, titled Death Valley Backcountry Roads, are shown as

• paved
• unpaved (but OK for normal vehicles)
• high clearance, 4-wheel-drive
• rough 4-wheel-drive

The roads are all numbered, and the back of the map contains a description of each road along with a note as to the type of vehicle needed.

Even with all of the information on the maps, be sure to check in with the rangers if you're planning to drive one of the rougher roads. One example is Racetrack Valley Road. It's a place that is very tempting, but I knew that I couldn't go there in my rental car. Sam was going to attempt it in his truck, but the rangers strongly recommended that he not go there.

Vehicle needed? High-clearance due to loose gravel, washboard, and rocks. Flat tires are common on this road so be sure your full-sized spare is inflated, all parts of your jack are on hand, and tire tread is good. May require 4WD due to changing road conditions and irregular maintenance, so check postings.

It's 28 miles along this road before you reach the start of the Racetrack.

Why would I love to go there? The description of the area is fascinating:

The Racetrack is a dry lakebed famous for its mysterious moving rocks.

Oh, and the rangers told Sam that if he broke down or got stuck on the way to The Racetrack and he needed a tow from there, the current fee for a tow is $2000. And no, that's not a typo - it does say two thousand dollars!

Maps, maps, maps... you might want to visit the Maps page of the Death Valley National Park web site.

Photos: A coyote goodbye

I think this beautiful creature came out just to pass on wishes for a good trip home and for a return visit to Death Valley.

Photos: A short jaunt to the north

It's amazing to see bits of green cropping up in this very dry place.

Did you know that in order to be classified as a desert that there must be less than 10 inches of rain a year? And that Death Valley averages less than two inches?

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Photos: Zabriskie Point glowing

Zabriskie Point called to me as a place to watch the sun rise, and yet most of the time I spent looking away from the sun, watching the sun paint the rocks.

But yes, I do have a few pictures with my camera pointing towards the rising sun.

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Zabriskie glowing

... sun ray decorations

I asked Denise if I could build some word pictures today and she said yes. So today's report is another Rover tale!

First, I have to ask you to send happy birthday thoughts to Suze. If you haven't met her, she's Denise's sister. Suze, happy thoughts are winging their way to you.

I thought we were going to have a lazy morning, but that silly alarm clock buzzed at 6:30 again. I could start to see the outlines of the mountains surrounding Death Valley, but it was still dark out there when we left the room and headed to Zabriskie Point to watch the sunrise. We joined a bunch of other photographers waiting for the magic. Yes, I know, bunch isn't a technical term, and it's probably not very descriptive either. I'd say there were between 15 and 20 people there, but that's somewhat of a wild guess. I think I was the only dog, but I suppose someone else could have been hiding in a camera bag.

All of those people standing there waiting, and no one was facing the direction where they could see the sun rise from behind the mountains. Instead everyone was focused on the badlands, and the mountains across the valley. We were waiting for the sunlight to paint the rocks in front of us. A time of waiting, a time of talking about cameras and lenses, a time of shutters clicking. We were standing high on the viewpoint, and then Denise decided to walk a little lower to get a different perspective. We stayed and watched the sun bathe the landscape with wonderful low light. We stayed a little longer, and when the color faded in full sunlight, we headed back into the low valley.

Oh, and there is an interesting story about the Zabriskie Point viewpoint. There are 2 pit toilets there, and the rangers told us that the buildings weigh 21 tons. Yes, I did say tons. In the flash flood of 2004, the flood waters were so strong that they moved these 21-ton structures about 100 feet from their foundations. Amazingly enough, the structures weren't damaged, so once a new base was built the same buildings were moved to a new location.

It was a very short morning for us in the park. We wandered up the road a bit, stopping at the Harmony Borax works, then heading north for a bit, stopping along the side of the road whenever the colors jumped out at Denise. It would have been nice to fit in a hike, but time was a little short. A hike would have fit the time nicely without the Zabriskie Point sunrise, but watching the sun paintings was a good choice for today.

