Death Valley National Park, CA

Death Valley National Park in California is quite simply other worldly. The landscape is just unbelievable and incredible.

We started the morning off driving through some sand dunes.

I thought this looked just like Tatooine :-)

I was hoping to see a sand crawler and a handful of droids rise up over the dunes in the distance. No luck, though. Well, we weren't accosted by Tusken Raiders, at least.

The softness of the curves and shadows of the dunes are somehow comforting in this absolutely inhospitable environment.

Caked in sunscreen, we posed for an arms length photo.

There are things that survive, even team, here. Mostly shrubs and small plants, but not many trees.

Here's an unusual elevation sign, that you'll be hard pressed to find elsewhere in America...

We drove clear across the park to one of its most famous landmarks -- Zabriskie Point. I watched the 1970 classic about 10 years ago when I was in college. I didn't remember much about the plot, but I love the sound track. I queued it up on my phone and cranked it through the Jeep stereo.

The landscape visible from Zabriskie Point is almost indescribable. Carved, eroded, ancient sand dunes, hardened into solid rock, of varying types and colors and consistencies. These landscape views hardly do it justice...

As crowded as Yosemite was over the holiday weekend, Death Valley was simply empty. It was really nice to basically have an entire National Park to ourselves. Zabriskie Point was about the only place there was a "crowd". Truth be told, there were about 5 cars in the parking lot and a dozen people at the point.

Next, we drove down to the salt flat. Here, ancient (and even recent) river and lake beds have deposited huge tracks of salt on the valley floor. The color is pure white, and the brightness is almost blinding.

The crystalline structure of the salt is evident in a macro view.

These form ribs that wander through the salt flat, as far as the eye can see.

Note the ribs behind us here.

We drove the length of 5 different 4x4-only roads, off the beaten path, including the one that led us to the salt flat above.

Then we started heading toward the park exit, stopping at Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, at 282 feet below sea level.

We walked out unnecessarily far onto this salt flat. There's not much to see or do out there (that we hadn't already done). It's hot. Really, really hot. And bright.

Looking out along the valley floor, you can really get a feel for the nature of Death Valley.

It is hot, but the bright light makes for some nice portraits.

But facing toward the sun, it's almost impossible to open your eyes all the way.

What a unique park. We really, really enjoyed ourselves in Death Valley.

:-Dustin