Death Valley National Park

We said goodbye to Las Vegas after breakfast and headed north west to our next destination which was Death Valley National Park - we are here for one night en route to Yosemite.

Shortly after we left Las Vegas we passed the most spectacular scenery of more national parks and canyons. I have added an image of Red Rock Canyon as an extra. As we neared Death Valley the temperature dropped and there was an electric storm, with small pockets of rain falling in various places over the valley. Death Valley is stunningly beautiful - I never expected a desert to be as beautiful as this. At 3.4 million hectares it is the biggest national park in the USA, and is a visual feast with its mudstone hills with rills and gullies from the occasional but tense times when water rushes down these slopes, colourful rock formations, particularly the area known as Artists Palette, and eerie salt deposits. 

We travelled from 3000 feet above sea level and within a few miles we dropped to -190 feet below sea level at the salt pans, the lowest point in North America being here, at a level of -282 feet below sea level. This is a view of Devil's Golf Course, a vast area of gnarled salt crystals that remain from when the lake evaporated  2000 years ago.

I have also added an extra of Zabriskie Point which has amazing views over these mountains. This is the main viewpoint and I plan to get up there for a sunrise shot tomorrow morning.

I never knew this place would be so interesting, I could easily spend a few days here exploring the ghost towns and other sights. It is hot, but not as hot as Las Vegas. In 1913 a temperature of 57C was recorded in Death valley, the hottest temperature ever recored on earth!

We are staying at a small hotel in the middle of the desert - it is truly like an oasis with its palm trees and spring fed swimming pool, but is is also like being in a bit of a time warp where the world seems to have forgotten all about it. (and dodgy wifi!)

I am very impressed with the national parks in the USA, I never realised this country was so beautiful.