Days 28 and 29 Nevada to San Marcos

Following the suggestion from the clerk at the Lake Mead Visitor Center, I got up early (see the posted sunrise picture) and we took a three-mile hike on the Historic Railroad Trail. It is a much longer trail than that but we stopped at the first tunnel, since it was still very hot, even at 7:00 AM. But from the trail we could see most of the Lake Mead area, including the location of my campsite.

I left Lake Mead for California, and as soon as I crossed the state line, gas prices were significantly higher, as I paid more than $5 per gallon. The drive was long and uneventful and I arrived in San Marcos at the home of my son, Marshall, and his girlfriend, Alex, as well as my two grandchildren, Eion and Rosette. As you can see from the photo, the dogs were very tired from the long, hot drive.

I had planned to spend Thursday night camping near Death Valley and Mount Whitney but had to rearrange plans to get to San Marcos a day early for a dental visit. The dentist in Colorado determined I needed a root canal and coordinated an endodontist appointment in San Marcos for Friday at 7:45 AM. But when I was examined by the endodontist, he determined that a root canal was not needed, but rather I had a cavity under a crown that was near the nerve. Unfortunately, he did not perform such services, but was able to find a regular dentist that could see me later that morning. That dentist performed the treatment, and I was able to drive with the family to camp at Joshua Tree Friday night. We had hot dogs and s’mores and settled in for the night.