How best to describe Death Valley? How about Hot! Damned Hot. How people survived before vehicle A/C I have no idea. Did I mention it was HOT!
We started the day at Zabriskie Point, a couple of hours after the ideal sunrise time of day but we had quite a long drive to get there.
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| Zabriskie Point |
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| Zabriskie Point |
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| Zabriskie Point |
After a visit to the Visitor Center at Furnace Creek we stopped off at Salt Creek to see the Pupfish in the creek.
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| Pupfish |
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| Pupfish |
We left after I started getting attacked by humungous flies to drive North to Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. The tree in the second picture was extremely popular with the Tour Bus crowd. They would all rush up to drape themselves over the branches so Husband/Wife/Significant Other/ Boyfriend/Girlfriend could take their picture. Bunch of poser's!
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| Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes |
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| Posing Tree |
After a sandwich lunch at the hottest part of the day we headed for the lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin at -282 ft below sea level. Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the Midday Sun. Yep, we did. We were hoping for the geometric shapes and salt crystals but I think heavy rains in the recent past have dissolved them for now until they can grow again. Did I mention it was hot!
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| Badwater Basin |
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| Badwater Basin |
Heading back the way we came we stopped off for the different colors of the rocks and minerals along Artists Drive.
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| Artist's Drive |
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| Artist's Drive |
To cool off after Badwater Basin we headed up to Dante's View at at 5475ft above sea level. The temperature dropped considerably as we gazed down at Badwater Basin below us.
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| Dante's View |
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| Dante's View Panorama |
After Death Valley it was back to overnight at Bonnie Springs near Las Vegas before the journey North and East to Kanab in Utah which was to be our base for the week ahead.
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