Death Valley - Alive!

Backtracking a bit before our Death Valley arrival - I want to point out that we marveled at the Joshua Trees we met along the way.  

Being portable in the van, we take our epicurean breaks wherever we want.  In this case, we had a view of Mount Whitney, highest point in the continental US at 14,421 feet.

A long, and perilous-feeling, 9% grade descent into Death Valley (to me and Lisa riding in the back) was rewarded when we arrived at our campground In time for the sunset.

We drug our camp chairs, and by now the customary gin and tonics, to a small overlook and took in the technicolor sky.   

After dinner, we began to notice folks walking by with camp chairs.  We found out that the 49ers, a long standing booster organization for the Park, were staging their annual week-long jamboree.  Campers were headed to the free nightly concert.  We decided to check it out and heard the last few amateur acts.  Think fiddlin' and croonin', and an appreciative audience of a couple hundred old timers (is that us now?).

Next morning, we set off to explore the amazing salt flats and tried to spy the unique and endangered pupfish that have survived millennia in the briny shallow waters that edge the Badwater Basin.  No luck, but we did encounter a large group of Japanese tourists all carrying umbrellas over their heads.  Pretty smart.

The basin is crackled and riveted with salt crusts that form interesting patterns.

Up close, the salt crusts glisten like tiny quartz cliffs and canyons.  It boggles our minds to think of early wagon trains being lured to attempt a "shortcut" across this desolate valley to the California gold rush.

A hike to Natural Bridge leads us to this waterfall channel worn deep into the cliff face.  Given Death Valley's average of 2 inches of rain annually, it must be a rare sight to see water cascading.  Nonetheless, flash floods are a real danger when it does rain.

Natural Bridge is cool, but the hike to see it is hot.

I picked up this postcard at the Visitor's Center to send to Germany.  Loved the art work.  It was thrilling (the view and the roller coaster road) to take the scenic detour along Artist Drive.  We stopped at Artist Palette to compare the scene with the postcard.  Vivid turquoise and pink splashes of color punctuated the mountain slopes.

The heat, and rolling around in the back of the van, make me glad to return to camp for some R and R with my book.  John and Lisa explore the Visitor Center.  Hazy clouds derail the sunset into a bland event.  Dark falling at 5 pm turns us into old fogies heading to bed by 8!  However, a trek across the campground in the wee hours gives me an astounding view of the extravagant night sky.   What a show!