Spring Break 2005 - Death Valley and LegoLand

Kent and I went with Quynh and Khanh for a week of southern California.  We spent two days in Death Valley and one day at LegoLand.  And more than 1200 miles of driving.

We stopped at Red Rock Canyon State Park on the way to Death Valley.  It was our first chance to see the desert wild flowers, and Khanh's first attempt at bushwacking (around a waterfall that was too steep to follow.)

• Kent and Khanh heading down the canyon - small and large
• Khanh above one of the drops - small and large
• Kent came for the rocks, we thought the Indian Paint Brush was spectacular - small and large
• Kent heading down the ridge - small and large

Day 2 - We made it to Death Valley. After a stop for supplies, we headed up to the Race Track and started climbing Ubehebe Peak. Everybody made it to the saddle.

• Quynh above the grandstand - small and large
• Khanh and Kent above the grandstand - small and large
• Khanh, Kent and Malcolm above the grandstand - small and large
• Khanh, Kent and Quynh above the grandstand - small and large

Kent and Malcolm headed to the top of Ubehebe Peak, but missed the trail.

• Quynh on the way up, Kent is already there - small and large
• Khanh at the top, looking northeast - small and large
• Quynh and Khanh with the Saline valley in the background - small and large
• Kent with the Saline valley in the background - small and large
• Kent near the top of our hike - small and large

Quynh's pictures from the top

• Khanh and Kent - small and large
• Khanh, Kent and Malcolm - small and large
• Malcolm and Kent - small and large

The winds were pretty fierce on the Playa.

• Kent - small and large
• Khanh and Quynh - small and large
• Khanh and Kent liked teakettle junction - small and large

Khanh still had energy for a trip to the bottom of Ubehebe crater.  Malcolm liked lying on his back on the bottom.

• Khanh at the top with wildflowers - small and large
• Khanh at the bottom of Ubehebe Crater - small and large
• Khanh at the top of Ubehebe Crater - small and large

This was said to be a once-in-a-hundred year bloom for the flowers. There weren't as many varieties as previous trips, but there were large sections of the valley that were covered in flowers.  It was amazing. This is now day 3 of our trip.

• Kent trying out his airplane - small and large
• Quynh - small and large
• Khanh trying out his paper airplane - small and large
• Khanh, Quynh and Kent by the road - small and large
• Kent picks a flower for his mother - small and large

Kent enjoyed climbing the sand dunes.  Definitely more sand than we have at home.

• Kent at the top - small and large
• Kent and Malcolm at the top - small and large
• Kent at the top of a big sand dune (storm in the background) - small and large
• Kent running down - small and large

We got rained on... and a sandstorm.  It was pretty at a distance.  It was fierce up close.

• Flowers and a storm - small and large
• Rain - small and large
• Kent above the dunes - small and large
• Flower and a storm from the side of the road - small and large

Lots of time to be with friends and family

• Quynh taking pictures - small and large
• Khanh and Kent eating ice cream - small and large
• Malcolm and Kent at Badwater (there was water covering Devils Golf Course) - small and large

LegoLand  - Day four

• Khanh - small and large
• Khanh - small and large
• Kent - small and large
• Kent - small and large

Kent smiled a lot that day.

• Kent and the big guy - small and large
• Kent enjoys the firestation show (put the wet stuff on the hot stuff) - small and large
• Kent and Harry Potter - small and large
• Kent was successful at panning for gold - small and large
• Kent - small and large

Kent smiled a lot too

• Khanh watches the fire show - small and large
• Khanh panning for gold - small and large
• Khanh and Quynh watch the show - small and large

Is this a pig or a dog?

• Kent - small and large
• Kent - small and large
• Quynh - small and large

Kent couldn't resist the climbing wall, or the cars

• Kent climbing - small and large
• Kent climbing - small and large
• Kent driving - small and large

Lots of things to build

• Kent and the space shuttle - small and large
• Kent took this shot of George Washington getting his ear cleaned - small and large
• Kent and the train - small and large
• Khanh and the mission - small and large
• Kent was impressed that this sign was made of lego - small and large

Both boys enjoyed building and racing their own cars.

• Kent building - small and large
• Khanh building - small and large
• Kent watches the other cars race - small and large
• Kent and his car - small and large