Denise figured out that we could wander this morning without checking out of the hotel since the checkout time was noon. That way she could wash the sweat off before we headed down the road back to Las Vegas.

And just as we were heading back to Furnace Creek to get ready to travel, Denise saw a small four-legged creature wandering down the center of the road. She immediately pulled over to the side, watching, hoping. It was a coyote! It crossed the road, and loped across the desert. When Denise stopped the car she grabbed her camera. Once she saw our friend was crossing the road and paying no attention to us, she opened the door, stood next to the car, and took a couple of quick snaps. I know she would have liked to change lenses, but she knew there wasn't time. I hope that the camera holds a decent photo of him.

Driving, driving fast! The speed limit on the narrow 2-lane road heading up through Amargosa Valley was 70 in spots, 75 in others. It was that fast on most of route 95 too, at least until we got close to Las Vegas. We were flying down that road, and so was everyone else. Denise kept glancing at the land we were passing through, and I know she really wanted to stop, to grab some photos of some of the low-lying cactus. I told her that really wasn't a good idea. I was afraid that in order to get far enough off of the road to be safe from the flying vehicles, that she'd end up getting stuck in the sand. That really wouldn't have been a good idea. She's pretty careful, and she said she wouldn't have done it even if I hadn't bounced up and barked. I don't know if I believe her though; she was really tempted.

Las Vegas, cars, cars, traffic. It wasn't too bad, in spite of some construction lane closures, and we got to the airport with more time than we needed. We stood outside in the sun for a while, and then it was time to fly, time to head back to the northeast. I have a feeling that we'll be back in the not too distant future. It's so easy to get to some wonderful parks from Las Vegas, and it's really not a bad flight. Yup, we'll be back.

Guess what! Denise bought me some dark chocolate M&Ms for the flight. They are not as good as the chocolate we have at home, but wow - that's good chocolate for an airplane flight. I'm happy!

It's only 5:13 pm in Pacific time, and it's 8:13 at home. I don't know where we are right now. But I just looked out over the plane's wing, it's getting dark out. I think I'll have some chocolate and take a nap now. After all, I have to be awake when we land so I can help Denise drive home.

--- Rover

You didn't believe that I could type, did you? Working on this journal entry was a good way to pass the time while that big airplane was flying east, taking us home.

Photos: Return to Artist's Drive

Can you see the line of shadow? I was amazed at how fast the sun disappeared from the rocks.

It was well before the published time of sunset, which does make sense given that the sunset time does not take the mountains into account.

Photos: Birds posing

...conundrum seeking answers

These birds are another reason why I'm glad I took a mid-afternoon break at the green oasis of Furnace Creek today. I'd like to think that I would have been able to capture more of these beauties if I had just spent more time sitting still.

No complaints though; I'm very happy that these birds consented to a quick pose.

If anyone is interested, the Death Valley National Park web site includes a bird list.

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The saga of (an inexperienced birder) identifying a hawk...

The first post in my guestbook about this bird was the thought that it might be a Cooper's hawk. According to the USGS page that I found, "The Sharp-shinned Hawk is most similar to the Cooper's Hawk." I posted this photo and my question in the Digital Grin photography forum in the hopes of attracting the attention of some photographers who are also birders. I got two answers there.

The initial reaction was from GraphyFotoz who told me this is a sharp-shinned hawk, identified by coarse brown streaks on the chest. This hawk is rare to uncommon in the area, so I guess I was very lucky to see it.

Then there were some more folks weighing in who agrees with the first guess that this guy is a Cooper's Hawk.

Well, it looks like it's one of the two. I suppose that having two answers is better than none, right? After reading both descriptions and looking at the photos - which honestly don't help me much! - I could be swayed by either argument. The things that jumped out at me...

The Cooper's Hawk "Dark crown contrasts with nape, and Tail ends in white tail band, back dark gray or gray-brown, underparts barred reddish and white."

