If you've ever spent time on the open road, you know that things don't always work according to plan. There can be changes in weather, road conditions, and even road closures, amongst other things. 

This was day 2 of our weekend trip out to Vegas to pick up some 2024 Harley-Davidsons and ride them home, taking the scenic route through Death Valley National Park and seeing some of the popular stops along the way. We started the day off in Beatty, Nevada and made our way into Rhyolite Ghost Town.

We've been to Rhyolite too many times to count over the years, but this time around we checked out Tom Kelly's Bottle House for the first time, which had some interesting history. Originally built in 1906 by an Australian miner named Tom Kelly, the house has over 50,000 bottles within the masonry. The bottles would be used like bricks and mortared in with adobe. Bottle houses are great in hot climates because they are cool in the summer, hold heat in the winter, and allow for natural light.

Running on a tight schedule, we checked things out then hit the road to make our way through the park. Although there were some torrential downpours a week prior, the roads were fairly clear and being that there weren't too many tourists out exploring, we made good time. 

We pulled into the Badwater Saloon in Stovepipe Wells Village for lunch and got some great elk chili and bison burgers which ended up being one of our favorite meals of the trip. The last time we stopped there, they were still in the midst of "state regulations" and didn't allow indoor dining, so it was nice to catch a quick break from the cool desert air and unwind with a good meal.

The next big stretch of the trip would be on one of our favorite roads in SoCal, California State Route 190 which connects Death Valley National Park to Interstate 395 in Olancha. It's full of incredible views, smooth road surfaces, and endless curves along the way, but just as we thought we were in the clear to make it to I395...the day threw us a curveball. 

Tune in to find out what happened...

Eats:

Gema's Wagon Wheel Cafe (Breakfast)

Badwater Saloon  (Lunch)

Stays:

Exchange Club Motel

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