Crazy to Visit Death Valley?

As the sign on my dad's office wall proclaimed about being a salesman - do you have to be crazy to be one - no, but it helps. I hope you will be persuaded otherwise after viewing the images in this post. They were taken last November, early in the month, and a great time to visit the hottest place in the country. Cool mornings and evenings and moderate afternoons made November a perfect time to visit this unique piece of American real estate.

The image above marked the end of sunset at Zabriski Point. We arrived in the afternoon after a long drive through the desert from Joshua Tree National Park. When we arrived at Zabriski Point the sun was just beginning to set and we were greeted with the following scene. You can see the sunset reflecting off the mountains in the distance while the soft evening light creates an other worldly scene in front.

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I am not a big fan of selfies taken at national parks. You have to turn your back to the vista to get the photo which seems counter intuitive to me. But here, I will bet the couple returned with a great photograph from their trip. Twilight at Zabriski Point.

There are great spots for day hikes in Death Valley. The image below is from the Golden Canyon Trail. We are actually hiking through the canyon valley pictured in the second picture above on the morning after we watched the sunset.

Badwater Basin in the park boasts the lowest elevation and the highest temperatures in the park. In the image below, you see the basin and a pathway that lets you walk out into the basin. When you step onto the pathway, you are standing in the lowest point in the country at 282 feet below sea level.

There are plenty of deserts and lots of mountains in the Park. And many Hollywood movies has been filmed here. Among the more familiar are two Star Wars movies, the Greatest Story Ever Told and Spartacus.

The scene above and the one below give you a feel for the contrasts you will find in the Park. As the elevation changes, so do the ecosystems. The spot below, at Dantes Point gives a stunning view of the valley holding Badwater Basin (if you look the opposite direction). The one above, from Mesquite Flats, is probably the image we all have of what Death Valley should look like.

And, then there is the sky. With broad vistas everywhere, it was never hard to find an interesting sunset. The image below was taken our last evening in the Park. Later after dinner, we ventured back out to see the stars.

With little light pollution and a cloud cover that had cleared, we had great views of the star filled heavens. We were too late in the season to see the galactic core of the Milky Way - it was below the horizon - but thousands of stars lit the sky nonetheless.

So, is a visit to Death Valley in your future?

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Next week we talk about Ancient Greeks in modern junkyards in a post called the Ancients Among Us.

All photos and text are copyright Clinton Richardson. If you like these posts, please tell your friends about the Venture Moola blog at Readjanus.com. For more pictures of the cormorant or the great blue herons whose territory he is invading, see the Jurassic Cove Gallery at TrekPic.com under the heading New.

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