Death Valley National Park

We thought it was time for a road trip and wanted to choose somewhere relatively close (about a 5 hour drive), warm, and where we had never been before. Death Valley won the lottery and we headed out early one morning on our way to Furnace Creek, Death Valley National Park. Our first stop, the afternoon we arrived, was the ranger station. He gave us a map and pointed us on our way to visit this most amazing place. I expected a vast desert with 20 mule trains bringing out the Borax and was wonderfully surprised by the landscape that went from almost 300 feet below sea level to 5000 feet in the mountain passes. We had enough time before dark for one stop on the map.

SALT CREEK TRAIL

We did not expect to see a flowing stream on the floor of the desert but there it was! In this stream lives the endangered Pupfish. The ranger told us to look closely because they wouldn't be around much longer. They are only about an inch long and unfortunately we didn't see any. But the area was beautiful.

As we walked along the boardwalk the sun gave us the shadows of these long legged creatures.  As the sun went down we headed to the Furnace Creek Ranch for a bite to eat and our bed.

Day 2

BADWATTER BASIN

This vast basin is 282 feet below sea level. It is so named because the water that makes it to the surface here is very salty. Walking across the basin is like walking across a spilled box of Morton's! At one point I asked Bob to see if it was really salt - thus the demonstration below:

Is it really salt?

Yes it is!

Our next stop on the tour was The Natural Bridge. After a very bumpy drive on a dirt road, we hiked into the hills and came upon this beautiful natural bridge. It was in the 80s and very dry, of course, but an absolutely beautiful day. 

After the Natural bridge was the Artists Drive. This is a paved loop through a varying landscape of color. I had never seen green rocks before so this was one of my favorite parts of the trip,

After leaving The Artists Drive we headed for Scotty's Castle. Scotty was a fellow who sold shares to a gold mine that didn't exist and according to the stories was befriended by a wealthy Chicago man who continued to support Scotty for the rest of his life. The very rich Chicago man wanted a house built in the dessert and thus, in the middle of nowhere, Scotty's Castle came to be. We had a one hour tour with a park ranger dressed in 1930s garb. 

This coyote seemed to belong to the castle. The ranger told us that if you stop your car they will walk up to the driver's side window and wait for food. He also said they bring their young to the roads and teach them how to beg. He was the healthiest coyote I have ever seen.

SCOTTY'S CASTLE

After the castle we headed back to Furnace Creek Ranch for dinner and our bed. We were also surprised at the number of people visiting the park. I guess we shouldn't have been as winter is the only time the temperatures are under 100º.  The next day we packed up the car and headed for home. We made a stop at the Harmony Borax Works for a look at what was left.

 This Borax mining operation was in operation for only a few years in the late 1800s. Again, the vastness of the area is almost overwhelming.







HARMONY BORAX WORKS

MESQUITE DUNES

After the borax works we headed for the Mesquite Dunes. These dunes were beautiful. There were people walking on them but we chose not to do that. This is one of the ever changing landscapes we were treated to as we traveled through this park.

As we were coming to the end of the park we passed through the tiny town of Stovepipe Wells, Padre Crowley Point, at almost 5000 feet (and very windy and cold) down again to Lake Hill and out of the park at Owens Lake and the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Range. Amazing beauty almost every where we looked.

Down the hill toward Lake Hill

                                         Lake Hill

     Owens Lake and the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.