DEATH VALLEY continued:

A trip to Death Valley wouldn't be complete without a trip to Scotty's Castle. So after breakfast on our last day in the national park a large group went off to see the Castle.

This photo is an overview of the castle complex which consists of nine buildings.

This picture shows the chimes tower and Howard clock.

One of several handwrought weather vanes depicting scenes from Scotty's career.

One of the many elaborate gates.

Another elaborate gate.

This dinnerware made for the Death Valley Ranch contains the ranch emblem and a Latin phrase meaning "With perserverance we will succeed."

One of the many rooms in the Castle.

The Lower Music room with a player piano and 25-note keyboard that was wired to play the Deagan chimes in the Chimes Tower.

Some history on Scotty and Johnson: Walter Scott "Scotty" traveled with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show for 12 seasons. He gained national fame when he chartered a special Santa Fe train to break the speed record between Los Angeles and Chicago. While in Chicago Scott and Johnson met and Johnson gave numerous grubsteaks to Scotty to mine for gold in the Death Valley area.

Albert Johnson owned the controlling interest in National Life Insurance Company of Chicago. Johnson visited Death Valley on a recurring basis in an effort to locate Scotty's secret mine. Johnson had been injured in a railroad accident and was plagued with back problems. While visiting Death Valley, Johnson's back problems were eased. Initially, Johnson and Scotty camped out but eventually built wooden shacks for living quarters. Prodded by his wife's desire for more civilized accommodations, Johnson began construction on the present castle in 1925. Construction stopped in 1931 after the stock market crash and Johnson's financial problems. Johnson moved to Hollywood in 1933 and remained there in semi-retirement until his death in 1948. Scotty remained in the Castle until his death in 1954 and is buried on Windy Point, a barren hill overlooking the Castle.