Badwater basin — Nikon F: The Start — Single Roll Photography

Our second main stop for this trip was THE hottest place on planet Earth: Death Valley National Park. The day we were there it was not a record-breaking day, but it was 101 degrees fahrenheit by the time we were ready to leave at 1:00 PM.

We were up and ready to leave the hotel and make what we expected to be about an hour drive and get there just after sunrise. Travelers tip for this park is the 2 resort Hotels inside the park are nominally more expensive than the ones an hour outside the park. When I checked the night we stayed it was only about $20-30 more for the rooms inside the park, but we were already unpacked and settled by the time I saw it. The drive into the park though was quite incredible with the sun coming up slowly behind the mountains. Local traffic was not patient with us as we observed the 70-mph speed limit though. Once we were past the few businesses in the area everyone was passing us to get to and over the first set of mountains, it truly felt isolated. Driving in through the valley adjacent to the park took about 40 minutes and we did not see a single living being the entire drive. There was a factory of some sort and even a small town we passed through, nothing was stirring. At the very end of the single road, we did unexpectedly run into something I had heard about but never knew where they were. The “Sailing Stones” are rocks that seem to float around on the sand as they heat and cool, leaving cryptic looking “drawings” behind. It was so unassuming and in the middle of nowhere we didn’t even know we were looking at them until we were nearly all the way past.

Once we got over the final pass and into the park, it was easy to understand how it got its name. It was only 89 degrees, but the air felt dead. The entrance was not staffed, and honestly the only place we saw anyone was at the Visitor Center. But the first attraction we stopped at was the Mesquite Flat Dunes. While it initially appears to be just another small set of sand dunes (though beautiful to look at), this was the first of at least two places’ parts of Star Wars: A New Hope was filmed. Here is the spot R2D2 decided to roll away from C3PO after arguing about the best way to go. There was no Krayt Dragon skeleton, just a couple Old Timers’ chatting outside an RV, drinking coffee. It would have been kind of neat to go on a hike out into the sand, but the last time I went out on a sand dune I regretted it.

Most of the park is at or below sea level. Combined with being in a valley, it adds up to oppressive daytime temperatures. It also makes for being very remote. There is one gas station inside the park, which I have read on more than one occasion is the most expensive one in the country. The day we drove past, it had a sign out front with a price of $6.29 per gallon. To say I was happy to have spent $4 a couple hours beforehand would be an understatement. But on to the main draw of Death Valley we went: Badwater Basin.

I can officially say I have now visited the lowest elevation on the surface of the United States, 282 feet below sea level. The salt on the ground is so thick and hard it feels like concrete. You can look out for miles and see nothing but more salt and sand. The sign stating the elevation is cool, but it doesn’t feel quite that impressive until you decide to turn back to your car and way up on the wall of the mountain road you drove in on is a small sign showing where sea level is. By this time, it was already sweltering, and we still had two more main sites to see.

Artist Pallet is one a one-way turnout loop off the main drive, very much worth the time. The draw is a small group of hills colored by volcanic deposits containing chlorite, iron, and others. The colors are a beautiful pastel and when we arrived the sun hadn’t quite gotten to it yet, so while it was warm it was very much worth getting out and hiking around. It was not strenuous, even with taking a little bit of a scramble off the trail to the top of a few hills.

The final stop for us was also the one I was looking the most forward to. It was also the only spot that felt even remotely crowded. Zabriskie Point is the spot I was hoping to get to before sunrise but failed. Even at midday and the sun beating down mercilessly on every person brave enough to get out of their car, I could barely contain my excitement. Yes, there is a half mile paved climb to get to it. Yes, it’s an incredible view. And YES, this is the spot Obi Wan Kenobi told Luke Skywalker, “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.”, as they were about to enter Mos Eisley. If you haven’t noticed yet I am a Star Wars fan, thankfully it’s not as nerdy as it was when I was a kid. This spot was much busier than any we had seen yet, it is very accessible by tour buses, RV’s and even though the walk up is steep, there are several places to stop and rest. If you are physically capable of getting there, please do. On a clear day, the Ranger’s say you can see Mt. Whitney from here. On our vacation, there was a distinct haze over everything but thankfully the Canadian Wildfires did not seem to be affecting us. So, we made the decision to take a circuitous route to our next destination that would take us past a closer view of Mt. Whitney and it’s friends.

Driving through this part of California really makes you think about how much land here is just unusable for anything, and how truly wild it really is.

Travel Blog 2023 #3: Death Valley