On Jun 29, 5:45 am, R...@grouponly.com wrote:

Gee, this is odd, since I replied to this post at lunch time, but I
don't see my reply.

Perhaps "They" did not want you to reply. <wink>

What will you be driving? Will it have off-road tires? If not, I
suggest doing whatever tourist trap stuff you want to do in Rachel,
but not much beyond that. Getting stuck in the desert due to crappy
tires is not a lot of fun. You are taking a risk using passenger car
tires just to get to the front gate. Cell phone coverage up to the
93/318 intersection, but only if you have CDMA/analog. Rachel has
analog cellular. This means you have no coverage from the time you
take the turn onto 375 from Crystal Springs until you reach Rachel.

Welll, good point. Knowing my wife, probably a nice comphy minivan.
I didn't know the Front Gate was that bad, jeeez. As for the family activities
I think I meant more stuff along the road or a short hike therefrom.

If there really is a lot to do if you've better vehicles and you're willing to list a
few places then I'd like to know.  Once we leave Rachel we would probably
be taking 375-93-319-56 down towards the Cedar City or the parks depending
on time of day and willpower to drive further. Any ideas on those  roads ?
Especially 319-56.

Andrew

I never went to Cedar City in that direction.

You could visit the backgate. The road is shorter and there is analog
cellular service. I bought a new car and was driving one of the
"lesser" roads and got a flat. It was a pain to change in the light
drizzle. It's along story why I didn't put off-road tires on right
away, but I put them on for the next trip. I ever changed out the
spare.

The only hike in the area s to climb Hawkeye Hill, but it is not
suggested for amateurs. All it lets you do is see the front gate guard
shack.

In my other post that never showed up, I suggested a side trip to
Death Valley. The sites of the eastern side of the park are not that
much of a side trip. You could visit Scotty's castle.  Also climb up
and down the Ubehebe crater. Stage the trip from Beatty.

http://www.lazygranch.com/bonnieclaire.htm

I would suggest avoiding "The Racetrack" and Ballart Falls. The
Racetrack is a tire killer, and youcan see moving rocks at Bonnie
Claire. Ballarat Falls is a long drive/

I did this page on some of the side trips close to Area 51:
http://www.lazygranch.com/side.htm