And yet, the Sharp-shinned hawk "Tail long, barred, and ends with a square tip, adults with blue-gray back and wings, reddish barring on underparts." Yup, those things are true too.

Gerry signed my guestbook with this: "As one who frequently birds the Furnace Creek area, I think you have photos of probably a Cooper's Hawk - based on the pale nape and all the other comparisons noted in other postings. Also, Cooper's are common here, not so for Sharpie's, which are very secretive as a rule."

Another comment I found interesting was from Jeff W over on Digital Grin: "you can see the field id of these 2 birds is not just hard but impossible. the best way is to [after you have seen a few ] tell the size. cooper is bigger sharpie is smaller but they are almost twins".

Links to descriptions of both birds on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds page:

• Sharp-shinned hawk
• Cooper's Hawk

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Many thanks to everyone who jumped in to help with the identification of these beautiful birds. I'm looking forward to a future return to Death Valley not only to do some more hiking but also to spend some time sitting and watching the birds.

Photos: A mystery, then Sidewinder Canyon

Photos: A glimpse of Badwater

Before tramping down the boardwalk surrounding the pool of salty water at Badwater, I stopped to read the sign posted by the park service. It was a tale of the birth of Death Valley, fascinating...

Shake Down This geographic region - known as "Basin and Range" - is spreading apart, fracturing the earth's crust along parallel faultlines. Huge blocks of land between the faults tilt like seesaws as the extension continues. You are standing above the dropping edge of a fault block that is rising on its other side to create the Panamint Mountains. Behind you, the steep face of the Black Mountains is another rising fault block edge. These forces are still active. The next large earthquake could cause Badwater Basin to drop a few more feet below sea level. Filling in the Gaps Even as the basins and ranges form, erosion wears down the mountains. Debris from the surrounding area washes into this basin since it has no outlet to the sea. But erosion cannot keep up with the geologic forces that continue to create Death Valley - the basin drops faster than it fills. After millions of floods, nearly 9,000 feet (2,750 m) of sand, silt, gravel, and salt fill the valley basin. Quoted information courtesy of Death Valley National Park signage

Photos: Twenty Mule Team Canyon

Photos: Devil's Golf Course

Isn't this a wonderfully smooth surface for a round of golf? Of course even with a brightly colored golf ball you would probably never see it again.

I suppose this spot is aptly named.

Chasing light

...from badlands to narrow slots

Sunrise wanderings in Twenty Mule Team Canyon were a wonderful start to the day. Would you believe that it took me an hour and a half to drive the 2.7 mile loop? Well, maybe I shouldn't call it a drive, it wasn't quite that simple. Drive a little bit, stop, jump out with my camera, walk a little, take photos, back to the car, drive a little bit, stop... The road was described as "winding through otherworldly badlands", and those rocky features were decorated by the sunrise. Nice!

I dropped back to Furnace Creek, stopping for a quick breakfast before I headed south once more along Badwater Road. First stop, Devil's Golf Course. I bounced out of the car camera in hand. (I guess Rover is teaching me to bounce!) Devil's Golf Course was a camera stop and not really a walking stop. The ground was definitely not smooth, described as "immense area of rock salt eroded by wind and rain into jagged spires". Rain? really? I crunched around the uneven surface for a bit, a little bit. And then it was time to drive further south, to the start of my next hike.

Hike? Well, sort of two hikes. My intent was to hike Sidewinder Canyon, but somehow I managed to start up the wrong canyon. It took me a while to realize that though. Oh, but I'd better start at the beginning.

The Sidewinder Canyon parking area is off of an unmarked dirt road. If there hadn't been two cars parked there (with no people in sight, they must have been out on an overnight trip) I think I would have missed the little road.

