Later in the day: a hot day in Death Valley

I was going to start this with “one of my favorite spots on this trip…”, but then I realized that’s pretty much how I started most posts or at least think of most places on this trip – with the exception of Zion National Park of course.

So now, how am I going to explain that I really like the desert?

Death Valley is this vast open space that invites my imagination. The landscape looks like a painting.

Death Valley – Dante’s View

What you see down there is the Death Valley Basin and the Badwater Basin. Every year the Badwater-135 race attracts runners from all over the world to run 135 miles across Death Valley in the peak of the summer. This is the terrain they cross.

Death Valley – Badwater Basin

But we are not running.

In fact, we are hardly walking. It’s hot. And I mean REALLY HOT! 123F! (That’s 50.5 Celsius!)

The desert shows remarkable colors, hardly anything I would imagine given the heat and barren land. The sand and rocks come in all colors and form a landscape that – if I had painted it – no one would believe looks this vibrant.

Death Valley – Zabrieski Point – you can see the Badwater Basin in the background

Death Valley – Zabrieski Point

And playing golf would not be advised.

Death Valley – Devil’s Golf Course

There is one part of Death Valley that reminds me of what I think a desert should look like: endless sand dunes, maybe some camels and a palm tree laden oasis. There are no camels nor palm tress, but the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes come close to my childhood image of a desert.

Death Valley – Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

Death Valley – Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

As we leave the unrelenting heat, we cross through the desert basin once more and I love this view of the unforgiving evening sun scorching down on the desert road and land.