I have always been interested in visiting Death Valley. It is ~2.5 hours from the Las Vegas strip in California. I’m not sure why I became so fascinated with this place and determined to see it on this particular trip. I just remember learning about it in school and thought the history is interesting and a bit creepy. In the months leading up to our trip I did a good bit of research on bus tours and had actually picked one – it was pretty expensive, but it was an all day trip that provided lunch and I wouldn’t have to worry about any details.
Then we get to Vegas and this CRAZY idea pops into my mind – we have a rental car, so why couldn’t I just drive myself? I would be on my own schedule, could stop whenever I wanted to, eat wherever I wanted, etc. I know, you are probably laughing at my idea just like Brent did. And the first night there, driving from the strip –> Red Rock Canyon –> back to the strip, I decided that there was NO WAY I was driving in Las Vegas traffic. I just couldn’t do it.
But in the end, I decided to give it a try. I found some directions on the internet and they seemed pretty straightforward. So I got up SUPER early on Monday morning and just headed out! It was hot early and it took me about 2.5 hours to get there. I grabbed a park map/newspaper as soon as I got there and just started following the map and stopping at all of the points that looked or sounded interesting (I had also researched the park before coming so I was familiar with the different must-see stops).
First stop: Dante’s View
It was breathtaking. Absolutely breathtaking. Here the elevation is 5,000 feet above sea level and to get up to the peak you have to drive on a road with 15% grade and hairpin turns….in other words, I’m pretty sure that a tour bus would not have been able to do it. The Jetta was even struggling! So immediately I was so glad that I drove myself.
In the picture above, it looks like an ocean down below, but really it is the salt flats. From the park’s website:
“The source of Badwater’s salts is Death Valley’s drainage system of 9,000 square miles—an area larger than New Hampshire. Rain falling on distant peaks creates floods that rush ever lower. Along the way, minerals dissolve from rocks and join the flood. Here, at the lowest elevation, floods come to rest, forming temporary lakes. As the water evaporates, minerals concentrate until only the salts remain. After thousands of years, enough salts have washed in to produce layer upon layer of salt crust.”
In the post on Red Rock Canyon I mentioned how quiet it was in the desert. The silence on this peak was remarkable. Total and complete silence. It was almost eerie and I’m going to be honest, I got paranoid. It was pretty much deserted and I got this creepy end-of-the-world-type feeling. I know this probably doesn’t make sense, but while I was up there, I walked across to another observation point and passed another man (alone) on the way. I had this sudden fear that he might push me off the cliff or kidnap me or just kill me and no one would hear me scream. It was a bit unnerving. I found myself just eyeing everyone that came up there with me. It seemed like the absolute perfect place for a crime! I am crazy!
Next stop: Zabriskie Point:
It’s crazy! It doesn’t even look real! Look at the colors! They say this place is best and most beautiful at sunrise & sunset – I would love to come back & bring Brent.
It was getting SO HOT at this point (before 10 am) that it was miserable to get out of the car for more the a few minutes. This overlook point was way more populated than Dante’s view, so my paranoia left me for a little while!
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