On the way to hiking Sidewinder Canyon, I took an hour detour up a parallel canyon. Oops! I thought I followed the directions to the right canyon, "from the southern end of the old gravel pit, walk up the large alluvial fan to the south that leads to a shallow canyon with poorly cemented gravel walls". I walked for a while before I realized I was in the wrong place. The trail description (or maybe I should call it a "no trail" description) said that the first of 3 slot canyons was a mile up the trail. I kept walking, and walking, thinking that I hadn't gone a mile yet. I finally came to an offshoot canyon, but it wasn't a slot. Hmm... I think it's time to turn around!

As I exited my mystery canyon, I saw two people heading to the next canyon south. I changed direction, walked over to them, and laughed about my misdirection. Ah, so that's where Sidewinder is. I dug down for more energy in the hot part of the day (well, most of the day is hot here!) and headed up Sidewinder. I'm so glad I didn't miss it. There were three slot canyons, plus a few other "holes". I stopped in the first non-slot and saw the remains of what I think was a bighorn sheep. There were two horns, separated by a bit of space, part of a jaw with teeth, and leg bones. That wasn't really a slot, didn't look like good walking. But I'm glad I walked up there; the bones were interesting. No, not morbid. Clean bones, and death is a part of life, isn't it?

Ah, back to the slots. It's amazing what the force of water can do in a desert. Flowing through cracks, carrying rocks, rubble, scouring the sides of the canyons, polishing the rocks in spots like Mosaic Canyon, leaving rough sides in the slots in Sidewinder Canyon.

Here's a description of the hike so you can see why I didn't just give up after walking my mystery canyon for a while:

"The hills at the western base of Smith Mountain seem uninteresting from a distance, yet tucked deep within them are some of the narrowest slot canyons in Death Valley. .... About a mile in, a major drainage joins from the right and the main canyon narrows abruptly. At this point look to the right and you will see the mouth of the first slot canyon where you can climb through boulders. The walls squeeze down to just a few feet wide and may be more than 100 feet high in places. Hidden within the dark, mysterious passageways are natural bridges, and pour-offs that may provide a challenge to scramble up."

Trail description courtesy of Death Valley National Park, included here to whet your appetite for visiting.

Oh, do you think I should have thought twice about hiking a canyon named after a rattlesnake?

I couldn't resist stopping at Badwater once more. I tried to capture some of the salt crystals with my camera, and then I walked again. Walking down that white path of salt crystals, heading toward the center of the valley. Did you know that there is sometimes a lake here? It only happens in years of higher than normal rains. How do you manage to time a visit to a place like Death Valley to see those special things? I suppose it would have to be pure luck.

I gave myself permission to head back to the hotel in mid-afternoon. Finally, a chance to enjoy the pool! It's a pool that is very easy to enter, a pool that is filled with water that comes from the warm springs at Furnace Creek. The air temperature was 90 degrees, the water was 84 degrees. Warm, comfortable...

Artist's Drive called to me in the late afternoon. There was good light on half of the loop, but I was too late to see the last bright light on Artist's Palette. I headed out well before sunset, but the sunset times don't take the surrounding mountains into account. The sun dropped behind the Panamint Range earlier than I expected. The first half of the drive was magic.

The day wasn't quite over yet. I headed to the visitor center for tonight's program, titled "Rare as Rain". Yes, I think it would be very interesting to see this very dry spot in the rain. Maybe someday... Didn't I tell you that Death Valley has joined my park addiction?

And then, I just had to stop at the General Store for my end-of-day treat. My usual treat on biking trips is chocolate. But on this non-biking trip I found a new treat. The store here has self-serve soft ice cream, and it's good! The choices? They always have vanilla and chocolate, plus one other flavor. For most of the week the third flavor was mocha almond. Tonight was a bit of a change, raspberry chocolate chunk. Yum, tonight's choice was a mixture of chocolate and raspberry chocolate chunk.

Tomorrow? I can play a little bit in the morning before I need to head back to Las Vegas to catch my flight back to the other side of the country. Can't I just stay here?